Tableau Word Cloud

Tableau Word Cloud is useful for visualizing text data. For example, If you are looking for Top trending Hashtags on Twitter or the Most commonly used Tags on a Website or any other CMS, you see a few names with a brighter color, some with light color, and there will be a significant change in Font Size. It is possible by using the Tableau Word Cloud.

This article will show you How to Create a Tableau Word Cloud. For this demo, we write SQL Adventures Works DW data source.

How to create a Word Cloud in Tableau?

This kind of chart is typically used to depict keyword metadata tags. In this example, we create a Tableau Word Cloud for the State dimension against the Sales Amount size.

The desktop provides a native feature to create this kind of chart. First, Drag and Drop the State Dimension from Dimension Region to Text Field in the Marks card. See the available State names in this report.

Add Dimension to Text Card 2

Next, Drop the Sales Amount from Measures Region to Size Field in the Marks card to create a Tableau Word Cloud.

Add Measure Value to Size Shelf

By default, Tableau Desktop displays Tree Map.

Tree Map

To change the Default TreeMap to Word Cloud in Tableau, we have to change the default Automatic option on the Marks card. Please expand the drop-down list and change the mark type from Automatic to Text.

Change the mark type from Automatic to Text

Once you change, Word Cloud displays State Name as the Text field and Sum of Sales Amount as the text size. See that the Font Size of California State is bigger than the remaining states because the Sales Amount is higher than in other states.

Tableau Word Cloud 6

Add Colors to Word Cloud in Tableau

Let us add color to the Word Cloud. We can do this by dragging the Sales Amount to the Colors field in the Marks card.

Drag a Measure to Color Shelf to Add Colors

After the completion, the below screenshot will display. The frequency of the State names with Maximum Sales filled with Dark Green and Least Sales Amounts with light green.

Tableau Word Cloud with different colors 8

We replaced the Sales Amount in Color with the Sum of Profits. Now, Tableau Word Cloud will display the state names with the highest Profits filled with Dark Green and the Least Profits in light green.

Add Profit dimension to Color 9

What will happen If we replace the State Name in Word Cloud with the English Product name? As you see, English Product Name has Maximum Sales in Dark Green and the Least Sales Amount in light green.

Add tooltip for Tableau Word Cloud

About Suresh

Suresh is the founder of TutorialGateway and a freelance software developer. He specialized in Designing and Developing Windows and Web applications. The experience he gained in Programming and BI integration, and reporting tools translates into this blog. You can find him on Facebook or Twitter.