This Tableau article shows the list of available Map options that include changing the background style, adding background layers, adding data layers, changing palettes, etc.
We used the Sample Superstore Excel sheet to demonstrate this Tableau Map options example. Please visit the Excel Source article to understand the Data Source.
Tableau Map Options
Double-click the State/province dimension will automatically create a map. Next, add the Country/Region field to the Filters shelf to select the United States and omit Canada for this example. For the remaining charts in Tableau, please click here.
In Tableau, we have a Map menu, which you can use to see all the available Map options. Let me click this Map option.
Within the Tableau report region, you can see the map options with the options shown below. With these controls, you can search the Map, zoom in and out, pin it, and Scale the Map.
Background Style and Layer
Let me Hide all the Cards so that you can concentrate on the formatting options. Next, choose the Background Layers options from the Tableau Map menu. It will open the following tab to configure the Style, Washout, Background Map Layers, and Data Layer.
- Style: It supports six types of styles, and they are Normal, Light, Dark, Streets, Outdoor, and Satellite options.
- Washout (%) or Map opacity 100% means full white (only points will display), and 0% means original Background style.
- Background Map Layers: It has the options below, such as the—base, Terrain, Cities, etc. You can choose the required layer, and the Map’s default Background Layer will replace the selected layer.
Let me choose the Outdoors style as the map background for the demonstration. You can notice the Map with a completely new background. Changing the Tableau Map Background Style will automatically Check/Uncheck the Layers options if you look at the Background Map Layers options.
Let me choose the Dark style with Washout 69%. As we have chosen the higher side of the Washout with 69%, there is a whiteness on the Map. Please notice the checkmark changes under the Background Map Layers section.
You can see the dark mode if we set the Washout as 16%. Although the Tableau Background Map Layers options change to Perth style, you can change the layers (check/uncheck) as required. In this example, we enabled a few and showed the same within the Map. We did a bit of Zooming to show you the options.
- Area Code labels – 913, 6606, etc.
- Cities – Overland Park.
- US Metro Labels like Ottawa, KS, and its boundaries.
Tableau Map Data Layer option
It adds an extra data layer with the chosen color palette on top of the Map. Currently, there is No Data Layer selected. First, let me set the style to Normal and Washout as 0% to focus on the Data Layers. Next, click the down arrow beside the No Data Layer to choose the predefined ones.
As you can see, there are many Tableau Background Map Layers options for the US region, such as US Households, Housing, Population, Population by Race, etc.
Let me choose the US Households layer with Zip code details and a Purple Sequential palette. Please notice the changes in the Map. It has the normal background layer, and on top of that, there is an extra layer of US household data.
If you change the level of detail from Zip code to Census Tract, the same can apply to the Map.
Please use the down arrow to change the palette. Let me choose the Temperature Diverging palette.
Edit Locations
In the Map menu, there is one more option called Edit Locations. Let me select the Edit Locations option from the Tableau Map Menu.
It opens the following window. Please use this window to check the existing locations or add new locations. If you have any unidentifiable locations, use this window to mark the matching location or provide latitude and longitude. For instance, if you see, we edited the Vermont location to see the available options. You can add the latitude and longitude or manually type another city name.
The preview of the Map with the Data layer is.
TIP: Please refer to the Add WMS background, Add Map-box, and Google Maps articles to understand how to add the external background layers.
To change the Tableau Map Background Layer, you don’t have to use the Background Layer option. Instead, you can use the Background Maps and choose from the list. To demonstrate the same, let me choose the Outdoors style. However, to remove the default Background Map Layers or add an extra layer, select the Background Layer.. options.
