What is Drill Down in Tableau? 

Drill down in Tableau refers to the ability to navigate from higher-level summary data to lower-level detailed data. This functionality allows you to explore data in a more granular manner, by revealing additional levels of detail as you navigate through the data. 

Different Ways to Drill Down in Tableau 

Tableau provides several ways to drill down into your data, including: 

1. Double-clicking: This is the simplest and most common way to drill down in Tableau. You can double-click on any field in your view to reveal more detailed data. 

1. Right-clicking: You can also right-click on a field in your view and select “Drill Down” from the context menu. 

1. Using the drill down button: You can add the “Drill Down” button to your toolbar in Tableau, which allows you to easily navigate between different levels of detail. 

1. Using the “Ctrl” key: Hold down the “Ctrl” key on your keyboard and click on a field to drill down to the next level of detail. 

1. Using the “Alt” key: Hold down the “Alt” key on your keyboard and click on a field to drill down to the next level of detail, while keeping the previous level of detail visible. 

Drill Up and Drill Down in Tableau Dashboard 

Drill up and drill down in Tableau dashboard allow you to navigate between different levels of detail in your data. You can drill down to reveal more detailed data or drill up to return to a higher-level summary view. 

To enable drill down and drill up in a Tableau dashboard, you can follow these steps: 

1. Create a view in Tableau that contains the data you want to display. 

1. Add the view to your dashboard. 

1. Click on the view to select it, then click on the “Worksheet” menu and select “Actions”. 

1. In the “Actions” dialog box, click on the “Add Action” button and select “Drill Down” or “Drill Up” from the list of available actions. 

1. Configure the action by selecting the source field and the destination sheet or view, then click “OK” to save the action. 

Now, when you interact with the data in your dashboard, you can use the drill down and drill up actions to navigate between different levels of detail. 

Tableau Set Actions Drill Down Multiple Levels 

Tableau set actions allow you to dynamically change the members of a set based on user interactions. With set actions, you can create dynamic drill down functionality that allows users to explore data at multiple levels of detail. 

To create a set action drill down in Tableau, you can follow these steps: 

1. Create a set that contains the members you want to display in your view. 

1. Add the set to your view and create a visualization that displays the set. 

1. Create a set action by clicking on the “Worksheet” menu and selecting “Actions”. 

1. In the “Actions” dialog box, click on the “Add Action” button and select “Change Set Values” from the list of available actions. 

1. Configure the action by selecting the source field, the destination set, and the target sheet or view. 

1. Click “OK” to save the action. 

Now, when a user interacts with the set in your view, the set action will dynamically update the members of the set and display the data at the next level of detail. 

 Different ways to drill down in Tableau

 There are several ways to drill down in Tableau, including double-clicking, right-clicking, using the drill down button, using the “Ctrl” key, and using the “Alt” key. For example, suppose you have a bar chart that shows sales by product category. You can double-click on a specific category to drill down and see the sales by sub-category. 

Drill up and drill down in Tableau Dashboard

 Enabling drill up and drill down in your Tableau dashboard allows you to easily navigate between different levels of detail in your data. For instance, you can create a dashboard that shows sales by region and product category. By enabling drill up and drill down, users can click on a specific region to see the sales by product category, and then drill down further to see the sales by sub-category. 

Tableau set actions drill down multiple levels

 Tableau set actions allow you to dynamically change the members of a set based on user interactions. For example, you can create a set that contains the top 10 customers by sales, and then allow users to click on a specific customer to drill down and see the sales by product. 

Tableau drill down example

Suppose you have a scatter plot that shows the relationship between temperature and sales. You can use Tableau’s drill down functionality to explore data at multiple levels of detail. For instance, you can drill down on a specific data point to see the sales by product, and then drill down further to see the sales by region. 

Tableau drill down table

Tableau’s drill down functionality also works with tables. For example, you can create a table that shows sales by region and product category, and then drill down on a specific region to see the sales by product. 

Dynamic drill down in Tableau

Dynamic drill down allows users to explore data at multiple levels of detail based on their interactions. For instance, you can create a dashboard that shows sales by product category and region. By enabling dynamic drill down, users can click on a specific product category to see the sales by region, and then drill down further to see the sales by sub-category. 

Tableau drill down to another dashboard

Tableau allows you to drill down from one dashboard to another, allowing you to explore related data sets and gain deeper insights into your data. For example, you can create a dashboard that shows sales by product category and region, and then drill down to another dashboard that shows sales by customer. 

Tableau drill down filter

Tableau’s drill down filter allows you to focus on specific areas of your data and explore data at different levels of detail. For instance, you can create a filter that shows only the top 10 products by sales, and then allow users to click on a specific product to drill down and see the sales by region. 

By using these different drill down, drill up, and drill through techniques in Tableau, you can gain valuable insights into your data and explore it at different levels of detail. 

But that’s not all – check out the Data Viz Canvas channel on YouTube, where you can find a tutorial on Tableau drill through in 5 different ways. This valuable resource covers five different methods for creating drill through actions in Tableau, including using actions, parameters, calculated fields, sets, and filters. 

So what are you waiting for? Unlock the power of data exploration with Tableau’s drill down, drill up, and drill through functionality, and start gaining valuable insights into your data today.