In this section, we will explore the differences between extracts and live connections in Tableau. Understanding these concepts is crucial for optimizing performance and ensuring that your data visualizations are both efficient and up-to-date.

Extracts are snapshots of data that are taken from your data source and stored in a highly optimized, compressed format by Tableau. These extracts can be refreshed on a schedule or manually to keep the data up-to-date.

• Performance: Extracts are optimized for fast query performance, making them ideal for large datasets.
• Offline Access: Since extracts are stored locally, you can work with your data even when you are not connected to the original data source.
• Data Reduction: You can filter and aggregate data during the extraction process to reduce the size of the dataset.
• Incremental Refresh: Extracts can be incrementally refreshed to add only new data, which saves time and resources.

1. Connect to your data source.
2. Go to the Data menu and select the data source you want to extract.
3. Click on Extract Data.
4. Configure the extract options (e.g., filters, aggregation).
5. Click on Extract to create the extract file.