---
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title: Connect to and Prepare Data
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locale: en-gb
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description: Connect to data and set up the data source before beginning analysis in Tableau.
---
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# Connect to and Prepare Data

Before you begin your analysis, you must connect to your data and then set up the data source. There are many optional configurations that you can make on the Data Source page that Tableau uses to interpret and interact with your data.

The topics in this section describe how to connect to your data and use these configurations in order to optimise your data source for analysis.

## Other articles in this section