The Latch extension turns any Tableau parameter into a beautiful and usable control that fits your design: a toggle switch, a checkbox, a segmented control, a row of buttons, a drop-down, a slider, a stepper or an input box. And all in your colors, your size, with your labels.
Users change it on the dashboard, and every worksheet that uses that parameter reacts at once.
Why an extension for such a small thing?
Many dashboards need an on/off switch somewhere on it – a “show forecast” toggle, a “compare to last year,” a “dark mode”, or just a “show filters” button.
Tableau parameters can do this perfectly – but they don’t really look like a switch. You get a drop-down, or a pair of radio buttons that look like Windows 3.1.
So we fake it with shape files or image roles.
Latch can make them both beautiful and easy to use.
Put the extension on your dashboard, point it at a parameter, pick the control-style you need – a switch, checkbox, segmented, buttons or one of the others – and it both looks better and is more usable.
You can finetune the control like using your own colors, fonts, sizing and more – and even add some animation. They function just like a usual Tableau parameter control.
Demo
Test a part of the functionality yourself – parameter, style, values:
Eight controls, any parameter
- Switch – the on/off toggle, in twelve designs.
- Checkbox – a clear form control.
- Segmented – labeled halves, for a clear choice of dimensions.
- Buttons – a row of separate buttons.
- Dropdown – for a longer list
- Slider – for a number, a date range, or to slide through a list.
- Stepper – minus and plus buttons, for “Top N” and other numbers.
- Input box – type a number, a date (with a calendar) or free text, with an optional icon.
It works with every kind of parameter: true/false, a list of values, a number or date range, or free text input. Within the configuration, Latch only offers the controls that fit the parameter you pick, and shows values the way the parameter formats them live.
Adding it to a dashboard
- Download
latch.trexwith the button below. - Drag an Extension object onto the dashboard and choose Access Local Extensions.
- Open the
.trexfile, then click Configure. - Pick the parameter, a style and the look. Done. Use multiple extensions for multiple parameters.
Free – with a support license if you want one
Latch is free, with every feature and no badge.
Need support, or want to help Latch grow? A support license is EUR 50 per year per organization, with priority answers and a say in what comes next.
(Contact if you need a quote or pay by invoice)
Important to know
- It does not show in exports. Extensions run live in a browser, so the control is blank in PDF exports, dashboard images and subscription e-mails.
- It does not run on Tableau Public, which allows only a small curated set of extensions.
- Tableau Server and Cloud need it allow-listed by an administrator. That takes about a minute, and there are step-by-step instructions you can send them. No need for extra permissions on Desktop.
- It never sees your data. Latch reads only the parameter it controls and needs no “full data” permission. Exactly what it sends, and where, is on the Trust page.
- Can’t or don’t want to load extensions from outside your network? Latch is also available as an on-premise build: the same extension, served from your own web server, with updates. Ask for a quote.
Using Latch and missing a feature? Let me know. Most of what it does now started as a request.