--- schema_version: "1" id: 08bbd80fe4dec3c8319e63e0c6d5dab9930ff6a06c085e5c2a7ec30d14ae9509 title: "Creators: Prepare Data on the Web" collection: tableau version: current locale: en-gb portal_url: https://docs.salesforce.com/tableau/current/en-gb/pro/desktop/creator_data_prep.md canonical_url: https://help.tableau.com/current/pro/desktop/en-gb/creator_data_prep.htm source_site: help.tableau.com content_type: documentation content_hash: 7e8f2e30d168a97f03bb306c46dda214958d68c155120412d8c066ac75442974 description: As a Creator, prepare data on the web using the Data Source page in Tableau Cloud or Server. --- [Skip to main content](#main-content) # Prepare Data on the Web After you connect to data in Tableau Cloud or Tableau Server, you can use the Data Source page to set up your data source and prepare your data for analysis. Having data that is formatted in a way Tableau likes is crucial to building a view or doing analysis in Tableau, and communicating the right information to the right people. This article describes preparing your data in the browser with Tableau Cloud or Tableau Server. Although Tableau supports many of the same functionality for preparing your data for analysis in the browser as Tableau Desktop, for specific differences between the two, see [Web Authoring and Tableau Desktop Feature Comparison](https://help.tableau.com/current/pro/desktop/en-gb/server_desktop_web_edit_differences.htm). **Note on keeping your data fresh**: If you connect to a published **flat file** (Excel or text), that data will not be refreshed even if it’s modified. If your data is in an **on-premises server** and is published to the web through Tableau Desktop, it will be rendered as an extract and won’t be refreshed. If you need to keep data published through Tableau Desktop fresh on the web, you can use Tableau Bridge. To learn more about these requirements, see [Keep Data Fresh](https://help.tableau.com/current/online/en-gb/to_keep_data_fresh.htm) and [Use Bridge to Keep Data Fresh](https://help.tableau.com/current/pro/desktop/en-gb/qs_refresh_local_data.htm) ## Tour the Data Source page ![The data source pane in Tableau Cloud.](/tableau/current/en-gb/pro/desktop/en-gb/Img/online_datasource.png) There are four parts of the data source page:  ### A: Left pane Displays details about your data connection. For example, for Excel-based data, the left pane shows your Excel workbook name, and sheets contained in that workbook. For databases, the left pane displays the server, the database or schema and tables in the database. ### B: C**anvas** When connected to most relational and file-based data, you can drag one or more tables to the canvas area to join tables for analysis. In the canvas, you can also join tables from the same or multiple data sources ### C: Data grid You can use the data grid to review or rename fields, create calculations, preview your changes and more. ### D: Metadata grid Select the metadata grid button to see the fields in your data source as rows. This view is helpful in understanding the structure of your data source. ## Set up data sources After you connect to your data, use the Data Source page to set up the data source and prepare your data for analysis. There are many optional configurations that you can make before you begin your analysis. The configurations that you make on the Data Source page creates the data source that Tableau uses to interpret and interact with your data. [Plan the Data Source](https://help.tableau.com/current/pro/desktop/en-gb/datasource_plan.htm) [Relate Your Data](https://help.tableau.com/current/pro/desktop/en-gb/relate_tables.htm) [Connect to a Custom SQL Query](https://help.tableau.com/current/pro/desktop/en-gb/customsql.htm) [Join Your Data](https://help.tableau.com/current/pro/desktop/en-gb/joining_tables.htm) [Union Your Data](https://help.tableau.com/current/pro/desktop/en-gb/union.htm) [Convert a Field to a Date Field](https://help.tableau.com/current/pro/desktop/en-gb/data_dateparse.htm) [Pivot Data from Columns to Rows](https://help.tableau.com/current/pro/desktop/en-gb/pivot.htm) [Clean Data from Excel, CSV, PDF and Google Sheets with Data Interpreter](https://help.tableau.com/current/pro/desktop/en-gb/data_interpreter.htm) ### Edit and sort fields in the data grid You can make changes to your fields in the data grid. You can rename your fields, group them, create aliases, create calculated fields, change data type and convert to a measure. [Understand Field Type Detection and Naming Improvements](https://help.tableau.com/current/pro/desktop/en-gb/data_clean_adm.htm) [Get Started with Calculations in Tableau](https://help.tableau.com/current/pro/desktop/en-gb/calculations_calculatedfields_create.htm) [Convert a Field to a Date Field](https://help.tableau.com/current/pro/desktop/en-gb/data_dateparse.htm) [Data Types](https://help.tableau.com/current/pro/desktop/en-gb/datafields_typesandroles_datatypes.htm) [Field types: Dimensions and Measures, Blue and Green](https://help.tableau.com/current/pro/desktop/en-gb/datafields_typesandroles.htm) ## Manage data sources [Edit Data Sources](https://help.tableau.com/current/pro/desktop/en-gb/howto_connect.htm) [Refresh Data Sources](https://help.tableau.com/current/pro/desktop/en-gb/refreshing_data.htm) [Replace Data Sources](https://help.tableau.com/current/pro/desktop/en-gb/connect_basic_replace.htm) [Close Data Sources](https://help.tableau.com/current/pro/desktop/en-gb/close_connection.htm) [Save Data Sources](https://help.tableau.com/current/pro/desktop/en-gb/export_connection.htm) [Run Initial SQL](https://help.tableau.com/current/pro/desktop/en-gb/connect_basic_initialsql.htm)