Different Types of Filters in Tableau

In this article, we will discuss different types of filters in tableau: Extract, Data Source, Context, Dimension, Measure, and Table Calculation Filter.

Introduction

In this article, we will discuss different types of filters in Tableau.

Filters are an essential part of data visualisation; they are used to organise data on pre-defined conditions.

In Tableau, we mainly have six types of filters. Let’s discuss them briefly:

Table of Content

Types of Filters

• Extract Filters
• Data Source Filters
• Context Filters
• Dimension Filters
• Measure Filters
• Table Calculation Filters

Tableau has six different types of filters. In simple terms, the filter removes the irrelevant data or extracts the essential data for our analysis. Filters help minimise the dataset for efficiency purposes and optimise the process.

Tableau performs filter operations in a particular order, that is called Order of Operation, which is executed in the following order:

1. Extract Filters
2. Data Source Filters
3. Context Filters
4. Filters on Dimensions
5. Filters on Measures

Types of Filters

Extract Filters

• Used to filter extracted data from the data source
• It helps to lower the tableau queries to the data source
• It allows adding filters to the column being extracted from the data sources
• To reduce the data size, dimensions and measures filter can be applied after the extract

Data Source Filters

• Applies to the data source directly
• Used to filter data in data source proportion and restrict the file present in the data set
• It is similar to extracting filters in minimizing the data feed faster processing.
• Select the data source page or tab in Tableau to add a data source filter.

Context Filters

• Use to improve performance of views, filters, and queries run on data source.
• It helps apply a relevant, actionable context to the entire data analysis in the tableau.
• It gets applied before any other filters used in the worksheet
• To add a context filter, click on Add to Context on the contextual menu of any existing categorical filter.

Dimension Filter

• It is a non-aggregated filter.
• Applied to Dimensional (qualitative) field
• Applied by both dragging them on the filter pane or right-clicking on a specific dimension

Measure Filter

• Applied to Measure (quantitative) fields
• You can add operations like sum, mean, standard deviation, and other aggregated functions in the measure filter.
• To add a measure filter, drag the measured field to the filter box
• Applied after non-aggregate filters

Table Calculation Filters

• It is the last filter, applied after the view has been created
• Used to look into the data without any filtering of hidden data
• Table calculations are used when creating calculated fields such as LOOKUP, WINDOW_SUM etc.

Conclusion

In this article, we have discussed different types of filters: Extract, Data Source, Context, Dimension, Measure, and Table Calculation Filter.

Hope this article will help you in your data analyst journey.

This article is a part of a complete tutorial on Tableau, focusing on Tableau certified data analysts and tableau desktop specialists. 

Through a series of articles, we will cover all the topics in-depth with examples.

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