Here’s a quick primer on database authentication and #Tableau Web Authoring. It’ll help you understand why some users can use web editing “cleanly”, while others are prompted to provide a database username and password when editing a workbook.
Q: I published my workbook with embedded credentials and find I can web author it to my heart’s delight without being prompted to login to the database. When my colleagues web author the same item, Tableau Server forces them to login to the database server. Why?
A: As the author / publisher of the report, Tableau Server extends you the courtesy of login-less web authoring. You knew the database username and password when you wrote the report, and you actually embedded those credentials in the report when you published – so there’s no reason not to use those credentials when you either view or edit the report in the browser. The same cannot be said for your colleagues. For a non-publisher, the Web Authoring environment behaves like Tableau Desktop – the user must authenticate against the database.
Q: How can I publish a workbook so that users are never prompted to login to the database when they edit a view?
A: You have two options:
Use extracts instead of a live data connection. Extracts are password-less by nature.
Use a Data Server Data Source with an embedded password as the source for your vizzes:
- Publish the Data Source in your workbook to Tableau Server, remembering to embed your password
- Add the newly published Data Source back to your workbook
- Replace the original Data Source with the Data Server Data Source
- Close the original Data Source
At this point, publish your Workbook, and you’re free and clear.
