How to start using Tableau : Step 8: Save and share your work

Because Tableau Desktop projects are connected to external data files, it is important to understand that Tableau gives you the option to save and export your work in a variety of file formats based on how much of your project you want to share (i.e. there are formats that share just your data source, or just your chart and dashboard formatting without any data source). Below, we will describe the two most common formats for saving and sharing your work, but you can find more information about Tableau file formats on their website.

When you save your work in Tableau, the default file format is a "Workbook" with a .twb file extension. It is important to understand that this file format does not contain your data source! This means that you can continue to edit your data source freely outside of Tableau, but you must keep the file for your data source AND the Tableau workbook file in order to open your project. To save your work, click on "File" and then "Save." A window will pop-up showing that your work will be saved in the default file format.

When you want to share a Tableau workbook with someone else, the best way is to use the "Packaged Workbook" file format with .twbx extension. This format contains both your Tableau formatting AND your data source. To save your project for sharing, click on "File", then click "Export as Packaged Workbook..."