# Set header and data start row for CSV/Text Files in Tableau Prep | New in tableau 2023.3

> 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:** 2023-10-30
- **Format:** Video · 5 min watch · transcript available
- **Topics:** Data prep
- **Tools:** Tableau (prep)
- **Canonical:** https://just-tim.com/posts/set-header-and-data-start-row-for-csvtext-files-in-tableau-prep--new-in-tableau-20233
- **Watch:** https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Hb7MAPISUGY

I walk through a new feature in Tableau Prep 2023.3 that lets you set the header row and data start row directly for CSV and text files. I demonstrate the real-time preview as you toggle rows, and note that this still isn't supported for Excel files.

## Key takeaways

- Tableau Prep 2023.3 lets you set the header row and data start row for CSV and text files directly in the input step, removing the old pivot workarounds
- The input step previews data live with no run button, so column changes update in real time as you adjust the rows
- If you set the header row to the same as the data start row, Prep automatically shifts the data start row down by one to avoid clashing
- A source row number field is available specifically for CSV and text files
- This feature does not work for Excel files, likely due to how Prep handles Excel in the background

Watch the full video, read the transcript and use chapter deep-links on the page: https://just-tim.com/posts/set-header-and-data-start-row-for-csvtext-files-in-tableau-prep--new-in-tableau-20233

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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