Viz - Sankey
Create dynamic flow diagrams in Tableau using the Sankey Chart extension to represent relationships and data movement between nodes.
First Steps
Add dimensions to the Nodes mark card and a measure to the Value mark card to display a Sankey.
Data Format
Data is expected to have three columns: source, target, and values for each link. Additional fields in the sheet can be used to further customize the Sankey.
Customization
Click the format extension button to customize the Sankey. Three methods are available:
- Direct: Enter a value directly in the window.
- Parameter: Select a parameter; its value defines the characteristic.
- Field: Select a field in the sheet; its values define the element aspects. To appear in the list, add the field to the Detail shelf on the Marks card.
| Name | Default | Accepted Values | Additional Information |
|---|---|---|---|
| background color | white | HTML names, hexadecimal, rgb. See color names and codes | Ex: LightBlue, #ADD8E6, rgb(173, 216, 230). |
| highlight color | red | HTML names, hexadecimal, rgb | Ex: LightBlue, #ADD8E6, rgb(173, 216, 230). |
| link color | none | source, target, source-target, HTML names, hexadecimal, rgb | Ex: LightBlue, #ADD8E6, rgb(173, 216, 230). |
| palette | none | tableau 10, tableau 20, colorblind, seattle grays, traffic light, miller stone, superfishel stone, nuriel stone, jewel bright, summer, winter, green-orange-teal, red-blue-brown, purple-pink-gray, hue circle | |
| link percentage | none | none, source, target, both | |
| column palette | none | tableau 10, tableau 20, colorblind, seattle grays, traffic light, miller stone, superfishel stone, nuriel stone, jewel bright, summer, winter, green-orange-teal, red-blue-brown, purple-pink-gray, hue circle | |
| column percentage | false | true, false | |
| column titles | top | none, top, bottom | |
| alignment | justify | justify, left, right, center | |
| font size | 10 | Numbers | The font size of column titles are always 4px larger than the selected font size. |
Step by step tutorial
Watch this tutorial video to learn how to create a Sankey chart with the Sample - Superstore datasource:
After adding the extension, add data to the Nodes and Value mark cards.
You can further customize the Sankey. In this example, the highlight color is set by entering a value directly. The link color is controlled by a parameter. The column palette is set to the Tableau palette Nurial Stone.
Highlight part of the Sankey by clicking a node. Double-click a node to filter the Sankey and display only its links. Double-click the same node again to remove the filter.