WMS Server Map as a Background Map in Tableau

Generally, Tableau uses default Maps to display the spatial data, but you have an option to use your Background Maps. In this article, we will show you how to use WMS Server Map as a Background Map in Tableau with an example.

For this WMS Server Map in Tableau example, we are going to use Sample – Superstore data sources that come with the tableau.

How to use WMS Server Map as a Background Map in Tableau

Before we start using the WMS Server Map as a Background Map in Tableau, let me first create a Symbol Map. To do so, Drag and drop the Postal Code dimension to Details card present in Tableau Marks Shelf

Now you can see the auto-generated symbol map.

Let me add City to Details card, and Count of Quantity to Size card. It means Circle size will depend upon Number of Orders

To use Tableau WMS Server Map as a Background Map, Go to the Map, select Background Maps, and choose Map Services… from the drop-down Menu

Selecting Map Services… will open the Map Services window. As you can see, it is displaying one Map Service. It is the one that we created in our previous article. Please refer to Mapbox Maps as a Background Map to understand the same. Please click Add… button and select WMS Servers.. option

Selecting WMS Servers.. option will open Add WMS Server Connection window

Paste the WMS URL and click OK to close the window.

Click Close button

Now you can see, our default Map is replaced by the WMS Server map in Tableau.

If you want to check which Background Map is currently using and Go to the Maps -> Background Maps. You can see that it is using WMS Server Catalog… instead of the Tableau Background map. Let me add two more WMS Server maps

Let me select the USGS…… Background map

Now you can see the data with USGS…… Background map

Let me change the map to OGCWMS

Now you can see the data in OGCWMS map

You can use the Map Layer to add or remove Layers from Map

Now you can see the layers that are available in this Tableau WMS Server map

From the below screenshot you can see that the map has changed because we check marked the WBDLine