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Customize Tableau Landing Page

Daniel Paduck Apr 21, 2015 2:03 PM

I know that this was somewhat addressed in the following post: Make your own custom Tableau Server landing page; however, are there any other techniques for developing a landing page for Tableau. I am in the same boat as the author, e.g., challenging search interface. We are looking for something much more elegant such that when a user lands on the page it only shows the reports they have access to and does not show the left panel navigation bar.

1. Re: Customize Tableau Landing Page

Russell Christopher Apr 21, 2015 4:41 PM (in response to Daniel Paduck)
Hey Dan -

One cannot make wholesale changes to Tableau's portal (at least in a supported manner), so you're really just looking at building a web page what does whatever you need it do.

Much of the "under the covers" functionality encapsulated in the portal are available via Server's REST API. Examples:

Authenticate a user
See what vizzes an authenticated user has access to
Get thumbnails of said vizzes

...so if there's value for you in (sort of) recreating the wheel, you can if you're willing to put in the time.

BTW, have you seen the new portal in 9? It sounds much closer to what you're thinking about than 8 was.
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2. Re: Customize Tableau Landing Page

Daniel Paduck Apr 21, 2015 7:38 PM (in response to Russell Christopher)

Hi,

Thanks for your reply. I have not seen 9 but I will check it out shortly. Thanks!

It almost seems that the Tableau server was really not meant to be the client facing vehicle to present the finish dashboards. I will see if I can work on some web pages that will do this for me. BTW - have you tried using the REST API?

Thanks!
Dan
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3. Re: Customize Tableau Landing Page

Russell Christopher Apr 21, 2015 10:12 PM (in response to Daniel Paduck)

Hey Daniel --

This is purely my opinion of course....

In v8, Tableau's focus is on the vizzes. You get a UI which will allow you to find / execute / administer them, but we're not spending an inordinate amount time on the "packaging" - You don't get that same "wow" when you engage with the portal (packaging) as you do when unwrapping your new iPad or Macbook -- where the packaging is just as thoughtfully designed as the product inside.

v9 is much closer to that experience.

Realistically, very few Bi companies are going to create two user experiences (one for the end user, one for the administrator) -- they'd rather spend their time and resources on making the core product (vizzes, features in the viz) better.
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4. Re: Customize Tableau Landing Page

Daniel Paduck Apr 22, 2015 7:02 AM (in response to Russell Christopher)

Hi Russell,

Thanks for your response! I will take a look at Version 9. It seems like the Tableau Server is a bit like the SSRS Management Server, e.g., it is a tool to hold the reports but it is not really the front end portal that will 'wow' users.

Thanks!
Dan
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5. Re: Customize Tableau Landing Page

Mark Fraser Apr 22, 2015 7:24 AM (in response to Daniel Paduck)

Hi Daniel

Just jumping in to let you know Mark Jackson has his own blog which has more information/ detail.
You may have seen it already... apologies if you have.
Tableau Zen: Custom Tableau Server Admin Views

And definitely check out v9, looks much better.

Cheers
Mark
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6. Re: Customize Tableau Landing Page

Daniel Paduck Apr 22, 2015 7:43 AM (in response to Mark Fraser)

Awesome! Thanks!
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7. Re: Customize Tableau Landing Page

Mark Fraser Apr 22, 2015 7:45 AM (in response to Daniel Paduck)

You're welcome.
Interested to know how you get on... please do post back!

Cheers
Mark
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8. Re: Customize Tableau Landing Page

Daniel Paduck Apr 22, 2015 8:20 AM (in response to Mark Fraser)

I believe that we might be building our own pages front end pages but I will let you know. I went out to your site: Tableau Zen: Custom Tableau Server Admin Views and enjoyed it. Noted that you worked for KPMG. That company is right across from us in Chicago. We are at the AMA Plaza.

As a side note - To become a Zen master I would guess that you are primarily working with Tableau for multiple hours during the day?
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9. Re: Customize Tableau Landing Page

Russell Christopher Apr 22, 2015 5:46 PM (in response to Daniel Paduck)

Daniel -

Zens all have one thing in common - a love for Tableau and sharing what they know freely. Most spend lots of time at it, but not all use Tableau religiously / daily. Might be fun if you start a new thread on this to see who jumps in and gives you feedback!
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10. Re: Customize Tableau Landing Page

Daniel Paduck Apr 22, 2015 7:11 PM (in response to Russell Christopher)

Thanks for the response. I will start a new thread on how to become a Tableau Zen Master.

Thanks!
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11. Re: Customize Tableau Landing Page

Donna Coles Apr 23, 2015 12:31 AM (in response to Daniel Paduck)

Hi Dan - not sure if you found it via the link Mark Fraser sent to Mark Jackson's Custom Server Admin Views page, but this page details how Mark J created a custom landing page - http://ugamarkj.blogspot.co.uk/2013/11/customizing-tableau-server-experience.html.

I used the principals behind it, to create something very similar at my company
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12. Re: Customize Tableau Landing Page

Daniel Paduck Apr 23, 2015 8:18 AM (in response to Donna Coles)

Wow! That looks awesome! I will have to give that a try!
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13. Re: Customize Tableau Landing Page

Mark Fraser Apr 23, 2015 11:40 PM (in response to Daniel Paduck)

Hi Daniel

Just for completeness (it maybe of no interest to you)
http://powertoolsfortableau.com/tools/portals-for-tableau

Cheers
Mark
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14. Re: Customize Tableau Landing Page

Daniel Paduck Apr 24, 2015 4:00 AM (in response to Mark Fraser)

Wow, impressive. If a company can spring up in order to just work on Tableau portals it seems to me that there is a pretty big whole missing in the delivery of the dashboards/worksheets.

Thanks!
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