Tableau S er ver Utilitie s: Tabcmd

The Tableau Server Command Tool is one of the two command line tools that comes with Tableau
Server. The Command Tool (tabcmd.exe) helps you automate common tasks including batch
publishing workbooks and user/group administration. Refer to the Tableau Server Administrator
Guide to learn more about the Tabadmin command line utility.
The Tableau Command Tool takes a command, an argument, and options as shown in the format
below:
tabcmd command command-argument [options option-arguments]
Using that format and the commands in this document you can run the tool. For example, you
could use the following command to create a session on a server called sales-server logged in as
Administrator and delete a workbook called Sales_Analysis:
tabcmd delete "Sales_Analysis" -s sales-server -u administrator -p p@ssw0rd!
When the command is successful, tabcmd will return a status code of zero. A full error message
for non-zero status codes is printed to stderr. In addition, informative or progress messages may
be printed to stdout. A full log (including debugging, progress, and error messages) is written to
C:\Documents and Settings\<username>\Application Data\Tableau\tabcmd.log.

What's in this Guide

Global Options............................................................................................................2
Commands..................................................................................................................3
addusers group-name................................................................................................3
creategroup group-name...........................................................................................3
createproject project-name........................................................................................3
createusers filename.csv............................................................................................4
delete workbook-name...............................................................................................5
deletegroup group-name...........................................................................................5
deleteusers filename.csv............................................................................................5
get url...........................................................................................................................6
login.............................................................................................................................6
logout...........................................................................................................................6
publish filename.twb(x)..............................................................................................7
refreshextracts workbook-name................................................................................7
removeusers group-name..........................................................................................8
runschedule schedule-name......................................................................................8
set setting....................................................................................................................8
syncgroup group-name..............................................................................................9
version.........................................................................................................................9

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Global Options

Some options are common to all commands. The table below shows the options that are used
by all commands. The --server, --user, and --password options are required at least once to
begin a session. An authentication token is stored so subsequent commands can be run without
including these options. This token remains valid for five minutes after the last command that
used it.
Option (short)

-h
-s
-u
-p

Option (long)

--help
--server
--user
--password

Argument

Description
Displays the help for the command.

Tableau Server URL

Required at least once to begin session.

Tableau Server username

Required at least once to begin session.

Tableau Server password

Required at least once to begin session.

You can alternatively use the -P option.

-P

--password-file

filename.txt

-x

--proxy
--no-prompt

Allows the password to be stored in the

given file rather than the command line for
increased security.

Host:Port

Uses the specified HTTP proxy.

When specified the command will
not prompt for a password. If no valid
password is provided the command will
fail.

--no-proxy

When specified an HTTP proxy will not be

used.

--[no-]cookie

--timeout

When specified the session id is saved on

login so subsequent commands will not
need to log in. Use the no- prefix to not
save the session id. By default the session
is saved.
Seconds

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Waits the specified number of seconds

for the server to complete processing the
command. By default the process will
timeout in 30 seconds.

Commands

Each command that can be used with the Command Tool is described below.

help command-name
Shows detailed usage for the given command.
Example:

tabcmd help publish

addusers group-name
Adds the users listed in the --users argument to the group with the given group-name.
Example: tabcmd

addusers "Development" --users "users.csv"

Option (short) Option (long)

--users

Argument

Description

filename.csv

Add the users in the given file to the specified group. The
file should be a simple list with one username per line. The
users should already be created on Tableau Server.

creategroup group-name
Creates a group with the given group name. Use addusers (for local groups) and
syncgroup (for Active Directory groups) commands to add users after the group has been
created.
Example: tabcmd

creategroup "Development"

createproject project-name
Creates a project with the given project name.
Example: tabcmd createproject -n "Quarterly_Reports" -d "Workbooks showing
quarterly sales reports."
Option (short) Option (long)

-n
-d

--name
--description

Argument

Description

name

Specify the name of the project that you want to create.

description

Specify a description for the project.

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createusers filename.csv
Creates the users listed in the given comma separated values (csv) file. The file may have the
columns in the order shown below.
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.

Username
Password
Full Name
License Level (interactor/viewer/unlicensed)
Administrator (system/content/none)
Publisher (yes/true/1 or no/false/0)

The file can have fewer columns. For example it can be a simple list with one username per
line. When the Server is using Active Directory authentication, the password column should be
left blank. Quotes may be used if a value contains commas.
Example: tabcmd
Option
(short)

createusers "users.csv" --license "Interactor" --publishers

Option (long)

Argument

--nowait

Do not wait for asynchronous jobs to

complete

--silent-progress
--license
--[no-]administrators
--admin-type

Description

Do not display progress messages for

asynchronous jobs.
interactor, viewer, or
unlicensed

Sets the default license level for all users.

This setting may be overridden by the value
in the CSV file.

system, content, or
none

Assigns or removes the Admin right to all

users in the CSV file by default. This setting
may be overridden by the value in the CSV
file. The default is none for new users and
unchanged for existing users.

DEPRECATED: do not use.

--[no-]publishers

--[no-]complete

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Assigns the Publish right to all users in the

CSV file by default. This setting may be
overridden by the value in the CSV file. The
default is no for new users and unchanged
fro existing users.
Requires that all rows be valid for any
change to succeed. By default, --complete
option is used.

delete workbook-name
Deletes the given workbook from the server. This command takes the workbook name as it is
on the server, not the file name when it was published.
Example: tabcmd
Option (short)

delete "Sales_Analysis"

Option (long)

--project

Argument

Description

Project name

The name of the workbook you want to

delete.

deletegroup group-name
Deletes the group with the given group-name from the server.
Example: tabcmd

deletegroup "Development"

deleteusers filename.csv
Deletes the users listed in the given comma separated (csv) file. The file is a simple list of one
username per line.
Example: tabcmd
Option (short)

deleteusers "users.csv"

Option (long)

--[no-]complete

Argument

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Description
When set to complete this option
requires that all rows be valid for any
change to scceed. If not specified,
--complete is used.

get url
Returns the file at the given URL using an http get command. Instead of rendering html, like
a web browser would do, this command saves to a file. The URL should be as it is shown after
the view is published. Views can be returned in either .pdf or .png format. Workbooks can be
returned in either .twb or .twbx format.
Examples:

tabcmd get "/views/Sales_Analysis/Sales_Report.png" --filename "WeeklyReport.png"

tabcmd get "/workbooks/Sales_Analysis.twb" -f "C:\Tableau_Workbooks\
Weekly-Reports.twb"
tabcmd get "/user.xml" --filename "UserList.xml"
Option (short)

-f

Option (long)

--filename

Argument

Description

Name to save the file as.

Saves the file with the given filename.

login
Logs into the server. Use the --server, --username, --password global options to create
a session. If you want to log in using the same information youve already used to create a
session just specify the --password option. The server and username stored in the cookie
will be used.
If you do not provide a password you will be prompted for one. If the --no-prompt option is
specified and no password is provided the command will fail.
Once you login, the session will continue until it expires on the server or the logout
command is run.
Example: tabcmd

login -s sales-server -u administrator -p p@ssw0rd!

logout
Logs out of the server.
Example: tabcmd

logout

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publish filename.twb(x)
Publishes the given workbook to Tableau Server. By default all sheets in the workbook are
published without database usernames or passwords.
Example: tabcmd publish "analysis.twbx" -n "Sales_Analysis" --db-user
"jsmith" --db-password "p@ssw0rd"
Option (short)

-n

Option (long)

--name

Argument

Description

Name of the workbook

on the server

If omitted, the workbook will be named

after filename, without the twb or twbx
extension.

-o

--overwrite

-r

--projects

Name of a project

--db-user

Publishes the workbook into the specified

project. Publishes to the Default project
if not specified.

Database username

--db-password

Use this option to publish a database

username with the workbook.

Database password

Use this option to publish a database

password with the workbook.

Overwrites teh workbook if it already

exists on the server.

--save-db-password

Stores the provided database password

on the server.

--thumbnail-username

Username

--thumbnail-group

If the workbook contains users filters, the

thumbnails will be generated based on
what the specified user can see. Cannot
be specified when --thumbnail-group
option is set.

Name of group

If the workbook contains users filters the

thumbnails will be generated based on
what the specified group can see. Cannot
be specified when --thumbnail-username
otpion is set.

If the workbook contains user filters, one of the thumbnail options must be specified.

refreshextracts workbook-name
Refreshes the extracts of the specified workbook. This command takes the workbook name as
it is on the server, not the file name when it was published.
Example: tabcmd
Option (short)

refreshextracts "Sales_Analysis"

Option (long)

--synchronous

Argument

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Description
Runs the refresh operation immediately in
the foreground.

removeusers group-name
Removes the users listed in the --users argument from the group with the given group-name.
Example: tabcmd
Option (short)

removeusers "Development" --users "users.csv"

Option (long)

--users

Argument

Description

filename.csv

Remove the users in the given file from

the specified group. The file should be a
simple list with one username per line.

--[no-]complete

Requires that all rows be valid for any

change to succeed. If not specified
--complete is used.

runschedule schedule-name
Runs the specified schedule. This command takes the name of the schedule as it is on the
server.
Example: tabcmd runschedule "5AM Sales Refresh"

set setting
Enables the specified setting on the server. Details about each setting can be seen on the
Maintenance page on the server. Use an exclamation mark in front of the setting name to
disable the setting. You can enable or disable the following settings:
embedded_credentials
public_users_list
remember_passwords_forever
Example: tabcmd

set embedded_credentials

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syncgroup group-name
Synchronizes the group with the given group-name with Active Directory. This command can
also be used to create a new group on the server that is based on an existing Active Directory
group.
Example: tabcmd
Option (short)

syncgroup "Development"

Option (long)

Argument

Description

--license

viewer
interactor
unlicensed

Sets the license level for all users in the group.

--[no-]administrator
--[no-]publisher
--[no-]complete

Assigns or removes the System Admin right for

all users in the group. If unspecified, new users
are not administrators and existing users are
unchanged.
Assings or removes the Publish right for all
users in the gorup. If unspecified, new users are
not assigned this right and existing users are
unchanged.
Requires that all rows be valid for any change to
succeed. If unspecified, --complete is used.

version
Prints the version information for the current installation of Tableau Server.
Example: tabcmd

version

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