How to Set Up Your PAT in Tableau Server and Online
Personal Access Tokens (PATs) provide a secure and flexible way to authenticate with Tableau Server and Tableau Online, allowing you to automate tasks and integrate Tableau with external applications without exposing your username and password.
1. Why Use a Personal Access Token?
PATs are a modern alternative to traditional authentication methods. They offer the following benefits:
- Security: Tokens can be scoped and rotated without changing your primary credentials.
- Automation: Ideal for scripts and applications that require secure, non-interactive access.
- Simplicity: Easier to manage and integrate than maintaining multiple user credentials.
2. Creating a PAT in Tableau Server
Follow these steps to create a PAT on Tableau Server:
- Log In: Sign in to your Tableau Server with your administrator or user credentials.
- Access Your Account Settings: Click on your profile icon (usually located in the upper-right corner) and select My Account Settings.
- Create a New Token: Scroll to the Personal Access Tokens section. Click on Create a new token and give it a descriptive name (e.g., "AutomationScriptPAT").
- Copy the Token: Once created, a PAT secret will be displayed. Copy it immediately and store it securely, as it will not be shown again.
- Confirm and Save: Confirm the creation of your token. Your PAT is now ready to be used for authentication in your scripts or applications.
3. Creating a PAT in Tableau Online
The process for Tableau Online is very similar:
- Log In: Access your Tableau Online site with your credentials.
- Navigate to My Account Settings: Click on your user avatar or name in the top-right corner and select My Account Settings.
- Create a Token: Under the Personal Access Tokens section, click Create new token. Provide a token name that indicates its purpose.
- Save the Token Secret: Copy and securely store the token secret displayed.
- Finish: Your new PAT is now active and can be used to authenticate API calls or integrate with your external applications.
4. Best Practices and Security Tips
- Store Securely: Always store your PAT secret in a secure location. Consider using environment variables or a secure secrets manager.
- Limit Scope: If possible, create tokens with the minimum permissions needed for your tasks.
- Regular Rotation: Periodically rotate your tokens to maintain security.
- Avoid Hard-Coding: Do not embed your PAT directly in your code. Instead, reference it from secure settings or environment configurations.
5. Using Your PAT in Tableau Server Client (TSC)
Once you have your PAT, you can integrate it into your Python scripts using the Tableau Server Client (TSC) library. For example:
import tableauserverclient as TSC
# Replace these with your actual credentials and server details.
SERVER_URL = 'https://your-tableau-server'
PAT_NAME = 'your_personal_access_token_name'
PAT_SECRET = 'your_personal_access_token_secret'
SITE_ID = '' # Use '' for the default site or specify your site ID.
# Create an authentication object using your PAT credentials.
tableau_auth = TSC.PersonalAccessTokenAuth(PAT_NAME, PAT_SECRET, SITE_ID)
# Initialize the server object.
server = TSC.Server(SERVER_URL, use_server_version=True)
# Sign in to the server and perform actions.
with server.auth.sign_in(tableau_auth):
all_projects, pagination_item = server.projects.get()
for project in all_projects:
print(f"- {project.name}")
This simple example demonstrates how to authenticate with Tableau using your PAT and retrieve a list of projects.
6. Conclusion
Setting up a Personal Access Token in Tableau Server and Tableau Online is a critical step toward automating your Tableau workflows and integrating with external tools. By following the steps outlined in this guide and adhering to best security practices, you'll be able to streamline your administration tasks and focus on delivering actionable insights.
For more information, refer to the official Tableau documentation on PATs and explore the full capabilities of the Tableau Server Client (TSC) library.