Publish Webflow-Connected Dashboards in Tableau Server

Tableau Server is a visual analytics platform transforming the way businesses use data to solve problems. When paired with the CData API Driver for Tableau, you get access to live Webflow data within Tableau Server. This article shows how to connect to Webflow in Tableau Desktop, publish a Data Source to Tableau Server, and build a simple chart from that data.

The CData Tableau Connectors enable high-speed access to live Webflow data in Tableau Server. Once you install the connector, you simply authenticate with Webflow and you can immediately start building responsive, dynamic visualizations and dashboards. By surfacing Webflow data using native Tableau data types and handling complex filters, aggregations, & other operations automatically, CData Tableau Connectors grant seamless access to Webflow data.

NOTE: The CData Tableau Connectors require Tableau 2020.3 or higher. If you are using an older version of Tableau, you will need to use the CData JDBC Driver.

Enable Connectivity to Webflow in Tableau Server

Start by installing the CData Tableau Connector on the machine hosting Tableau Server.

Installation on a Linux Machine:

1. Unpack the setup.zip archive. Creating a directory for the connector like /opt/cdata/api is recommended, but the exact install location does not matter.
2. Navigate to the lib subdirectory under the install directory. Generate a license file by running this command and following the prompts:

   java -jar cdata.tableau.api.jar -l

3. Copy cdata.tableau.api.jar and cdata.tableau.api.lic into the drivers directory, /opt/tableau/tableau_driver/jdbc.
4. Copy cdata.api.taco into the connectors directory, MyTableauServerRootDir/data/tabsvc/vizqlserver/Connectors. In most cases MyTableauServerRootDir is located at /var/opt/tableau/tableau_server.
5. Restart Tableau Server.

If you cannot execute the java commmand from step 2, you will need to install a Java runtime environment. The name of this package differs on Red Hat-based and Debian-based systems:

You can substitute Java 8 with a later Java release as needed.

Installation on a Windows Machine:

1. Run the setup.exe installer. The driver JAR file will be automatically placed in the drivers directory, C:\Program Files\Tableau\Drivers.
2. Navigate to the lib folder under the installation directory. By default the installation directory is a folder in C:\Program Files\CData.
3. Copy cdata.tableau.api.lic into the drivers directory.
4. Copy cdata.tableau.api.taco into the connectors directory, MyTableauServerRootDir/data/tabsvc/vizqlserver/Connectors. In most cases MyTableauServerRootDir is located under C:\ProgramData.
5. Restart Tableau Server.

Connect to Webflow in Tableau Desktop

Once the connectors are installed on the Server machine, we can configure a connection to Webflow in Tableau Desktop and publish a Webflow-based Data Source to Tableau Server.

1. Open Tableau Desktop.
2. Click More under Connect -> To a Server.
3. Select "Webflow by CData".
4. Configure the connection to the data.

   Authentication

   Webflow uses OAuth 2.0 authentication to ensure secure access to sites, CMS collections, e-commerce data, and other resources. This authentication method allows you to securely connect to your Webflow workspace and manage resources with proper authorization.

   OAuth 2.0 Setup and Configuration

   Step 1: Create a Webflow OAuth Application

   To set up OAuth authentication:

   1. Visit the Webflow Developer Portal
   2. Navigate to "Apps & Integrations" in your Webflow account
   3. Click "Register an App" to create a new OAuth application
   4. Configure the application name, description, and redirect URI (CallbackURL)
   5. Copy the Client ID and Client Secret for use in your connection

   Required Connection Properties

   • AuthScheme: Set this to OAuth (required)
   • OAuthClientId: Client ID from your Webflow OAuth application (required)
   • OAuthClientSecret: Client secret from your Webflow OAuth application (required)
   • CallbackURL: Redirect URI specified in your OAuth application (required)
   • InitiateOAuth: Set to GETANDREFRESH for automatic token management (recommended)

   Required OAuth Scopes

   The Webflow API Profile requires the following OAuth scopes:

   • sites:read - Read access to site information and configuration
   • pages:read - Read access to site pages
   • cms:read - Read access to CMS collections and items
   • forms:read - Read access to forms and form submissions
   • assets:read - Read access to media assets and folders
   • ecommerce:read - Read access to products, orders, and inventory
   • authorized_user:read - Read access to the authorized user
5. Click "Sign In".

Discover Schemas and Query Data

Once you establish the connection to Webflow data, you can configure which entities to visualize.

1. Select CData from the Database pull-down menu.
2. Select API from the Schema pull-down menu.
3. Drag the tables and views you wish to visualize onto the join area. You can include multiple tables.
4. Select Update Now or Automatically Update. Update Now lets you preview the first 10,000 rows of the data source (or enter the number of rows you want to see in the Rows text box). Automatically Update auto-loads the changes in the preview area.

Publish Data to Tableau Server

After you configure the data you wish to visualize, you can publish the Data Source to a Tableau Server instance. In Tableau Desktop:

1. Click Server -> Sign In.
2. Enter the URL for your Tableau Server.
3. Authenticate with Tableau Server credentials.
4. Click Server -> Publish Data Source and select your data source.
5. Click Publish.
6. Select the Project, name the Data Source, and optionally add a description.
7. Click Publish.

This creates a new entry under the server's data source list, from which you an change the data source's permissions, view its history, and perform other management tasks.

Note that workstation connected to the same server will be able to use the same source in Tableau Desktop, even if the connector isn't installed there. Also, workbooks created directly on Tableau Server (via the web interface) can use this source.

Visualize Webflow Data in Tableau Server

With the Data Source published to Tableau Server, you are ready to visualize Webflow data.

1. Login to your Tableau Server instance.
2. Connect to the remote source using the Search for Data -> Tableau Server in the Connect sidebar.
3. Click the published Data Source.
4. Click New Workbook.
5. In the workbook, Webflow fields are listed as Dimensions and Measures, depending on the data type. The CData Tableau Connector discovers data types automatically, allowing you to leverage the powerful data processing and visualization features of Tableau.
6. Drag a field from the Dimensions or Measures area to Rows or Columns. Tableau creates column or row headers.
7. Select one of the chart types from the Show Me tab. Tableau displays the chart type that you selected.

Using the CData API Driver for Tableau with Tableau Server, you can easily create robust visualizations and reports on Webflow data. Download a free, 30-day trial and get started today.