Custom geocoding in Tableau - Dashboard Guide

Dashboard Mode - Custom geocoding

Business Question

Where are our top 5 stores located on the map using custom city coordinates?

Sample Data

Store	City	Sales	Latitude	Longitude
Store A	Springfield	150000	39.7817	-89.6501
Store B	Rivertown	120000	40.7128	-74.0060
Store C	Lakeside	90000	34.0522	-118.2437
Store D	Hillview	110000	41.8781	-87.6298
Store E	Mapleton	130000	29.7604	-95.3698
Store F	Brookfield	80000	33.4484	-112.0740
Store G	Greenville	70000	39.9526	-75.1652

Dashboard Components

• KPI Card: Total Sales with formula SUM([Sales]) showing 750000
• Bar Chart: Sales by Store sorted descending by sales
• Map: Store Locations using custom geocoding fields [Latitude] and [Longitude] to plot each store as a point
• Top 5 Stores Filter: Parameter or filter to show only top 5 stores by sales on all visuals
• Tooltip on Map: Shows Store, City, and Sales when hovering over points

Dashboard Layout

+----------------------+-------------------------+
|      Total Sales      |      Sales by Store     |
|       (KPI Card)      |       (Bar Chart)       |
+----------------------+-------------------------+
|                      Map (Store Locations)                    |
|                      (Custom Geocoding)                      |
+--------------------------------------------------------------+
    

Interactivity

The Top 5 Stores Filter controls which stores appear in the bar chart and on the map. When you select top 5 stores by sales, the KPI card updates to show total sales for those stores only. Hovering over map points shows detailed store info. All components update together to keep the view consistent.

Self Check

If you apply a filter to show only stores with sales above 100,000, which stores remain visible on the map and bar chart? What is the updated total sales in the KPI card?

Key Result

Dashboard showing top 5 stores' sales and locations using custom latitude and longitude coordinates.

Practice

1. What is the main purpose of custom geocoding in Tableau?

easy

A. To create charts other than maps

B. To change the color scheme of maps

C. To export maps as images

D. To add new or special locations not included in Tableau's default maps

Solution

1. Step 1: Understand Tableau's default map data

   Tableau has built-in locations but may miss some special or new places.

2. Step 2: Purpose of custom geocoding

   Custom geocoding lets you add these missing locations by providing coordinates.

3. Final Answer:

   To add new or special locations not included in Tableau's default maps -> Option D

4. Quick Check:

   Custom geocoding = add new locations [OK]

Hint: Think: Why add new places to a map? [OK]

Common Mistakes:

• Confusing custom geocoding with color or style changes
• Thinking it exports maps instead of adding data
• Assuming it creates non-map charts

2. Which file format is required to import custom geocoding data into Tableau?

easy

A. .csv (Comma-separated values)

B. .xlsx (Excel workbook)

C. .txt (Plain text file)

D. .json (JavaScript Object Notation)

Solution

1. Step 1: Identify Tableau's accepted custom geocoding format

   Tableau requires a CSV file with location names and coordinates for custom geocoding.

2. Step 2: Compare file types

   CSV is the standard for tabular data import in Tableau for geocoding, unlike Excel or JSON.

3. Final Answer:

   .csv (Comma-separated values) -> Option A

4. Quick Check:

   Custom geocoding file = CSV [OK]

Hint: Remember: CSV is simple table data for Tableau [OK]

Common Mistakes:

• Choosing Excel because it's common for data
• Thinking JSON or TXT are accepted for geocoding
• Confusing file formats for other Tableau features

3. Given this CSV snippet for custom geocoding:

Location,Latitude,Longitude
MyTown,40.7128,-74.0060
NewPlace,34.0522,-118.2437

What will Tableau do after importing this file?

medium

A. Show an error because coordinates are invalid

B. Replace all existing locations with MyTown and NewPlace

C. Add MyTown and NewPlace as mappable locations on Tableau maps

D. Ignore the file because it lacks population data

Solution

1. Step 1: Understand the CSV content

   The CSV has location names with valid latitude and longitude values.

2. Step 2: Tableau's behavior on import

   Tableau adds these locations to its map data without removing existing ones.

3. Final Answer:

   Add MyTown and NewPlace as mappable locations on Tableau maps -> Option C

4. Quick Check:

   Valid CSV adds locations [OK]

Hint: Valid coordinates + names = new map points [OK]

Common Mistakes:

• Thinking Tableau replaces all locations
• Assuming coordinates are invalid without checking
• Believing extra data like population is mandatory

4. You imported a custom geocoding CSV but Tableau does not show your new locations on the map. What is the most likely error?

medium

A. You forgot to restart Tableau after import

B. The CSV file has incorrect column headers like 'Lat' instead of 'Latitude'

C. Tableau does not support custom geocoding

D. The CSV file is too large for Tableau to process

Solution

1. Step 1: Check CSV format requirements

   Tableau requires exact column headers: 'Location', 'Latitude', and 'Longitude'.

2. Step 2: Identify common import issues

   Incorrect headers like 'Lat' cause Tableau to ignore the data.

3. Final Answer:

   The CSV file has incorrect column headers like 'Lat' instead of 'Latitude' -> Option B

4. Quick Check:

   Correct headers = data shown [OK]

Hint: Check headers match exactly: Location, Latitude, Longitude [OK]

Common Mistakes:

• Blaming file size without evidence
• Thinking Tableau lacks custom geocoding support
• Assuming restart is always needed

5. You want to map a new set of store locations in Tableau that are not recognized by default. Your CSV has duplicate location names but different coordinates. What is the best way to handle this in custom geocoding?

hard

A. Add a unique identifier to the location names to differentiate each location

B. Remove duplicates and keep only one coordinate per name

C. Import as is; Tableau automatically handles duplicates

D. Change all location names to the same name for simplicity

Solution

1. Step 1: Understand duplicate location issues

   Duplicate names with different coordinates confuse Tableau's mapping.

2. Step 2: Use unique identifiers

   Adding a unique ID or modifying names helps Tableau distinguish each location.

3. Step 3: Avoid data loss or confusion

   Removing duplicates or renaming all the same causes loss or errors.

4. Final Answer:

   Add a unique identifier to the location names to differentiate each location -> Option A

5. Quick Check:

   Unique IDs fix duplicate location issues [OK]

Hint: Make each location name unique to avoid confusion [OK]

Common Mistakes:

• Assuming Tableau auto-fixes duplicates
• Deleting duplicates losing data
• Using identical names causing map errors