Hi everyone!
A month ago, in The end of Tableau Desktop, I said Workspace Extensions were the most exciting part of Tableau Studio.
Today, it’s finally time to show what we have been building!
Here's a peek at what's already working on our side.
Workspace Extensions
In 2019, I participated in my first Tableau Hackathon. At the time, I hadn't used any APIs or extensions.
My idea: build a layout generator to free users from dealing with containers. But there was one big issue that I didn’t anticipate: a dashboard extension can’t actually modify or build a dashboard.
Seven (!!) years later, we can finally do that with Workspace Extensions.
Workspace Extensions open in a side pane in Studio and work on the open workbook: they can read it, change it, and build sheets and dashboards. We first tried this with a pilot of the Authoring API at TC25 Devs On Stage Labs.
From ideas to stage demos using the Authoring API, it's time to show the final result in Tableau Studio with Workspace Extensions.
Layout generator
Just like the Generate tab in our Figma to Tableau plugin, you can now configure your dashboard in a live preview at its real size.
Start from one of 13 grids, split a block, drag the lines to resize, and pick a sheet for each block. Add a title, a navigation bar, and a filter panel.
One click, and the dashboard is in your workbook:
Spell check
Check every title, caption, text object, and field description in your workbook in one go. Accept a fix, and it's changed directly in your workbook.
Filter manager
With Filter Manager, you can edit all the filters in your workbook in one click.
This tool already exists on our website. But like every tool that requires XML modification, you need to select your workbook on our website, and you get a new .twbx with all the changes.
You can now do that without leaving Tableau!
We're also experimenting with four more ideas: a workbook summary, a documentation page, a cleanup of unused sheets and fields, and a fonts and colors audit.
Tableau Agent, meet our Viz Extensions
In October, I asked Studio for a network chart, and the agent wrote a brand new extension. It’s a shame when Exchange already has well-made extensions, right?
So we built a skill for Tableau Agent. It knows every one of our Viz Extensions: their fields, their settings, their defaults. Now if you ask for a Network, you get our Network Extension instantly:
Remember the problems with vibe-coded extensions: no review, no owner, no updates. With the skill, the agent uses extensions we review, maintain, and update.
But it goes further than that!
You can now control our extensions directly from the agent. Just ask what you want, and the agent will automatically configure the extension:
Summae, our own agent
At its core, Tableau Agent is just another workspace extension, but to use it, you’ll need a Tableau+ subscription.
So we're building Summae: our own agent that lives in a Studio side pane, like any Workspace Extension. But with a few extras:
Your LLM: bring your own LLM or API key. No dependencies.
Builds and edits: sheets, dashboards, and formatting in the open workbook. Like Tableau Agent
Checks its own work: after building something, Summae verifies how it looks visually. Last month, Tableau Agent couldn't see what it built. Summae can.
Custom charts: uses our Viz Extensions by default. When no extension fits, it builds one based on the best practices of our existing extensions.
Your skills: drop in your own instructions (naming rules, your team's conventions), and it uses them when they fit
And it doesn't stop at charts: here's a full app-style dashboard Summae built right inside Studio, with its own year and category buttons.
Which Studio tool would you use first?
That's where we are. Things are still moving fast in Studio, and we'll keep sharing what we learn.
Which one are you most curious about? Vote in the poll, or just reply to this email.
Speak to you next week!
