# Tableau Prep Builder in the browser

> 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:** 2020-12-15
- **Format:** Video · 7 min watch · transcript available
- **Topics:** Data prep, Tool strategy
- **Tools:** Tableau (cloud, prep, server)
- **Canonical:** https://just-tim.com/posts/tableau-prep-builder-in-browser
- **Watch:** https://www.youtu.be/vaPIwC33MQc

I demonstrate the new Tableau Prep Builder running directly in the browser, accessed via the new Flow option in Tableau Online. I walk through connecting to an Excel file, building joins and splits, and publishing the flow to run on server.

## Key takeaways

- Tableau Prep in the browser is launched via the new Flow project type under Explore in Tableau Online or Server
- Flows run on the server rather than your local machine, so heavy RAM usage and grogginess become an IT admin concern instead of yours
- The browser version automatically gets the latest features whenever your Tableau Server is upgraded
- The export-to-static-file option has been removed, keeping outputs published to Tableau Server or a database within the platform
- Published flows run via a job queue, so total runtime is queue time plus actual run time, with a draft-capture feature protecting you if you close the tab

## Chapters

- 0:29 Accessing Prep in the browser
- 1:01 Connecting to data
- 2:02 Building joins and splits
- 3:30 Publishing the flow
- 5:11 Running flows and the job queue

Watch the full video, read the transcript and use chapter deep-links on the page: https://just-tim.com/posts/tableau-prep-builder-in-browser

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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