Visualize Live QuickBooks Data in Tableau

Tableau is a visual analytics platform transforming the way businesses use data to solve problems. When paired with the CData Tableau Connector for QuickBooks, you can easily get access to live QuickBooks data within Tableau. This article shows how to connect to QuickBooks in Tableau and build a simple chart.

The CData Tableau Connectors enable high-speed access to live QuickBooks data in Tableau. Once you install the connector, you simply authenticate with QuickBooks and you can immediately start building responsive, dynamic visualizations and dashboards. By surfacing QuickBooks data using native Tableau data types and handling complex filters, aggregations, & other operations automatically, CData Tableau Connectors grant seamless access to QuickBooks data.

NOTE: The CData Tableau Connectors require Tableau 2020.3 or higher. If you are using an older version of Tableau, you will need to use the CData JDBC Driver.

Getting Started

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Connect to QuickBooks in Tableau

Open Tableau and click More under Connect -> To a Server. Select "QuickBooks by CData," then configure the connection and click "Sign In."

When you are connecting to a local QuickBooks instance, you do not need to set any connection properties.

Requests are made to QuickBooks through the Remote Connector. The Remote Connector runs on the same machine as QuickBooks and accepts connections through a lightweight, embedded Web server. The server supports SSL/TLS, enabling users to connect securely from remote machines.

The first time you connect, authorize the Remote Connector with QuickBooks. See the "Getting Started" chapter of the help documentation for a guide.

Discover Schemas and Query Data

1. Select CData from the Database pull-down menu.
2. Select QuickBooks from the Schema pull-down menu.
3. Drag the tables and views you wish to visualize onto the join area. You can include multiple tables. 👁 Selecting table(s)
   
4. Select Update Now or Automatically Update. Update Now lets you preview the first 10,000 rows of the data source (or enter the number of rows you want to see in the Rows text box). Automatically Update automatically reflects the changes in the preview area.
5. Click the tab for your worksheet. Columns are listed as Dimensions and Measures, depending on the data type. The CData Tableau Connector discovers data types automatically, allowing you to leverage the powerful data processing and visualization features of Tableau.
6. Drag a field from the Dimensions or Measures area to Rows or Columns. Tableau creates column or row headers.
7. Select one of the chart types from the Show Me tab. Tableau displays the chart type that you selected.
👁 Visualizing live QuickBooks data

Using the CData Tableau Connector for QuickBooks with Tableau, you can easily create robust visualizations and reports on QuickBooks data. Download a free, 30-day trial and get started today.