Alternative methods to connect Salesforce and Tableau Dashboards – Integration, Authentication, and Tableau Viz LWC

Feb 9, 2022

Alternative methods to connect Salesforce and Tableau Dashboards – Integration, Authentication, and Tableau Viz LWC

While the Tableau Viz LWC component is the most common way to link Salesforce and Tableau, there are alternatives that you may want to consider in certain cases. First among these is the humble hyperlink or, alternately, a Salesforce Web Tab, linking to the relevant Tableau destination.

The main reason you would consider using a hyperlink instead of an embedded dashboard is that it is easy to implement and provides a level of control to the user. With a hyperlink, the user can decide when and where to access the Tableau dashboard. They can open it in a separate tab, window, or device and customize the view settings to their liking. Moreover, hyperlinks are easy to create and manage, and they do not require any special integration or maintenance efforts from either the Salesforce or Tableau side.

However, there are many drawbacks to using hyperlinks as well. First, you have to break the context and go to a different interface. It is also more difficult to pass parameters that are specific to the user context, as these will need to be set up in the visualization. Also, the security setup can become more complex by going down this route.

Using a hyperlink to link Salesforce and Tableau can be a viable option in certain cases. Still, it is important to weigh the pros and cons and consider the specific needs and preferences of your users before making a decision.

A second alternate option is to use a Tableau Connected App. Tableau-connected apps are a great way to securely and seamlessly authenticate external applications that embed Tableau content with your Tableau Cloud site. There are two types of connected apps: direct trust and OAuth 2.0 trust.

• Direct trust allows you to restrict access to content that can be embedded and where it can be embedded. With direct trust, users can access embedded content using SSO without having to integrate with an IdP. You can also programmatically authorize access to the Tableau REST API and manage the Tableau REST API capabilities that users or applications can perform.
• OAuth 2.0 trust also allows you to control access to embedded content and enable users to access it through SSO via your IdP. You can provide access using the standard OAuth 2.0 protocol, programmatically authorize access to the Tableau REST API, and manage Tableau REST API capabilities that users or applications can perform.