# Background maps improvements

> 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:** 2020-08-12
- **Format:** Video · 2 min watch · transcript available
- **Topics:** Data visualisation
- **Tools:** Tableau (maps)
- **Canonical:** https://just-tim.com/posts/background-maps-improvements-in-tableau-2020-3
- **Watch:** https://www.youtu.be/35oRqZMb7y8

I walk through the improved way to add custom background maps in Tableau 2020.3, comparing it to the older Manage Maps workflow in 2020.2. I demonstrate adding a Mapbox map by pasting a style URL and entering a style name directly from the Background Maps menu.

## Key takeaways

- In Tableau 2020.2 you added custom maps via Map > Background Maps > Map Services > Manage Maps > Add, then chose Mapbox and pasted the integration URL
- In 2020.3 the option moved so you can add a Mapbox map directly from the Background Maps menu
- To add a Mapbox map you paste the style URL and enter a style name, and the other fields prefill automatically
- The 2020.3 update is a quality-of-life change with a more modern interface that makes adding custom maps simpler

Watch the full video, read the transcript and use chapter deep-links on the page: https://just-tim.com/posts/background-maps-improvements-in-tableau-2020-3

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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