Introduction to Roles and Workflows

What is Web Authoring?
Tableau Server and Tableau Online are both web-based platforms. Tableau Server is hosted by the customer, while Tableau Online is a cloud-based option hosted by Tableau. Both platforms feature the ability to create and edit basic workbooks without using Tableau Desktop. This functionality is called web authoring.

Roles and capabilities
The following illustration provides an overview of how data flows in an organization that uses Tableau Server/Online to share analysis and information and how various roles interact with that data.

Explorer workflow

The Explorer (can publish) permission provides authoring and data exploration capabilities for users who do not need the full data transformation capabilities of Tableau Prep Builder, or the ability to publish or connect to raw data sources.

You might be an Explorer if:

•     You are a line of business data user who likes to get hands-on with data.
•     You need to create your own visualizations using trusted data sources curated by others.
•     You want to make visualizations and dashboards built by others and edit or customize them.
•     You will administer content on a Tableau Server or Online site.