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Tableau | Data visualisation

How to use Dynamic Parameters in Tableau 2020.1

Dynamic parameters finally landed in Tableau 2020.1 after five years of asking, so here's how to set them up.

Tim Ngwena •25 February 2020 •1 min read •6 min watch •29K

Part ofWhat's new in Tableau 2020.1

Watch on YouTube

In Tableau 2019.4 and earlier, parameter lists were static and had to be manually re-loaded from a field whenever the data source changed
Tableau 2020.1 introduces a setting to refresh a parameter's value list 'on workbook open' using values from a chosen field
To configure it, set the parameter to a fixed list, add from a field, then switch to the second option to update the list from that column on open
As an author you must close and reopen the workbook to see the dynamic update, but for Tableau Server or Online users it refreshes every time they open the visualisation
Dynamic parameters let new values flow in automatically as the underlying data source updates, removing manual maintenance

0:00In Tableau 2020.1, Tableau have added the

0:06much requested ability to add dynamic

0:09parameters

0:10to your dashboard.

0:12This is a much, much, much asked for

0:13feature for the last, I don't know, five

0:15years of

0:16Tableau.

0:17So let's get stuck in and see how this

0:20feature is implemented.

0:22In order to show you this, I've actually

0:24got two workbooks open.

0:25I've got one in 2019.4 and another one in

0:282020.1.

0:30But first, I'm going to start in 2019.4

0:33just to show you how the old behavior works

0:36.

0:36What you can do in any Tableau workbook is

0:39you can essentially add a parameter to the

0:41dashboard.

0:42And if I show you this one here, if I click

0:44edit, you'll see that I've actually got a

0:46string parameter which has been pre-loaded

0:49with the values from my segment field.

0:52If I clear these options and I add from

0:55field, you can see exactly how this is done

0:57.

0:58And it simply just adds all the values from

1:00that field.

1:01Now one of the big problems has always been

1:03that now once you've done this, when you

1:05open

1:06the workbook again, let's say the data has

1:08been updated.

1:09These values haven't updated.

1:10And so what you've had to do is either get

1:13someone to go in and manually update this

1:15field or rely on a filter to do the same

1:19thing.

1:20And so if I click OK here and we actually

1:23go and update the data source, let's go to

1:26this Excel file which is what we're

1:28connected to.

1:29Let's change this top value to new

1:31corporate and we'll maybe just change the

1:33date to 2020.

1:35Let's do that here.

1:39Let's hit save.

1:41And then if we go to the file where this

1:44particular data source is held, what I need

1:47to do is

1:48overwrite this file over here.

1:50So I'm just simply going to, first I need

1:52to close it before I move it otherwise the

1:53computer will complain.

1:55And then I just need to drag this file over

1:58here and that will have the ability to

2:00basically

2:01simulate us updating the data source.

2:05Now if I go back to Tableau and I right

2:07click refresh this data source, you'll see

2:11a couple

2:11of things happen.

2:14First of all, nothing will change but if I

2:17go into this order date field, you'll see

2:20that the maximum value has actually updated

2:22here.

2:23So I need to come in here and hit max on

2:25that and then you can see my new corporate

2:28column

2:28over here.

2:29So we know the column has made it, the row

2:32has made it into the data set but our

2:34parameter

2:34hasn't updated.

2:36And so what I have to do manually is I have

2:39to go back into my parameter, edit that,

2:42add

2:42from field, select segment and this time

2:44you'll see that new corporate makes it in.

2:47The reason I'm getting these red items is

2:49because I've already got some fields

2:51previously

2:51so if I clear all and do that again, hit

2:54segment, you'll see that the new item makes

2:56it into

2:57my data set.

2:58And now I'm actually able to see that in

3:01the filter.

3:02Now if we go to 2020.1, this behavior works

3:06in a slightly different way.

3:08The first thing to bear in mind is that

3:09there's actually a new interface for

3:11parameters here

3:12and it uses this notation over here.

3:14So let's just clear this so I can show you

3:16how to set this up.

3:17We're going to call this parameter segment.

3:20It's going to be text based so we'll choose

3:23string.

3:23I'm going to leave it selected on the

3:25current value and in order to load up this

3:27list, I'm

3:28going to select fixed, add from values and

3:31then select segment from that list.

3:34Okay?

3:35And so you'll see here I get these three

3:37items.

3:37Now this is a little bit tricky because

3:40what you now have to do is switch this

3:43interface

3:43over here to the next option and you have

3:45to tell Tableau that when the workbook

3:48opens,

3:48you wanted to update this list using values

3:51from the segment column.

3:53And so if you click okay, that's now

3:55applied.

3:56And so if I go on this list, you'll see

3:59here consumer, corporate and home office.

4:01But now when I update the workbook, notice

4:04that this is an extract so all I now need

4:06to do is refresh the extract and this will

4:11wholesale change the data.

4:14The work will update and you'll see here

4:17that the date filter changes.

4:19So if I expand that, you'll see that I get

4:22my new segment.

4:24But the key thing here is this parameter.

4:27Now what I have to do is I have to close

4:30the workbook and open it again for it to

4:32appear.

4:33So let's close this workbook.

4:38Tableau will ask me if I want to save it so

4:41I will.

4:42And what I've done is I've saved this work

4:44book on my desktop.

4:45Now the reason you have to do this as an

4:47author is because fundamentally when the

4:50workbook

4:50is opened and closed on Tableau's server,

4:53it's essentially the same as someone just

4:55visiting the workbook.

4:56So let's go over to our desktop and let's

4:59open the 2020.1 version.

5:02So let's open that up.

5:07Okay so now you can see here the workbook

5:10has opened again but now if I go to my

5:12parameters,

5:13you'll see that it's actually dynamically

5:16loaded the new item into my list.

5:18So it's a little bit unintuitive because as

5:21an author, to see this change, you've

5:23actually got to close and open the workbook

5:25again.

5:25But for the typical user on Tableau server

5:27or on Tableau Online, that happens every

5:30time

5:30they open the visualization.

5:32And so what happens there is the workbook

5:34dynamically loads this new list from an

5:36updated

5:37data source.

5:38And so now your parameter can actually add

5:41in new values dynamically as your data

5:43source

5:44updates.

5:46If you've enjoyed this video, hit subscribe

5:48.

5:48If not, drop us a comment.

5:49Let me know the kind of content you'd like

5:51to see in the future.

5:52[

Rollup

Tableau 2020.1 introduces dynamic parameters, letting a parameter's list of values refresh itself from a field whenever the workbook is opened, instead of needing manual re-loading every time the underlying data changes.

Previously, in 2019.4 and earlier, parameter lists were static: they were loaded once from a field and never updated on their own. This video compares that old behaviour against the new dynamic option in 2020.1.

The Breakdown

Old behaviour: parameters load once, statically 0:22

In 2019.4 and earlier you build a parameter by adding values from a field, but that list is a one-off snapshot. If the underlying data changes later, the parameter's values do not update on their own.
New data doesn't show up automatically 1:20

When the source data is updated with a new value, refreshing the data source brings the new row and field values into the workbook, but the parameter list itself still doesn't reflect the change.
The old fix: manually reload from the field 2:36

In the static model, the only way to get a parameter current is to go back into its edit dialog, clear the list, and re-add from the field so it picks up the new value. This has to be repeated every time the data changes.
Configure a parameter to refresh on open 3:02

In 2020.1, set the parameter's list to 'fixed' and add values from the field as before, then switch the interface to the second option that tells Tableau to update the list from that column when the workbook opens. This second step is required — simply adding from field once still behaves like the old static list.
Extract refreshes still update dashboard content 4:02

Refreshing an extract updates the visible data (filters, dates, etc.) immediately, but the dynamic parameter's own list doesn't refresh mid-session even after this.
Close and reopen to see the dynamic list update 4:24

As the workbook author, you must close and reopen the workbook for the parameter to reload its values from the field — this is an unintuitive but required step to verify the setup worked.
Server and Online users get it automatically 5:21

Unlike the author's desktop workflow, anyone opening the published visualisation on Tableau Server or Online triggers this open-and-reload behaviour every time, so their parameter list dynamically reflects the latest data without any manual work.

Worth Knowing

As the author, you won't see the parameter update just by refreshing the extract — you have to fully close and reopen the workbook, which can look like the feature isn't working.
The interface has two distinct steps: first define a fixed list from a field, then separately switch to the option that updates that list on workbook open. Missing the second step leaves you with the old static behaviour.

Use It When

Reach for this when a parameter's dropdown needs to reflect new categories or values as your underlying data source grows, so you're not manually re-adding field values every time it changes.

How this Rollup was made provenance & method

A Rollup is drafted by AI from the video's transcript, then reviewed and edited by Tim. Everything used to produce this one is listed below — the model, the exact prompt, and the source video — so the process is transparent and reproducible.

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Drafting: Claude Sonnet 5 in the cloud, from that transcript.
Prompt: The exact Rollup prompt (v2) — the full system prompt, unedited.
Source video: Watch on YouTube
Drafted: 5 July 2026 at 09:38
Reviewed & edited: 5 July 2026 at 09:41 · by Tim Ngwena

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