# Cloud-based file connectors for Virtual Connections

> 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:** 2022-11-25
- **Format:** Video · 8 min watch · transcript available
- **Topics:** Data prep, Tool strategy
- **Tools:** Tableau (cloud, data modelling)
- **Canonical:** https://just-tim.com/posts/cloud-based-file-connectors-for-virtual-connections
- **Watch:** https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xpb1dNtWlzA

I walk through the three virtual connection updates in Tableau 22.3, focusing on the new cloud-based file connectors. I demonstrate connecting to Google Drive, Dropbox and Google Sheets inside a virtual connection in Tableau Cloud, and show how you can combine multiple cloud sources alongside data policies.

## Key takeaways

- Tableau 22.3 adds three virtual connection updates: downstream feature compatibility, extract encryption (Tableau Server only) and cloud-based file connectors.
- Virtual connections can now connect to Google Drive, Box, Dropbox and Google Sheets, with Azure Data Lake Storage Gen 2 possibly coming later.
- You can combine multiple cloud storage sources within a single virtual connection, giving users access to everything in one place.
- Each source added to a virtual connection requires separate authentication, as Tableau creates a key per connection.
- Adding a duplicate table lets you apply it to a different data policy, and you can preview files as you build the connection.
- Virtual connections sit behind the data management add-on paywall, but you can trial them via the Data Dev community developer access.

## Chapters

- 0:00 The three 22.3 updates
- 0:52 Why virtual connections are underrated
- 1:23 Creating a virtual connection in Tableau Cloud
- 2:28 Connecting to Google Drive and Sheets
- 5:42 Duplicate tables and data policies
- 6:24 Adding Dropbox and wrapping up

Watch the full video, read the transcript and use chapter deep-links on the page: https://just-tim.com/posts/cloud-based-file-connectors-for-virtual-connections

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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