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How Tableau lineage works

Atlan builds lineage for Tableau assets by tracing how data flows from upstream database tables through Datasources, Worksheets, and Dashboards. This page explains the current lineage model, how column-level lineage (CLL) traces individual fields, and why Workbooks no longer appear as lineage nodes.

How lineage paths work​

Atlan traces data from upstream database tables through published or embedded Datasources, then through the Worksheets that consume those Datasources, and finally to the Dashboards that contain those Worksheets.

The asset-level lineage follows these relationships:

FromTo
DatasourceWorksheet
DatasourceDashboard
  • Datasources are the entry point: Atlan resolves lineage from upstream database tables into published or embedded Datasources, which become the starting node for Tableau lineage.
  • Worksheets consume Datasources: each Worksheet that reads from a Datasource is linked downstream of it.
  • Dashboards contain Worksheets: Dashboards appear downstream of the Datasources whose Worksheets they include.
  • Worksheets must be crawled for complete lineage: lineage to Dashboards may appear incomplete or missing if the underlying Worksheets aren't crawled.

How column-level lineage works​

Column-level lineage (CLL) traces individual fields through the Tableau asset hierarchy, so you can follow a single column from a Datasource field into the calculated fields and downstream assets that depend on it.

FromTo
Datasource fieldCalculated field
Datasource fieldDatasource field
WorksheetDashboard
info

Tableau assets that haven't been refreshed since May 27, 2025 won't display column-level lineage or updated lineage paths. Re-crawl these assets to populate field-level lineage.

Why Workbooks no longer appear in lineage​

Before the introduction of CLL, Atlan included Workbook nodes in the lineage graph as intermediate steps. Following the introduction of CLL and a corresponding cleanup that shipped on May 5, 2025, Workbooks were removed from lineage traversal and exports.

Workbooks are organizational containers in Tableau. They group Worksheets and Dashboards, but data doesn't flow through them directly. Because the actual data path is always Datasource to Worksheet or Datasource to Dashboard, including Workbooks as lineage nodes was misleading.

After the May 5, 2025 change:

  • Workbooks still exist as assets: they continue to be crawled and remain available in Atlan.
  • Workbooks still appear outside lineage: you can find them in asset search, metadata views, and hierarchy navigation.
  • Workbooks no longer appear in lineage: they're excluded from both lineage traversal and lineage exports.
  • The lineage graph shows Datasource to Worksheet to Dashboard: traversal moves directly between the assets that data actually flows through.

If you previously saw Workbooks in lineage or lineage exports and no longer see them, this is expected behavior after the May 5, 2025 update.

What is not supported​

Atlan doesn't support lineage for the following Tableau assets:

  • Tableau Flows
  • Tableau Metrics
  • Embedded dashboards

See also​