# Tableau Public for beginners: connect a CSV, build a bar chart, add a filter and make a dashboard > A free one-page Tableau Public cheat sheet: connect a CSV, dimensions vs measures, a revenue bar chart, a viewer filter, a dashboard and publishing safely. Source: https://learn.ynteractive.com/content/cheat-sheets/tableau-public-first-chart · Updated 2026-10-23 · Free from Stepthrough (https://learn.ynteractive.com) [Lesson cheat sheet](https://learn.ynteractive.com/content/cheat-sheets#kind-lesson) · One page · US letter · Tableau · [ChatGPT](https://learn.ynteractive.com/content/tool/chatgpt) By [Robert Breen](https://learn.ynteractive.com/content/about) · Published October 23, 2026 · From the free lesson [Tableau Public: Your First Chart and Dashboard](https://learn.ynteractive.com/content/tableau-public-first-chart) A free one-page Tableau Public cheat sheet: connect a CSV, dimensions vs measures, a revenue bar chart, a viewer filter, a dashboard and publishing safely. [Download the free PDF (63 KB)](https://learn.ynteractive.com/content/cheat-sheets/tableau-public-first-chart.pdf)Print this sheet Free, no sign-up and no email needed. It prints on one letter-size page; the whole sheet is below. *▶*StepthroughFree printable cheat sheet · learn.ynteractive.com Tableau Public for beginners: connect a CSV, build a bar chart, add a filter and make a dashboard The steps from the free Data and Dashboards for Beginners course, practised there on real Tableau Desktop Public Edition 2026.2 screens. ## Before you start - Install **Tableau Desktop Public Edition** (free). The Free Edition cannot publish to Tableau Public. - Anything saved to Tableau Public is visible to anyone, and the Public Edition is not for commercial work: use sample data. ## Build the chart 1. Start page > **Connect > Text file** > pick the CSV. Check the type icons: calendar for dates, # for numbers. 2. Click **Sheet 1**. Drag **Region** to **Columns** and **Revenue** to **Rows**. 3. Drag **Product** to **Filters**. Nothing is ticked: click **All**, then **OK**. 4. Right-click the Product pill > **Show Filter** so viewers can use it. 5. Double-click the sheet tab to rename it. ## Words on the screen **Dimension (blue)** Something you group by, like Region. Makes headers and one bar per value. **Measure (green)** A number Tableau adds up, like SUM(Revenue). Makes the axis. **Sheet vs dashboard** A sheet is one chart. A dashboard arranges sheets and their filters on one page. ## Dashboard and publishing - **New Dashboard**, then drag the sheet onto the canvas: the filter comes with it. - **File > Save to Tableau Public** (older versions: Server). A connection error? Switch Live to **Extract**. - Google Sheets sources refresh about every 24 hours on Tableau Public; CSV files do not. **Remember:** Dimensions make the bars, measures make their height, and only sample data goes on Tableau Public. Practice it free: [Tableau Public: Your First Chart and Dashboard](https://learn.ynteractive.com/modules/tableau-public-first-chart) at learn.ynteractive.com/modules/tableau-public-first-chart. This sheet: learn.ynteractive.com/content/cheat-sheets/tableau-public-first-chart. the sample sales team is a made-up business from the lesson. By Robert Breen, October 23, 2026. ## Practice it in the free lesson **Tableau Public: Your First Chart and Dashboard**. A beginner Tableau Public walkthrough on real screens: connect a CSV, build revenue by region, give viewers a product filter, put it on a dashboard and find Save to Tableau Public. Free tool, sample… You do every step yourself in a practice copy of Tableau, it checks your work as you go, and “Do it for me” finishes any step you get stuck on. Free, and nothing touches your real accounts. [Start the free lesson](https://learn.ynteractive.com/modules/tableau-public-first-chart) [Or read the full step-by-step guide](https://learn.ynteractive.com/content/tableau-public-first-chart) ## Lessons on this sheet - [Tableau Public: Your First Chart and Dashboard](https://learn.ynteractive.com/content/tableau-public-first-chart): A beginner Tableau Public walkthrough on real screens: connect a CSV, build revenue by region, give viewers a product filter, put it on a dashboard and find Save to… - [Analyze a Spreadsheet with ChatGPT: Upload a CSV, Get a Chart and Three Takeaways](https://learn.ynteractive.com/content/chatgpt-analyze-spreadsheet-csv): Upload a CSV of sales to ChatGPT, have it check the data first, ask your questions, get a chart you can download, and finish with the three takeaways that matter. ## Related terms Plain-English definitions, each with an example from a free lesson. [Dashboard](https://learn.ynteractive.com/content/glossary/dashboard) · [CSV](https://learn.ynteractive.com/content/glossary/csv) · [Pivot table](https://learn.ynteractive.com/content/glossary/pivot-table) · Cash flow statement · [Rows](https://learn.ynteractive.com/content/glossary/rows-spreadsheet) · Annual recurring revenue (ARR) · Balance sheet · Natural language query [The full AI glossary](https://learn.ynteractive.com/content/glossary) ## Related prompts - [Timesheet summary prompt](https://learn.ynteractive.com/content/prompts/timesheet-summary-prompt): A ChatGPT prompt that turns a timesheet export into a summary: hours by person and project, missing days, unusual entries and… - [Customer complaint log summary prompt](https://learn.ynteractive.com/content/prompts/customer-complaint-log-summary-prompt): A ChatGPT prompt that turns a customer complaint log into a summary: complaints by type with counts, repeat customers, open… - [Monthly operations report prompt](https://learn.ynteractive.com/content/prompts/monthly-operations-report-prompt): A ChatGPT prompt for a monthly operations report: this month against last month and target, what drove the big moves, open… - [Overtime and attendance report prompt](https://learn.ynteractive.com/content/prompts/overtime-and-attendance-report-prompt): A ChatGPT prompt for an overtime and attendance report: overtime by person and week, the trend against last period, and items… [All free prompt templates](https://learn.ynteractive.com/content/prompts) ## More cheat sheets - [AI Email Responder in n8n Cheat Sheet](https://learn.ynteractive.com/content/cheat-sheets/ai-email-responder-n8n): A free one-page cheat sheet: n8n watches Gmail, an AI agent reads each customer email and saves a reply as a draft in the same thread. - [AI Receipt Extractor in n8n Cheat Sheet](https://learn.ynteractive.com/content/cheat-sheets/receipt-extraction-setup): A free one-page cheat sheet: attach a receipt photo in n8n chat, and an AI agent pulls the date, vendor and amount into a Google Sheets row. - [ChatGPT Bank Reconciliation Cheat Sheet](https://learn.ynteractive.com/content/cheat-sheets/chatgpt-bank-reconciliation): A free one-page cheat sheet: match a bank statement CSV to the ledger with ChatGPT, list the exceptions, build the summary and check the math yourself. 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