Highlight actions in Tableau - Step-by-Step Guide

Introduction

Highlight actions let you emphasize related data points in your Tableau dashboard when you select or hover over a mark. This helps you quickly see connections and patterns without filtering out other data.

When you want to show how sales in one region relate to product categories in another chart on the dashboard

When your dashboard has multiple charts and you want users to easily spot related data by clicking or hovering

When you want to keep all data visible but still draw attention to specific parts based on user interaction

When you want to compare a selected item with others without hiding any data

When you want to create interactive storytelling by highlighting trends or outliers across views

Steps

Step 1: Open

- Tableau dashboard in Tableau Desktop

Your dashboard with multiple charts is visible

Step 2: Click

- Dashboard menu at the top

Dashboard menu options appear

Step 3: Select

- Actions option in the Dashboard menu

Actions dialog box opens showing existing actions

Step 4: Click

- Add Action button in the Actions dialog

A list of action types appears

Step 5: Choose

- Highlight action from the list

Highlight Action dialog opens for configuration

Step 6: Type

- Name field in Highlight Action dialog

You enter a descriptive name like 'Highlight Sales by Region'

Step 7: Select

- Source Sheets section

You pick the sheet(s) where the user will click or hover to trigger the highlight

Step 8: Select

- Target Sheets section

You pick the sheet(s) where the highlight effect will appear

Step 9: Choose

- Run action on dropdown

You select either Hover or Select to decide how the highlight triggers

Step 10: Click

- OK button in Highlight Action dialog

Highlight action is saved and active on the dashboard

Step 11: Test

- Dashboard view

Hover or click on marks in the source sheet and see related marks highlight in the target sheet

Before vs After

Before

Dashboard shows all data points in all charts with no emphasis

After

When user hovers over a region in the map, related sales bars highlight in the sales chart, making connections clear

Settings Reference

Source Sheets

📍 Highlight Action dialog

Choose which sheet(s) user interacts with to trigger the highlight

Default: None selected

Target Sheets

📍 Highlight Action dialog

Choose which sheet(s) will show the highlight effect

Default: None selected

Run action on

📍 Highlight Action dialog

Decide if highlight happens when user hovers over or clicks a mark

Default: Hover

Clearing the selection will

📍 Highlight Action dialog

Choose what happens when user stops interacting (clears highlight)

Default: Show all values

Common Mistakes

Not selecting the correct source or target sheets

Highlight action won't work if the sheets are not properly linked

Always verify source and target sheets are correctly chosen to connect the right views

Choosing 'Select' but expecting highlight on hover

Highlight triggers only on click, so hovering does nothing

Pick 'Hover' if you want highlight on mouse over, or 'Select' if on click

Forgetting to set clearing behavior

Highlight may stay stuck or disappear unexpectedly

Set clearing option to control what happens when user stops interacting

Summary

Highlight actions emphasize related data points across dashboard views without filtering.

You configure source and target sheets and choose how the highlight triggers (hover or select).

Remember to set clearing behavior and verify sheets to ensure the highlight works as expected.

Practice

1. What is the main purpose of a Highlight Action in Tableau dashboards?

easy

A. To make related data points stand out without filtering the data

B. To permanently remove unrelated data from the view

C. To create new calculated fields based on user input

D. To export the dashboard data to Excel automatically

Solution

1. Step 1: Understand Highlight Action functionality

   Highlight actions emphasize related data visually but do not filter or remove data.

2. Step 2: Compare with other actions

   Unlike filter actions, highlight actions only change appearance to help users explore data connections.

3. Final Answer:

   To make related data points stand out without filtering the data -> Option A

4. Quick Check:

   Highlight actions emphasize data without filtering [OK]

Hint: Highlight actions emphasize data visually, not filter it [OK]

Common Mistakes:

• Confusing highlight with filter actions
• Thinking highlight removes data
• Assuming highlight creates new data

2. Which of the following is the correct way to create a Highlight Action in Tableau?

easy

A. Dashboard > Actions > Add Action > Highlight

B. Worksheet > Filter > Add Highlight

C. Data > Create Highlight Calculation

D. Format > Highlight Settings

Solution

1. Step 1: Locate where to add Highlight Actions

   Highlight actions are added via the Dashboard menu under Actions.

2. Step 2: Confirm correct menu path

   The correct path is Dashboard > Actions > Add Action > Highlight.

3. Final Answer:

   Dashboard > Actions > Add Action > Highlight -> Option A

4. Quick Check:

   Highlight actions are added from Dashboard menu [OK]

Hint: Add highlight actions from Dashboard > Actions menu [OK]

Common Mistakes:

• Trying to add highlight from Worksheet or Data menus
• Confusing highlight with filter or format options
• Looking for highlight in wrong menu

3. Consider a dashboard with a bar chart and a map. You set a Highlight Action from the bar chart to the map on the 'Region' field. What happens when you click a bar representing 'West' region?

medium

A. The entire map refreshes with new data unrelated to 'West'

B. The map filters to show only 'West' region data

C. Only the 'West' region data on the map is highlighted, others dimmed

D. Nothing happens because highlight actions do not work between charts

Solution

1. Step 1: Understand highlight action effect on target view

   Highlight actions emphasize matching data points and dim others but do not filter.

2. Step 2: Apply to example

   Clicking 'West' bar highlights 'West' region on map, dimming other regions visually.

3. Final Answer:

   Only the 'West' region data on the map is highlighted, others dimmed -> Option C

4. Quick Check:

   Highlight action dims non-matching data [OK]

Hint: Highlight dims unrelated data, does not filter [OK]

Common Mistakes:

• Thinking highlight filters data
• Assuming highlight does nothing between charts
• Confusing highlight with refresh or reload

4. You created a Highlight Action but clicking on the source chart does not highlight anything on the target chart. What is the most likely cause?

medium

A. You must refresh the dashboard manually after creating highlight actions

B. The fields used for linking source and target are different or mismatched

C. Highlight actions only work on maps, not charts

D. Highlight actions require filters to be enabled first

Solution

1. Step 1: Check linking fields in highlight action

   Highlight actions depend on matching fields between source and target views.

2. Step 2: Identify mismatch issue

   If fields differ or have different data types, highlight will not work.

3. Final Answer:

   The fields used for linking source and target are different or mismatched -> Option B

4. Quick Check:

   Matching fields are required for highlight to work [OK]

Hint: Ensure source and target fields match exactly for highlight [OK]

Common Mistakes:

• Assuming highlight needs filters enabled
• Thinking highlight only works on maps
• Forgetting to check field data types

5. You want to create a dashboard where clicking on a product category highlights related sales data across multiple charts without filtering any data. Which Tableau feature should you use and how should you configure it?

hard

A. Use URL Actions to open filtered views in new browser tabs

B. Use Filter Actions linking the 'Product Category' field and apply to all charts

C. Create a parameter to select product category and use calculated fields to filter charts

D. Use Highlight Actions linking the 'Product Category' field across all charts

Solution

1. Step 1: Identify requirement to highlight without filtering

   The goal is to emphasize related data without removing any data points.

2. Step 2: Choose appropriate action type

   Highlight Actions visually emphasize data; Filter Actions remove data points.

3. Step 3: Configure highlight action

   Link 'Product Category' field across all charts using Highlight Actions to achieve the goal.

4. Final Answer:

   Use Highlight Actions linking the 'Product Category' field across all charts -> Option D

5. Quick Check:

   Highlight actions emphasize data without filtering [OK]

Hint: Highlight actions emphasize related data without filtering [OK]

Common Mistakes:

• Choosing filter actions which remove data
• Using parameters unnecessarily
• Confusing URL actions with highlighting