Skip to main content

Use custom Mapbox styles in Tableau

Additional Developer Resources

The latest versions of Tableau Server, Desktop, Public, and Online all use Mapbox vector maps by default. This guide shows you how to import and use custom Mapbox styles in Tableau.

Find a Mapbox style's integration URL​

To use a Mapbox style in Tableau, you need that style's integration URL.

  1. Go to your Mapbox Studio styles page and click on the style that you would like to use as your background map in Tableau.
  2. Click on the Share button in the options bar at the top of the screen.
  3. Click the Production tab.
  4. In the Develop bar, click the Third party option.
  5. Choose Tableau from the dropdown menu.
  6. Click on the clipboard clipboard button to copy the Integration URL to your computer's clipboard. You will use this URL to connect to your Mapbox style from Tableau.

Change your background map to a custom Mapbox map​

To use a custom Mapbox map as your background map in Tableau:

  1. In Tableau, click on Map > Background Maps > Map Services.
  2. In the Map Services panel, click the Add button.
  3. Select Mapbox Maps.
  4. Give the style a name in the Style Name field. You will be able to use this name later to identify the style, so make it descriptive.
  5. In the Add Mapbox Map modal, paste the Mapbox integration URL into the URL field. The API access token, Username, and Style ID fields will automatically populate.
  6. Click the OK button.

The background map will automatically switch the Mapbox map style you imported in the last step.

Use background maps in Tableau Desktop​

You can access the Mapbox maps you've added to Tableau through the Maps menu:

  1. Click on Map in the Tableau menu bar.
  2. Select Background Maps.
  3. Click on your desired Mapbox style. The background map will be updated to use the style that you select.

Show or hide layers in a custom Mapbox map​

When you set your Tableau background map to use a custom Mapbox map style, you can use the Map Layers panel to either show or hide layers within that Mapbox style. The layers used in a custom Mapbox map style will likely be different than the layers used in the default Tableau map styles, which are described in the Tableau Customize how your map looks guide.

All your style's layers that are displayed in the Mapbox Studio style editor will be displayed automatically in the Tableau view. To hide a layer, click on the checkbox next to the layer name to deselect it.

For further guidance on how to customize maps in Tableau, consult the Tableau documentation.

Next steps​

Now you know how to use custom Mapbox map styles in Tableau.

Here are some things to try next:

Additional Developer Resources
Was this page helpful?