Question 1

How is this different from the Tableau SQL connector?

Accepted Answer

The SQL connector reads Tableau's underlying data sources directly via the data extract API. The REST API connector reads Tableau's metadata layer — workbooks, dashboards, views, usage stats, and published datasets. Use SQL for raw data, REST API for BI layer insights and dashboard metadata.

Question 2

Can Ana download published datasets?

Accepted Answer

Yes. Ana can pull the contents of any published Tableau data source the PAT has access to. This is useful for snapshotting curated datasets and joining them with other warehouse tables in the same question.

Question 3

Does Ana respect Tableau permissions?

Accepted Answer

Yes. The PAT inherits the user's Tableau permissions, so Ana can only read dashboards, workbooks, and datasets the PAT user has access to. Project-level permissions, view filters, and row-level security are all enforced by Tableau Server.

Question 4

Tableau Cloud or Tableau Server?

Accepted Answer

Both work. The connector supports Tableau Cloud (formerly Tableau Online) and self-hosted Tableau Server. Just provide the appropriate base URL during setup. Ana automatically detects the API version and adjusts requests accordingly.

Question 5

How are PATs stored?

Accepted Answer

Personal access tokens are encrypted at rest in TextQL's credential vault. When Ana makes a Tableau API request, the PAT is injected at the network boundary by our egress proxy. Ana's Python sandbox sees a sanitized helper function — never the token itself.