# Partner connectors & Datorama connector

> 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:** 2020-12-17
- **Format:** Video · 6 min watch · transcript available
- **Topics:** Data prep, Tool strategy
- **Tools:** Tableau (connectors, extensions)
- **Canonical:** https://just-tim.com/posts/partner-connectors-datorama
- **Watch:** https://www.youtu.be/dXgi7Lmu0p8

I walk through Tableau 2020.4's new Connector Gallery using the Salesforce Datorama connector as an example. I show that these partner-built connectors aren't native, so you download the TACO file, place it in the Tableau connectors folder, restart Tableau, and the connector appears under Connect.

## Key takeaways

- Tableau 2020.4 introduced partner-built connectors, allowing third parties like Salesforce/Datorama to build their own connectors via Tableau's API rather than relying on native ones.
- Partner connectors live in the same gallery as dashboard extensions, under a new 'Connectors' section, so finding them is a bit of an Easter egg hunt.
- Installation is manual: download the .taco file and drag it into the Tableau repository's Connectors folder in your Documents.
- You must fully quit and reopen Tableau (Command+Q on Mac) for the connector to appear under Connect > More.
- On first use you may be prompted to install a JDBC driver before the connector works.

## Chapters

- 0:00 What partner-built connectors are
- 0:45 Finding the connector gallery
- 2:19 Downloading and installing the .taco file
- 3:42 Restarting Tableau and testing
- 5:18 Naming and final thoughts

Watch the full video, read the transcript and use chapter deep-links on the page: https://just-tim.com/posts/partner-connectors-datorama

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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