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1 June, 2015 | Craig Bloodworth

UK Filled Map Geocoding Pack for Tableau

UPDATE 2023

Since Tableau released a native connector for shape files as well as other geo data connections we’ve chosen not to maintain our geocoding pack as it was rapidly getting out of date & didn’t match with Tableau’s more modern methods.
We’d recommend you take a look at https://geoportal.statistics.gov.uk/ for many of its sources as well as https://longair.net/blog/2017/07/10/approximate-postcode-boundaries for how to generate an approximation to a filled postcode map (usually licensed by Ordnance Survey).
If you would like to ask us for more specific help to deliver on your Tableau mapping requirements, please drop us a line.
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ORIGINAL ARTICLE

If you enjoy creating maps of UK data in Tableau but would like to do them using the ‘Geographic Role’ menu to create either point or filled maps without the need to blend in a polygon data, this is the solution for you!

Download UK Geocoding Pack for Tableau

The following geocoding roles are available as both point and filled map mark types:

England

  • CCGs (Clinical Commissioning Groups)
  • LEPs (Local Enterprise Partnerships)
  • NHS Area Teams

Great Britain

  • Ceremonial Counties
  • Middle Super Output Areas
  • Parliamentary Constituencies
  • Postcode Districts
  • Postcode Sectors

United Kingdom

  • Local Authority Districts
  • Lower Super Output Areas
  • Postcode Areas

Installation & Use

UK Tableau Geocoding Pack How-To

Copy the ‘Local Data’ folder and its contents contained in the download to your ‘My Tableau Repository’ and restart Tableau Desktop. Then select the appropriate geocoding role by right clicking on a dimension, going to ‘Geographic role’ in the menu and selecting the role that corresponds to your dimension. Then double click on the dimension to draw a point mark type map, changing the mark type from ‘Automatic’ to the ‘Filled map’ creates a filled map. Alternatively use ‘Show Me’ to switch between the two map types.

While the ‘Local Data’ folder is in your Tableau Repository you will no longer have access to the default Tableau geocoding data. To restore back to default simply move the ‘Local Data’ folder out of your repository,rename it or delete it. Then restart Tableau Desktop.

If you wish to redistribute a workbook using this custom geocoding pack be sure to save the workbook as a packaged workbook (TWBX) or go to File -> Export Packaged Workbook… in the main menu.

Coming Soon

I think anybody should be able to create their own custom filled maps. Alteryx makes it really easy to do just that, keep watching the blog for an upcoming post on how it’s done.

Craig Bloodworth

York, UK

60 thoughts on “UK Filled Map Geocoding Pack for Tableau”

  1. Hi Craig

    Thanks so much for putting the time into developing this. I can see my Tableau mapping life being revolutionised! No more work-arounds to plot boundaries and points on the same map and blending issues with may data and boundary files. Is it possible to add tds files to this ‘Local Data’ folder? I see that it’s not just a copy of the boundary files.

    I’ve just downloaded the Alteryx trial so looking forward to your next post!

    Best wishes
    Juliette

    Reply

  3. Hi Craig

    This is superb and just what I need as I’m doing a masters project on election based tweets. I’ve just tried uploading my workbook to Tableau public however and the maps aren’t working. Do you know if there’s a way I can get them to work on Tableau public?

    Thanks
    Chris

    Reply

  4. That’s great, thanks a lot Craig.
    I used to work with your UK Boundary Poligon Data for “Counties, Unitary Authorities, and Local Authority Districts” mapping, is there a way to get this level of granularity with the geo-coding you posted above?
    Thanks again for sharing this!

    Reply

  5. Hi this looks great.
    However, I’m having difficulty with the zip file, once I download it the computer is saying its an invalid zip file. Is this just me?

    Tommy

    Reply

      1. Hi Chris,

        Thanks for checking the link.

        I just tried the download again and get the same issue. Using both IE and chrome fkr the download gets a file that’s about 7mb but windows won’t open it.

        If I try and download on an android device then the download won’t complete, it just reports a failure.

        Reply

        1. Finally got the download working. It was an issue caused by the corporate firewall preventing the download and also a Chromebook refusing the download too.

          Unfortunately after all that tableu refuses to play ball with the new fjles as tneh are from a newei version of the software than I have. 🙁

          Reply
  6. Pingback: How to map geographies in Tableau that are not built in to the product (e.g. UK postcodes, sales areas) | Dabbling with Data

  8. Hi,
    We are still on version 8 of Tableau and my colleague has had issues with the download file, is it possible to get a compatible file?
    Many Thanks

    Reply

  9. Hi Craig,

    First of all, thank you for working out and presenting this solution – it is definitely very valuable for UK-focused users of Tableau.

    I was wondering if you have any suggestions for users that are having issues with assigning the custom geographic roles. I have downloaded the custom geodata and copied the “Local Data”-folder into My Tableau Repository. I then proceed to opening Tableau and connecting to my dataset (which contains data for UK postcodes), but when I try to assign geographic roles to the dimensions the only available ones are still the “standardised” roles, not the GB-specific ones. If you have any advice on what the problem could be, I would be very grateful!

    Thanks in advance,

    Snorre

    Reply

    1. I have the same issue..not able to see the custom geographic roles after restarting the Tableau.
      How is this issue resolved ??

      Reply

    2. Hi Snorre.

      On that same issue these guidelines worked for me:

      Ensure that the Tableau Repository is on the local computer:
      Right-click the My Tableau Repository folder on the network drive and select Copy.
      Navigate to a folder on the computer running Tableau Desktop.
      Right-click an empty space in the folder and select Paste.
      Open Tableau Desktop and navigate to File > Repository Location.
      Select the new repository folder and click OK.
      Close and reopen Tableau Desktop.
      Note: To verify the location of the My Tableau Repository folder, navigate to File > Repository Location… in Tableau Desktop.

      Hope this helps
      Lars

      Reply

  11. This is brilliant! It would be great to see UK regions in here though to replace your previous posts on Polygon mapping of UK Regions. I really do not understand why Tableau have not expanded their mapping of local regions to support more countries other the US.

    Reply

  12. Cracking stuff,
    exactly what I needed at a time when I was becoming demented by my failed attempts to fill out a UK postcode district map.
    Thanks!!!

    Reply

  13. This is brilliant Craig, and I’ve found the CCG and Borough/District breakdowns especially helpful. Thanks.

    The holy grail for me though is to be able to map my data at ward level. I see you produced this (http://tableaumapping.bi/2013/11/25/uk-wards/) as a TDE, but I’m struggling to make it work with my data, as I cant give wards a geographic role.

    I’m sure there’s a way to get it right, and using long and lat from an excel sheet I came close, but unfortunelty no cigar. Did you have any plans to include ward geocoding as part of the above pack?

    Reply

  14. Hello, I’m trying to map English regions but couldn’t find the .tds file for that. Also version 9.0 doesn’t identify the region codes.

    Reply

  15. Hi,

    i’ve done the above, but Tableau 9.2 isn’t picking up the local data sources as am option for the geographic role. is there something i’m missing?

    Reply

  16. Hi Craig has there been any progress with 9.2 issues, am excited to use this but can’t see the custom geo roles?

    Reply

  18. I’m also having problems getting the Geographic Roles to show in Tableau 9. As others have reported its just showing the default ones. Any update?

    Reply

  19. Is working fine for me on the latest version of Tableau, the problem comes when on Tableau server, if I create a Filter action from another worksheet that targets the map it becomes really slow, 2 minutes to load. Any thought son this?

    Luis

    Reply

  20. Hi Craig,

    the postcode areas for the UK are wonderful, working perfectly for me.

    Is there a version for the British Isles, i.e. including Ireland?

    Many thanks,

    Ben

    Reply

  22. Great video.

    Is it possibly for the mapping to cover Northern Ireland as well?

    Plus can I download a geographical role for UK postcodes, since within the data supplied there isn’t one despite having postcode area, district and sector

    Thanks

    Reply

  25. Hi Craig,

    the download link seems to have been disabled, would you be able to enable this please?

    Many thanks,

    Jessica

    Reply

  26. Hi Craig
    I’m new to tableau and trying to create my own work areas and it looks like that your pack could help immensely but I’m having problems downloading the pack, a new page opens to the Information Lab share page with an ‘Unspecified share exception’ message.
    Are there any other locations or am I missing something?

    Reply

  27. Hi Craig – is this still available? I don’t seem to be able to access the file?

    Thank you so much for putting in the time to develop this – it is an exceptional tool!

    Kind Regards,

    Tommy

    Reply

  28. Hi Craig,

    Many thanks for this file. I just wanted to know if there is any way to check the CCG list that is included in this file, as i am facing some difficulties in matching my dataset.

    Best,
    Akshaye

    Reply

  29. Hi Criag,

    This is phenomenal, I’m new to Tableau, so would never had been able to do it myself. Is there a way to incorporate the Belfast postal codes into this?

    Thank you,

    Jamie

    Reply

  31. I have Tableau Public 10.1 downloaded on my home PC and when I add data with UK geographies (e.g. LSOA, MSOA, CCG) I can simply select them from the ‘Geographic role’ option. I have just had the same software installed on my work PC and the only options available are US geographies (e.g. Congressional district U.S). Is there a way to tell Tableau to show the UK list?

    Reply

  32. Thanks to everyone who has left a comment on this blog post over the last 18 months. Since Tableau have announced Spatial file connectivity support in v10.2, we will no longer be updating/maintaining this Geocoding pack for custom UK regions.

    Keep a look out for a new blog post describing how to use spatial files in Tableau soon! (trust me, it’s so much easier!!!)

    Reply

  33. HI this is great, and I understand it will be obselete with v10.2… but is there anyway of adding postcode unit detail to this as well?

    Reply

  34. Hi Craig. This is fantastic

    You say
    “While the ‘Local Data’ folder is in your Tableau Repository you will no longer have access to the default Tableau geocoding data. To restore back to default simply move the ‘Local Data’ folder out of your repository,rename it or delete it. Then restart Tableau Desktop.”

    So this means one cannot use any custom mapping AND the Tableau default in a single file? This seems somewhat limiting. Could Tableau really not use more than one geocoding.fdb?

    Reply
  35. Pingback: Tableau – shreedhar

  36. Hi Craig,
    This is great. However, I’m having to filter out a whole bunch of postcode districts as some of the polygons don’t seem to work and I’m left looking at a blue screen.
    It doesn’t seem to like AB34, CF10, CF48, CR0, CV23, DD10….the list goes on.
    Any thoughts as to why?
    Regards
    Bobby

    Reply

  37. This is great and I’ve been using it for a number of years however; these now break if using in Tableau 2018.x +. Looks like the country is bleeding 🙁

    Any chance of these being updated?

    Reply

    1. Hi Nick,

      Could you switch to using TableauMapping.bi instead as it has better compatibility with different versions of Tableau.

      Craig

      Reply

  38. Hi, have these been updated at all as a few areas are missing when I plot this against latest local authorities? Thanks

    Reply

  39. Hi Craig,
    Really useful info.

    Unfortunately the download link doesn’t seem to work at the moment – it directs to a ‘File not found’ message.

    Hoping this can be fixed so I can make use of your Geocoding Pack.

    Thanks,
    Joe

    Reply

  40. Hi Craig,

    The file seems to be expired or deleted. Would you mind if I ask for an updated link if it is convenient to you?

    Thank you so much for creating such helpful resource!

    Arya

    Reply

  41. Just about to install & use this again but it’s reminded me how useful this was in a previous role. Many thanks for putting this together!

    Reply

  44. Hey – unfortunately the download link seems no longer to work? Is this stored some place else now? Thanks

    Reply

  45. Hi Craig:

    I tried clicking the link and it says that it is no longer available. Is there any chance you can update the link please 🙂 Thanks so much for sharing your hard efforts with the world!

    Cheers!

    Reply

  46. I could not find the Geocoding pack for tableau file in the above link. Can you help to download the link please. I’m currently working on a project where I really need UK geo maps. Couldn’t be able to finish without the file. Please do help me.
    Thank you.

    Reply

  47. Hello Craig, your solution looks exactly what I’m looking for, but the file is unavailable. Is it still working?

    Thanks,
    Maria

    Reply

  48. Hi Guys, The link seems not be working anymore. I need the custom geocode for UK.
    Can kindly help me and share a new link with me so that I can download the custom file..

    Thanks in Advance

    Reply

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