Ideally, everybody in an organization can run the same version of Tableau Desktop or Tableau Server, but that's not always possible. In a large organization, different individuals or groups might need to use different versions of Tableau products.
This article describes compatibility considerations and how Tableau Desktop and Tableau Server can work together.
Note: This article discusses only Tableau products that are still eligible for technical support. Tableau provides technical support on each version of the product for 30 months after release. For a list of versions and their support schedules, see the Support Services(Link opens in a new window) page on the Tableau website.
The version, build number, and bitness will appear towards the top of the About Tableau window, similar to the above Tableau Desktop steps. Additional Information The Tableau license is not version specific. When you have an up-to-date maintenance agreement, you can upgrade to the latest version at any time. Discuss this article. Uninstall and re-install the desired default version of Tableau Desktop or Tableau Reader. For example, if you would like Tableau Desktop 2019.3 to open workbooks by default, uninstall and then re-install Tableau Desktop 2019.3. For more information, see Download and Install Tableau Desktop. Tableau Online Skip the hardware setup with a cloud-based version of Tableau Server. Scalable SaaS pricing and operations. Reliable, secure, and always up to date. Tableau-managed infrastructure. Works with Tableau Mobile to take data everywhere. In this topic, we are going to learn about Tableau Versions. Versions of Tableau in brief. We shall now see some of the important features that were newly incorporated or improved upon and brought in the respective versions of Tableau starting from the latest version to 10.0. Tableau Prep Builder in the browser allows you to prep your data from wherever you have access to a browser, bringing the data prep process into one integrated platform on the web. No need to manage individual desktops, IT admins can now upgrade the server to get everyone in the organization on the latest version.
When does compatibility matter?
Compatibility issues typically arise only between release versions of Tableau products. For example, if you are using Tableau Desktop 2020.4 and others are using Tableau Desktop 2020.3, or if you need to publish to Tableau Server and it is still running version 2019.1, you can encounter compatibility issues.
To identify which version of the product you are using, with Tableau Desktop open, select Help >About Tableau from the top menu.
The About Tableau dialog opens and the version number is displayed at the top of the dialog. The version number includes the release number and any maintenance release version number if applicable.
In this example '2018.1' = the release version and '.4' = the maintenance release version of the product.
Note: Tableau Prep Builder doesn't follow this same naming model for its release numbers. Tableau Prep Builder release versions are numbered like Tableau Desktop maintenance versions, for example 2020.4.1, except Tableau Prep Builder doesn't release maintenance versions of that product.
Release versions often include a range of new features and updates. If you try and publish your updated workbook to a prior version of Tableau Server, where those features aren't available, the workbook becomes incompatible.
There are no compatibility issues with maintenance (or dot) release versions—for example, between Tableau Desktop version 2020.3.1 and Tableau Desktop 2020.3.3 or Tableau Desktop 2020.3.2 and Tableau Server version 2020.3.7.
There is one exception. Tableau sometimes introduces new connector support with a maintenance release. This can introduce compatibility issues between Tableau Desktop and Tableau Server if Tableau Desktop has been upgraded but Tableau Server hasn't been.
For details about data source support by release, see the Release Notes(Link opens in a new window) page.
Compatibility between versions of Tableau Desktop
Tableau Desktop users can share workbooks—for example, by emailing them or copying them to a location on the company network. But if two users are using different versions of Tableau Desktop, sharing isn't always possible. The rule is simple:
- A newer version of Tableau Desktop can open a workbook created with an older version.
- An older version of Tableau Desktop can't open a workbook created with a newer version.
For example, suppose Amanda creates a Tableau workbook with version 2019.3 of Tableau Desktop and sends it to Zachary, who has version 2020.3 of Tableau Desktop. Zachary will be able to open that workbook, but he'll see this warning message:
The workbook will be upgraded when it is saved. The upgraded file can't be read by earlier versions of the application.
If Zachary edits and saves the workbook and sends it back to Amanda, he will need to downgrade the workbook first so that she can open it. If not, the load will fail when Amanda tries to open it in Tableau Desktop version 2019.3, because the workbook is now a 2020.3 workbook.
For more information about downgrading your workbook between Tableau Desktop versions, see Downgrade your workbook in this article.
Working with Tableau extracts
The same logic applies to Tableau extracts. A newer version of Tableau Desktop can open an extract created with an older version but an older version of Tableau Desktop can't open an extract created with a newer version.
However if you create a .tde extract in an older version and open the workbook in Tableau Desktop 10.5 and later and refresh (full or incremental) or append to the extract, it will be converted to the .hyper format and the workbook will become incompatible with older versions of Tableau.
Note: Starting in version 2020.3, Tableau Data Extract (.tde) files are no longer supported and should be converted to a .hyper format.
If you know you will be sharing your workbooks with users that have Tableau Desktop version 10.5 or later, save a copy of your workbook first before sharing it. If the workbook has already been opened in version 10.5 or later, you can downgrade the workbook to an earlier version if the extract hasn't been refreshed or appended to already.
For more information about the .hyper extract format, see Extract Upgrade to .hyper Format(Link opens in a new window). For more information about how to downgrade your workbooks to prior versions, see Downgrade your workbook in this article.
Compatibility between Tableau Desktop and Tableau Server
A workbook created with any version of Tableau Desktop can connect to any supported version of Tableau Server. But once you are connected, compatibility can be an issue depending on the version you are using and the action you're performing.
Publishing from Tableau Desktop to Tableau Server
You can publish workbooks and data sources to Tableau Server if the version of Tableau Server is the same or newer than the version of Tableau Desktop. For example, you can publish workbooks and data sources from Tableau Desktop 2020.2 to Tableau Server 2020.2, Tableau Server 2020.3, or Tableau Server 2020.4.
But if Tableau Server is running an earlier versions than Tableau Desktop, you will be prompted to downgrade the workbook before you can publish it to Tableau Server. For example, you can downgrade a workbook created on Tableau Desktop version 2020.3 to publish it to Tableau Server version 10.5. For more information about how to downgrade your workbook, see Downgrade your workbook in this article.
Note: The downgrade workbook features are not available if you are downgrading from Tableau Desktop 10.5 and later to Tableau Server 10.4 or earlier.
Current Tableau Version 2019
Downloading workbooks from Tableau Server
A workbook downloaded from Tableau Server has the same version as the version of Tableau where it was last edited. For example, suppose Amanda is running Tableau Desktop 2020.2 and publishes a workbook to Tableau Server 2020.3. If Zachary is also running Tableau Desktop 2020.2, he can connect to Tableau Server, download the workbook, and open it.
However, there are some scenarios where compatibility issues can arise:
- If someone else edits and saves the workbook on the server, the workbook is updated to that version of Tableau Server.
- If someone downloads the workbook from Tableau Server to a newer version of Tableau Desktop and edits, saves, and publishes it, the workbook is updated to the newer version of Tableau Desktop.
For example, suppose Elizabeth publishes a workbook from Tableau Desktop 2020.2 to Tableau Server 2020.3. Ted downloads the workbook from Tableau Server to Tableau Desktop 2020.3. He edits and republishes the workbook back to the server. The workbook is now updated to the newer version. Zachary and Elizabeth, who are both using Tableau Desktop 2020.2 can download the workbook but can't open it because the workbook has been updated to Tableau version 2020.3.
Connecting to published extracts
If using Tableau Server version 10.5 and later, published extracts that were created using Tableau Desktop 10.4 and earlier (that is, the extract uses a .tde file format) are automatically upgraded to the .hyper format when they are refreshed (full or incremental) or appended to. If this happens, the workbook can no longer be opened using previous versions of Tableau Desktop. For more information about the .hyper extract format, see Extract Upgrade to .hyper Format(Link opens in a new window).
For previous versions of Tableau Server, any published workbook or data source with an extract created in Tableau Desktop retains its original version when it's refreshed or appended to on Tableau Server.
Connecting to Tableau Server-based data sources
Workbooks in Tableau Desktop can use data sources that have been published to later versions of Tableau Server. However, if you connect to a data source that uses features that aren't in that earlier version of Tableau Desktop, those fields are unavailable.
For example, suppose you create a workbook in version 8.3 of Tableau Desktop, and then connect to a data source on Tableau Server version 9.0 that contains fields that include level of detail expressions. In that case, those data fields are unavailable in the Tableau Desktop 8.3 workbook, because level of detail expressions were not available until Tableau 9.0.
Workbooks created in Tableau Desktop can always use data sources from an earlier version of Tableau Server. For example, a Tableau Desktop 2020.3 workbook can use data sources from Tableau Server 2018.1.
Downgrade your workbook
If you need to publish your workbook to an earlier version of Tableau Server or share your workbook with someone using an earlier version of Tableau Desktop, you can downgrade your workbook to a previous version. The downgraded workbook can be opened in the selected version and later.
Any features not available in that previous version will be removed when the workbook is downgraded. The earliest version that you can downgrade to is Tableau Desktop 10.5.
Note: The downgrade workbook features are not available if you are downgrading from Tableau Desktop 10.5 and later to Tableau Server 10.4 or earlier.
Export workbook to previous version
You can export your workbook to a different version of Tableau using File > Export As Version in Tableau Desktop, or select Download > Tableau Workbook in the toolbar of a workbook in Tableau Online or Tableau Server. For more information, see Export Views and Workbooks.
Downgrade workbook for Tableau Server
If you are using a newer version of Tableau Desktop and an older version of Tableau Server, you can downgrade the workbook to the older Tableau Server version during publishing.
When you publish the workbook, you will see a warning message that tells you that the workbook will be downgraded.
If you continue to publish the workbook, any features or functionality that aren't available in the older version are removed for compatibility.
If you open the downgraded workbook in the newer version of Tableau Desktop, you will see a message like the one shown below.
Tiamat sigil. You may need to add back the features that were removed when the workbook was downgraded.
Note: This option doesn't apply to data sources.
Tableau regularly releases new versions of Tableau Desktop and Tableau Prep Builder. To take advantage of new features as well as other improvements and enhancements, upgrade to the latest version.
To upgrade you will need to do the following:
- Download the most recent installer from the Customer Portal(Link opens in a new window) page or any currently supported installer from the Product Downloads and Release Notes(Link opens in a new window) page.
- Follow the installation instructions in Install Tableau Desktop or Tableau Prep Builder from the User Interface(Link opens in a new window) to install the updated version from the user interface or Install Tableau Desktop and Tableau Prep Builder from the Command Line(Link opens in a new window) to install the updated version from the command line.Note: By default, Tableau Desktop is configured to automatically install the latest maintenance upgrade (for example 2020.2.3) for you unless this feature has been disabled by the administrator.
For more information about the different types of upgrades you can do and the impact of performing these upgrades, review the sections in this article
Release upgrades versus maintenance upgrades
Not all upgrades are the same:
- A release upgrade is when Tableau offers a range of new features and updates the look and feel of the product. The interval between release upgrades is typically a matter of months for Tableau Desktop or can be monthly for Tableau Prep Builder. With a release upgrade, the Tableau Desktop version number changes. For Tableau Desktop, the most recent release upgrade was from Tableau 2020.4 to Tableau 2021.1; the one before that was from Tableau 2020.3 to Tableau 2020.4. For Tableau Prep Builder, the most recent release upgrade was from Tableau Prep Builder version 2020.2.2 to Tableau Prep Builder version 2020.2.3.
- A maintenance upgrade (Tableau Desktop only) ensures that your copy of Tableau Desktop has the current security fixes and bug fixes. The interval between maintenance upgrades is typically a matter of weeks. Tableau provides maintenance upgrades for all versions of Tableau Desktop that are still officially supported. After a maintenance upgrade, there's typically no obvious change to what you see. However, if you open the About Tableau dialog box you can see that the third part of the version number will have changed—for example, from 2020.2.1 to 2020.2.2.For automatic product upgrades, installers are downloaded to the
Downloads/TableauAutoUpdate
folder. If theDownloads
folder doesn't exist, the installers are downloaded to theTEMP/TableauAutoUpdate
folder.
What you need to know about release upgrades
For information about new features added in recent release upgrades, see What’s New in Tableau Desktop(Link opens in a new window) or What's New in Tableau Prep Builder(Link opens in a new window) in the Tableau and Tableau Prep Builder Help. For information about security issue resolutions, bug fixes, and other details in a release for all Tableau products, see the Product Downloads and Release Notes(Link opens in a new window) page.
Before you upgrade
A release upgrade requires some preparation and planning. Here are some questions to ask before you upgrade:
- Are there any power users within your organization? If so, they should install and test the new version before the rest of the users do. Tableau tests each new version thoroughly, but every environment is unique and a test drive is never a bad idea.
- Does your organization also use Tableau Server? For Tableau Desktop, verify that the new version of Tableau Desktop you will be installing is compatible with your company’s current version of Tableau Server. Publishing workbooks from a newer version of Tableau Desktop to an older version of Tableau Server can be problematic. You can downgrade your workbook for compatibility, but there are limitations to that functionality. For more information about version compatibility, see Make Workbooks Compatible Between Versions. Buildbox preview not working mac.
- Is your organization ready to upgrade all workbooks? After you install a release upgrade, any existing workbooks you open and then save in the newer version will be upgraded. After that, these workbooks, (as well as any new workbooks you create using the new version) can't be opened with an older version of Tableau Desktop unless you downgrade the workbook. For more information about version compatibility and downgrading workbooks, see Make Workbooks Compatible Between Versions
Changes to existing workbooks and data sources (Tableau Desktop only)
When you upgrade to a new release version of Tableau Desktop, bookmarks, workbooks, and data sources that you were working with (that is, that are in the local Tableau repository on your computer) are still available in the new version. For information about the Tableau repository, see Files and Folders(Link opens in a new window) in the Tableau Help. Any recent workbooks, your recent connections list and any customizations that your organization has made to the discover pane are automatically imported when you launch your new version of Tableau Desktop.
After you open and save a workbook or data source with the upgraded version of Tableau Desktop, you can no longer open it with older versions. Instead you would need to downgrade the workbook to open it.
Note: If you've been participating in the Tableau Software Beta program, you also have a beta version of the Tableau repository. The beta repository will still exist after you install the new major version, but Tableau Desktop will no longer use it. To make your beta workbooks accessible in the new release version, copy the workbooks from the beta repository to your new repository.
Changes to sample workbooks and data sources
With a release upgrade, new sample data sources and workbooks replace the old samples—unless you've modified and saved any of the sample workbooks or data sources to an alternate location. The modified workbooks and data sources are retained and the equivalent new sample workbooks or data sources are not installed. This is done on a case-by-case basis. For example, if you've modified the Sample - Superstore data source, but not any of the other sample workbooks or data sources, the installer will replace all of the other sample workbooks or data sources, but not the Sample - Superstore data source.
Install a release version upgrade on the same computer
Typically, you upgrade to the new release version number on the same computer where you were running the previous release version. You don't have to uninstall the older version before you install the new version.
Depending on the product and the release version, the new release version may or may not replace an existing release version on the computer.
For Tableau Desktop, you can keep two release versions (for example, version 2020.4 and version 2021.1) installed on the same computer. Tableau Prep Builder generally releases a new version every month and upgrading to a newer version may overwrite the existing installed version on your computer.
To determine whether the upgrade version will overwrite your current version, you can look at the version numbering for the product, but how you read this version numbering varies by product. For example, Tableau Prep Builder doesn't release maintenance versions, while Tableau Desktop does.
The following examples shows whether an upgrade will overwrite the currently installed product version.
Current version | Upgrade version | Overwrite? |
2020.2.1 | 2020.3.1 | No |
2020.2.1 | 2020.2.2 | Yes |
After you've been using the newer version for a while and have upgraded all your workbooks or flows, it's a good practice to uninstall the older version to avoid confusion and clutter.
Install a release version upgrade on a different computer
If you're installing a release version upgrade of Tableau Desktop or Tableau Prep Builder on a different computer from the one where you installed an older version, you must first deactivate the product key for Tableau Desktop or Tableau Prep Builder on the original computer. You can then use that product key to activate Tableau Desktop on the new computer. You won't be able to use the new version until you transfer the license. If you need to do this, see Move or Deactivate Product Keys .
Important: Tableau Prep Builder is designed to work with Tableau Desktop. It is recommended that you install Tableau Prep Builder on the same machine as Tableau Desktop.
Updates to workbook themes (Tableau Desktop only)
If you upgrade from an earlier version of Tableau and you open a workbook that uses the Default theme, your workbook will automatically pick up any updates to the theme. If your workbook is set to a theme other than Default, it will retain that setting. Conversely, you can change your workbook's theme from Default to a different, earlier theme. See Format at the Workbook Level(Link opens in a new window) in the Tableau Help for details.
Updates to custom geocoding (Tableau Desktop only)
After you upgrade, it's a good idea to refresh your custom geocoding so you can take advantage of any fixes made to the geocoding data in Tableau. See Data Blending vs. Custom Geocoding(Link opens in a new window) in the Tableau Help.
What you need to know about maintenance upgrades (Tableau Desktop only)
Your copy of Tableau Desktop can stay current with the latest features, security resolutions, and fixes through dot (maintenance) releases. By default, Tableau Desktop is configured to install dot releases for you automatically with a feature named Automatic Product Updates. When you start Tableau Desktop for the first time after a dot release becomes available, you see a prompt offering to download it after you exit Tableau Desktop. You can choose to postpone or skip the update. (The Product Update feature will not automatically install a major upgrade.)
You can also check for product updates at any time by selecting Check for Product Updates from the Help menu. If a new maintenance version is available, Tableau gives you an opportunity to download and install the latest version.
Note:Automatic Product Updates and Check for Product Updates are not available if your Administrator has turned off this feature during install or if your product maintenance services have expired.
Changes to existing workbooks and data sources (Tableau Desktop only)
With a dot release, there's no change to the workbooks, data sources, and other files in your Tableau repository, and everything in Tableau Desktop should look the same as before. One exception is that Tableau sometimes makes new data source connectors available with a maintenance release.
For information about the individual security resolutions, bug fixes, and other changes in any dot release, see the Release Notes(Link opens in a new window) page. Another resource is the Subscription and Maintenance Policy(Link opens in a new window), which provides basic information about product maintenance.
If maintenance releases aren't installed automatically (Tableau Desktop only)
Current Tableau Prep Version
If maintenance updates aren't being installed on your computer, your copy of Tableau might not be configured for automatic updates, or there might be a problem with updating. For more information, see the Troubleshoot maintenance updates (Tableau Desktop only) section in the troubleshooting article of this guide.
You can turn Product Updates off or on from within Tableau Desktop:
- Choose Help > Settings and Performance > Enable Automatic Product Updates.
This option is only available if Product Updates was enabled during the product install. If the feature was disabled during installation, this menu item is also disabled.