Microsoft Access

This topic describes how to connect Tableau to a Microsoft Access file and set up the data source. Tableau supports all Access data types except OLE Object and Hyperlink.

1. Click Connect to Data.
   
2. On the Connect page, click Microsoft Access, select the Access file that you want to connect to, and then click Open. The data source page displays.
   If the Access file is password protected or it is a file that is protected by workgroup security, a dialog box opens where you can enter your database password or select Workgroup Security. If the file is protected by workgroup security, type the Workgroup Information file name, User, and Password into the corresponding text fields.
   
3. On the data source page, do the following:
   
   1. (Optional) Click the default data source name at the top of the page, and then type a unique data source name for use in Tableau.The default name is automatically generated based on the file name.
      
   2. Drag a table to the join area. You can drag a table or query.
      
   3. If your Access file contains one table, click Go to Worksheet to begin building the view. Alternatively, drag additional tables to the join area and use conditions to join them. You can choose to combine tables or use Custom SQL when you are working with multiple tables. You can also add joins later.
      

Optional Settings

You can set the following options before building your view.

Preview the data and change data types

The first 10,000 rows of the data in the data source is automatically displayed below the join area. If you add tables, remove tables, or make changes to the join conditions, the preview updates. You can also do the following in the preview area:

• Change the data type of a column by clicking the data type icon.
  
• Rename or hide the column by clicking the column header drop-down menu and selecting the respective option.
  

Connect live or use an extract

At the top of the data source page, select a live or extract connection to the data source. If you choose to take an extract, an Edit link will display allowing you to set up filters that define the subset of the data to include in the extract.

Add data source filters

Add data source filters to restrict the visibility and use of the fields in the data source.

An example of an Access data source is shown below.

Note: If the Access file contains columns that are more than 254 characters wide, Tableau will not be able to use these fields. Either remove the columns from the table or modify them to fit within 254 characters prior to connecting with Tableau.