Highlight actions in Tableau - Dashboard Guide

Dashboard Mode - Highlight actions

Dashboard Goal

Help users quickly spot related sales data by highlighting matching categories when they select a product category.

Sample Data

Order ID	Product Category	Region	Sales
1001	Furniture	East	250
1002	Technology	West	400
1003	Office Supplies	East	150
1004	Furniture	West	300
1005	Technology	East	500
1006	Office Supplies	West	200

Dashboard Components

• KPI Card: Total Sales calculated as SUM([Sales]). Result: 1800
• Bar Chart: Sales by Product Category. Bars show total sales per category:
  • Furniture: 550
  • Technology: 900
  • Office Supplies: 350
• Highlight Action: Selecting a Product Category in the bar chart highlights matching rows in the sales table below.
• Sales Table: Shows all orders with columns Order ID, Product Category, Region, Sales. Rows matching the highlighted category are visually emphasized.

Dashboard Layout

+----------------------+--------------------+
|      Total Sales      |  Sales by Category |
|       (KPI Card)      |    (Bar Chart)     |
+----------------------+--------------------+
|                  Sales Table                 |
|          (Detailed orders list)              |
+---------------------------------------------+

Interactivity

When the user clicks a bar representing a Product Category in the bar chart, the highlight action triggers. This visually emphasizes all rows in the sales table with the same Product Category. The Total Sales KPI remains unchanged as it shows overall sales.

Self Check

If you select the Technology bar in the bar chart, which rows in the sales table get highlighted?

• Rows with Order ID 1002 and 1005 highlight because their Product Category is Technology.
• Other rows remain normal.

Key Result

Dashboard showing total sales, sales by product category bar chart with highlight action to emphasize matching sales table rows.

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