Tableau Server Client (TSC)

0.40 · active · verified Sun Mar 29

Tableau Server Client (TSC) is a Python library that enables programmatic interaction with the Tableau Server REST API. It allows users to manage and modify various Tableau Server and Tableau Cloud resources, such as publishing workbooks and data sources, creating users and groups, and querying projects and sites. The library is actively maintained, with the latest version being 0.40 and frequent releases including new features and bug fixes.

Warnings

breaking The TSC library version must be compatible with the Tableau Server REST API version it is connecting to. Incompatible versions can lead to unexpected behavior or `ServerError` exceptions.
Fix: Initialize the `TSC.Server` object with `use_server_version=True` (e.g., `server = TSC.Server(URL, use_server_version=True)`) to automatically use the latest REST API version supported by the server. Alternatively, manually set `server.version = 'X.Y'` to target a specific REST API version.
breaking Minor version upgrades of `tableauserverclient` can sometimes introduce subtle breaking changes or stricter validation, particularly around authentication. Users reported `NotSignedInError` issues when upgrading from v0.28 to v0.29.
Fix: Always review the `tableauserverclient` changelog and release notes before upgrading. If encountering unexpected authentication errors after an upgrade, consider pinning the `tableauserverclient` version in your `requirements.txt` to the last known working version and thoroughly test the new version in a development environment. Review your authentication parameters carefully.
gotcha It is generally not possible to change the authentication *method* (e.g., from username/password to SAML IDP or OAuth) for existing data source connections via `tableauserverclient` or the underlying Tableau REST API.
Fix: If an authentication method change is required, you may need to download the workbook/data source, modify its XML (e.g., using the Tableau Document API if applicable), and then republish it. Direct in-place updates of authentication methods are not supported.

Install

pip install tableauserverclient Install latest stable version

Imports

TSC
```
import tableauserverclient as TSC
```
This is the universally accepted alias for convenience and readability.
Server
```
from tableauserverclient import Server
```
Direct import from the top-level package is preferred; internal module structure might change. Generally accessed via TSC.Server.
TableauAuth
```
from tableauserverclient import TableauAuth
```
Standard authentication method for username/password, though PersonalAccessTokenAuth is often recommended for automation. Generally accessed via TSC.TableauAuth.
PersonalAccessTokenAuth
```
from tableauserverclient import PersonalAccessTokenAuth
```
Recommended authentication method for scripting and automation. Generally accessed via TSC.PersonalAccessTokenAuth.

Quickstart

This quickstart demonstrates how to connect to Tableau Server or Tableau Cloud using a Personal Access Token (PAT) and retrieve a list of all workbooks on a specified site. It uses environment variables for sensitive credentials and includes basic error handling.

import tableauserverclient as TSC
import os

TABLEAU_SERVER_URL = os.environ.get('TABLEAU_SERVER_URL', 'https://your-tableau-server.com')
TABLEAU_SITE_ID = os.environ.get('TABLEAU_SITE_ID', '') # Use '' for Default site
TABLEAU_PAT_NAME = os.environ.get('TABLEAU_PAT_NAME', 'your_pat_name')
TABLEAU_PAT_SECRET = os.environ.get('TABLEAU_PAT_SECRET', 'your_pat_secret')

# 1. Authenticate using Personal Access Token (PAT)
tableau_auth = TSC.PersonalAccessTokenAuth(
    token_name=TABLEAU_PAT_NAME,
    personal_access_token=TABLEAU_PAT_SECRET,
    site_id=TABLEAU_SITE_ID
)

# 2. Initialize the Server object and set API version handling
#    It's recommended to use the server's version for compatibility.
server = TSC.Server(TABLEAU_SERVER_URL, use_server_version=True)

try:
    # 3. Sign in to Tableau Server
    with server.auth.sign_in(tableau_auth):
        print(f"Successfully signed in to Tableau Server: {TABLEAU_SERVER_URL}, Site: {TABLEAU_SITE_ID if TABLEAU_SITE_ID else 'Default'}")
        
        # 4. Example: Query all workbooks on the site
        all_workbooks, pagination_item = server.workbooks.get()
        print(f"\nFound {pagination_item.total_available} workbooks:")
        for workbook in all_workbooks:
            print(f"  - {workbook.name} (ID: {workbook.id})")

except TSC.ServerError as e:
    print(f"Tableau Server Error: {e.code}: {e.message}")
except Exception as e:
    print(f"An unexpected error occurred: {e}")

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