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Getting Started

Quick Start​

Requirements

  • Node.js 22.7.5 or newer
  • An MCP client e.g. Claude Desktop, Cursor, VS Code, MCP Inspector, etc.

This standard config works in most MCP clients:

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "tableau": {
      "command": "npx",
      "args": ["-y", "@tableau/mcp-server@latest"],
      "env": {
        "SERVER": "https://my-tableau-server.com",
        "SITE_NAME": "my_site",
        "PAT_NAME": "my_pat",
        "PAT_VALUE": "pat_value"
      }
    }
  }
}

Node.js Single Executable Applications​

Node.js Single Executable Applications (SEA) are a way to package a Node.js application into a single executable file.

This provides a simple method for administrators to deploy Tableau MCP to their users without having to install Node.js or any other dependencies. Tableau MCP is available as a SEA for both Windows and Linux.

Windows​

Run Manage-Server.ps1.

This PowerShell script can help you:

  1. Download the single executable application for any of the latest releases.
  2. Create a .env file with your Tableau MCP settings.
  3. Start the MCP server.
  4. Check the status of the MCP server.
  5. Upgrade the MCP server.
  6. Stop the MCP server.
warning
  • Never run scripts from untrusted sources.
  • Verify that the URL of the script correctly points to the main branch of the official Tableau MCP repository (https://github.com/tableau/tableau-mcp) and not some fork.
  • Consider downloading the script first and inspecting it before running it, confirming that it is the correct script and not malicious.

Run the script directly from the command line:

iex (iwr -Uri "https://raw.githubusercontent.com/tableau/tableau-mcp/refs/heads/main/scripts/Manage-Server.ps1").Content

Or, download the script first:

iwr -Uri "https://raw.githubusercontent.com/tableau/tableau-mcp/refs/heads/main/scripts/Manage-Server.ps1" -OutFile "Manage-Server.ps1"
info

Linux or Manual Windows Installation​

  1. Go to the latest Tableau MCP release on GitHub
  2. Under Assets, download the tableau-mcp.zip (Windows) or tableau-mcp.tar.gz (Linux) archive for your operating system.
    • If no archives exist, the release is too old and you'll need to choose a newer release.
  3. Extract the archive
  4. Create a .env file with your Tableau MCP settings. See Environment Variables section for more details.
  5. Run the application

Claude Desktop Extension​

Claude Desktop users can also install Tableau MCP as a Desktop Extension. This is a single file which can be downloaded and installed without the need to edit any JSON config files.

  1. Go to the latest Tableau MCP release on GitHub
  2. Under Assets, download the .mcpb file
  3. Have your Tableau MCP settings ready (SERVER, SITE_NAME, etc) ready and follow the Claude Desktop instructions

The Desktop Extension has been available starting with Tableau MCP v1.5.2.