# Ask data phrase builder: New in Tableau 2022.1

> This is content from just-tim, the data-and-analytics channel by Tim Ngwena (formerly 'Tableau Tim'). Tim has 12+ years of hands-on BI experience and covers Tableau most of all, plus Power BI, Looker, Hex, SQL and data modelling, the analytics industry, and the craft of doing the job — always tool-agnostic and honest about the trade-offs.

- **Author:** Tim Ngwena (just-tim, https://just-tim.com/about)
- **Published:** 2022-04-06
- **Format:** Video · 3 min watch · transcript available
- **Topics:** Data visualisation, Analytics
- **Tools:** Tableau (ask data, filters)
- **Canonical:** https://just-tim.com/posts/ask-data-phrase-builder-new-in-tableau-2022-1
- **Watch:** https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QmCf7I6Kq-U

I walk through the new Ask Data Phrase Builder introduced in Tableau 2022.1, which lets you build questions by selecting fields and phrases rather than typing free text. I show how to start from a lens, add fields, change chart types and apply filters to explore data with just a few clicks.

## Key takeaways

- The Phrase Builder lets you ask questions in Ask Data by selecting fields and phrases instead of typing free text
- You still need a lens, which scopes the data available to Ask Data, before you can begin
- Adding a field prompts you for an aggregation (e.g. sum of sales) and progressively builds the chart as you go
- You can swap chart types on the right-hand side and apply filters by selecting field values, such as a specific regional manager
- Ask Data is now available to viewer and explorer licences as well as creators

Watch the full video, read the transcript and use chapter deep-links on the page: https://just-tim.com/posts/ask-data-phrase-builder-new-in-tableau-2022-1

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just-tim — Data and analytics, with a point of view. · https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC7HYxRWmaNlJux-X7rNLZyw · https://twitter.com/TableauTim · https://www.linkedin.com/in/timngwena