Skip to main content

Connecting Tableau to an Element451 Export (Web Data Connector)

How to generate a secure connector URL for an export, connect it to Tableau, and replace or turn off the key when you need to.

K
Written by Kelly Milnes

Overview

The Web Data Connector lets Tableau pull data straight from an Element451 export. Instead of downloading a file and uploading it to Tableau, you paste a connector URL into Tableau and it reads the export's data directly.

Each export has its own connector key. The key only works for that one export, and an admin can replace it or turn it off at any time. This keeps your data protected: a connector URL can't be used to read any other export.

📌 Note: The Web Data Connector is deprecated. Use Web Data Export instead.

Below, we will cover:

  • How connector keys work

  • Getting your connector URL

  • Connecting the URL in Tableau

  • Rotating or revoking a key

  • Updating older connector URLs (action needed by November 16, 2026)

  • Troubleshooting

How Connector Keys Work

A connector key is a secret code built into your connector URL. Tableau sends it to Element451 each time it reads your export, which proves the request is allowed.

Here's what to know before you start:

  • One key per export. A key only works for the export it was created on.

  • Shown once. The full connector URL appears one time, right after you generate the key. Element451 doesn't store a copy you can view later.

  • You stay in control. An admin can rotate (replace) or revoke (turn off) a key at any time. Either action takes effect immediately.

Your connector URL looks like this:

https://api.element451.com/v2/importExport/tasks/{export-id}/wdc?connector_key={your-key}

🚨 Important: Treat the connector URL like a password. Anyone with the full URL can read that export's data. Don't share it in email, chat, or shared documents.

Getting Your Connector URL

Before you start, make sure you have an export set up with Web Data Connector as its destination. If you need help building the export itself, see Creating Exports.

  1. Navigate to your export and open it. (Export Management covers how to find and edit exports.)

  2. Go to the Destination tab.

  3. Click Generate key.

  4. Copy the full connector URL right away and store it somewhere secure.

🚨 Important: The full URL is only shown once. If you close the page before copying it, generate a new key.

📌 Note: The export must be in Ready status for Tableau to pull data. If the export is set to Draft, the connector URL won't return data.

Connecting the URL in Tableau

  1. Open Tableau and start a new data connection.

  2. Choose Web Data Connector.

  3. Paste your connector URL and connect.

Tableau now reads data from your export. When Tableau refreshes the data source, it pulls the latest data from the export.

💡 Use Case: An enrollment team builds a weekly Tableau dashboard of application status by program. They set up an export of application data, generate a connector key, and paste the URL into Tableau once. From then on, the dashboard refreshes from Element451 without anyone downloading or re-uploading a file.

Rotating or Revoking a Key

You can replace or turn off a key from the export's Destination tab.

Action

What it does

When to use it

Rotate

Creates a new key and URL. The old URL stops working immediately.

A URL may have been shared too widely, someone with access left your team, or you lost the URL.

Revoke

Turns the key off. The URL stops working immediately.

You no longer use this Tableau connection.

🚨 Important: After you rotate a key, update the URL in every Tableau workbook that uses this export. Workbooks still using the old URL will fail to refresh.

✨ Pro Tip: Rotate keys when staff with access to your Tableau workbooks change roles or leave your institution. It takes a minute and cuts off any copies of the old URL.

Updating Older Connector URLs

Before connector keys, Tableau connections used an older type of URL that contains feature=. These older URLs will stop working on November 16, 2026.

To check whether you're affected, look at the connector URL saved in your Tableau workbook. If it contains feature=, update it:

  1. Follow the steps in Getting Your Connector URL above to generate a key for the export.

  2. In Tableau, open the workbook's data source and replace the old URL with the new connector URL.

  3. Refresh the data source to confirm it connects.

🧠 Good to Know: If your Tableau workbook already uses a URL with connector_key=, you don't need to do anything.

Troubleshooting

My Tableau connection suddenly stopped working.

  • The key was rotated or revoked. Check the export's Destination tab. If the key was rotated, get the new URL from whoever rotated it, or rotate the key again and update Tableau with the new URL.

  • The URL contains feature=. Older URLs stop working on November 16, 2026. Generate a key and update the URL.

  • The export is in Draft status. Set the export back to Ready.

I lost my connector URL.

The full URL can't be shown again. Rotate the key to get a new URL, then update it in Tableau.

I don't see the option to generate a key.

Confirm the export's destination is set to Web Data Connector, and that you have admin access to the export. If you still don't see it, contact Element451 Support.

Related Articles
Did this answer your question?