Support

Help: khaled.hoza@gmail.com · we usually reply within 2 working days.

Install

Tableau Desktop

Download WhyLens.trex (or get it from Tableau Exchange).
Open a dashboard and drag an Extension object from the Objects pane onto it.
Choose Access Local Extensions and select WhyLens.trex. From Tableau Exchange, search for WhyLens instead.
Click OK when Tableau asks to allow the extension.

Tableau Cloud and Tableau Server

Add WhyLens in Desktop or web authoring as above, then publish. Viewers see it without installing anything, as long as the site allows the extension (see below).

For Tableau Cloud and Server admins

Many sites only allow extensions on a safe list. To allow WhyLens:

Go to Settings → Extensions (Tableau Cloud) or Settings → Extensions on the site (Tableau Server).
Make sure Let users run extensions on this site is on.
Under the safe list, add this URL:
```
https://whylens.app/auto-dashboard.html
```
Set Full Data to Denied (WhyLens reads summary data only and does not need it). Prompt user can be off.

WhyLens loads only its own files from that address. It does not send dashboard data anywhere. See the privacy policy.

Getting the best results

Give it a detailed worksheet. A sheet with a date, a few dimensions (region, category, customer, product) and your measures gives far richer pages than a single summarised chart.
Dates can be continuous or discrete. Exact dates, or Year / Quarter / Month parts on Columns or Rows, all work.
Measure Names / Measure Values are unpacked automatically into separate measures.
Hide the source sheet if you like: WhyLens only needs it to be on the dashboard. You can make it tiny or place it on a hidden container.
Configure (authoring mode) lets you pick sheets, the main measure, display names, whether higher is good or bad, colours, language and row limits.
Change a chart's fields with the edit button on any chart. Customised charts are pinned to the Overview.
Click any chart to open details for that point, with an option to filter the dashboard.
Export the current page or the whole report to PDF or PowerPoint.

Troubleshooting

“Error parsing extension manifest”

The .trex file was edited or is from an older version. Download a fresh copy of WhyLens.trex.

The extension area is blank or says it cannot be loaded

Your site may block extensions or need WhyLens on its safe list (see admin steps). On a locked-down network, make sure whylens.app is reachable.

“No worksheets on this dashboard”

Add at least one worksheet to the same dashboard as the extension, then reload.

Totals look smaller than expected

WhyLens reads up to 4 million summary rows by default and shows a notice when a sheet has more. Raise the limit in Configure, or aggregate the worksheet (for example to day or month instead of transaction level).

A field is treated as a measure (or not)

Numbers whose names end in ID, code, key, zip, year or number are treated as labels. Use Configure, or change the field's role in Tableau.

It does not refresh after I filter

WhyLens listens for filter and data changes on the worksheets it reads. Filters that do not apply to those worksheets will not change it; set the filter to apply to all related sheets.

Arabic text looks wrong in the PDF

Update to the latest version (reload the dashboard). If it persists, send us the page and your Tableau version.

Reporting a problem

Email khaled.hoza@gmail.com with your Tableau version (Desktop, Cloud or Server), a screenshot, and if possible the browser console message (right-click the extension → Inspect, on Desktop with debugging enabled). Please do not send confidential data.

Version

Current version: 4.1. The version number appears at the bottom of the WhyLens report.