How to Connect ClickHouse to Tableau

How do I connect ClickHouse to Tableau?

Connect ClickHouse to Tableau with an ODBC/JDBC driver, a valid connection string, and Tableau’s native query interface to visualize fast-moving analytics data.

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Description

Example H2

Example H3

How do I install the driver?

Download the official ClickHouse ODBC or JDBC driver that matches your OS and Tableau version. Run the installer and confirm the driver appears in your system’s ODBC Data Sources or Java classpath.

What connection options does Tableau offer?

Tableau Desktop can reach ClickHouse through “Other Databases (ODBC),” “Other Databases (JDBC),” or a custom connector (.taco).Choose ODBC for Windows/macOS simplicity or JDBC for cross-platform deployments.

Which parameters are required in the connection string?

Host, Port, Database, User, and Password are mandatory. Optional flags include SSLMode, Timeout, and Compression.Use a service account with read-only access for production dashboards.

Example ODBC DSN

Driver=ClickHouse ODBC Driver;Host=analytics.db;Port=9000;Database=ecommerce;User=tableau;Password=$ecret;SSLMode=1;

How do I connect inside Tableau?

1️⃣ Open Tableau → Data → Connect → "Other Databases (ODBC)".
2️⃣ Pick the ClickHouse DSN or enter the driver class.
3️⃣ Supply the connection string, test, then press "Sign In".
4️⃣ Drag the desired tables or write a custom SQL query.

Can I use custom SQL for complex joins?

Yes.Click “New Custom SQL,” paste your query, and Tableau will treat the result set as a logical table. Use parameterization to make dashboards interactive.

Best practices for large datasets?

Aggregate in-database, limit result columns, and leverage ClickHouse’s materialized views for pre-computed metrics. Enable “Live” connection instead of extracts for real-time charts.

What’s the deployment workflow?

After testing locally, publish the data source to Tableau Server with “Embedded Credentials” so refreshes run automatically.Assign the Server a matching ClickHouse DSN or JDBC jar.

How do I secure the connection?

Enforce SSL/TLS in the driver, restrict IPs at the ClickHouse firewall, and use LDAP/SAML roles so Tableau users inherit granular permissions.

Why isn’t my extract refreshing?

Verify the Server’s driver version, check that port 9000 is open, and confirm the service account still has SELECT on referenced tables.

Why How to Connect ClickHouse to Tableau is important

How to Connect ClickHouse to Tableau Example Usage


-- Show top 5 customers by revenue for a Tableau bar chart
SELECT c.name AS customer,
       ROUND(SUM(oi.quantity * p.price),2) AS revenue
FROM Customers c
JOIN Orders o       ON o.customer_id = c.id
JOIN OrderItems oi  ON oi.order_id = o.id
JOIN Products p     ON p.id = oi.product_id
GROUP BY c.name
ORDER BY revenue DESC
LIMIT 5;

How to Connect ClickHouse to Tableau Syntax


ODBC Connection String:
Driver=ClickHouse ODBC Driver;Host=<host>;Port=<port>;Database=<database>;User=<user>;Password=<pwd>;SSLMode=<0|1>;

JDBC URL:
jdbc:clickhouse://<host>:<port>/<database>?ssl=<true|false>&user=<user>&password=<pwd>

Tableau Custom SQL (ecommerce example):
SELECT c.name,
       SUM(oi.quantity * p.price) AS lifetime_value
FROM Customers c
JOIN Orders o   ON o.customer_id = c.id
JOIN OrderItems oi ON oi.order_id = o.id
JOIN Products p ON p.id = oi.product_id
GROUP BY c.name;

Common Mistakes

Using an Extract for massive fact tables. Extracts copy data into Tableau’s Hyper engine, ballooning storage and delaying refreshes. Fix it by keeping the connection Live and aggregating in ClickHouse.
Omitting SSLMode in production. Unencrypted traffic exposes credentials and sensitive data. Always pass SSLMode=1 (ODBC) or ssl=true (JDBC) and verify certificates.