Known Issue
Date filter configuration is not able to exclude null values when executed through the filter simulation method, leading to mismatched results compared to the dashboard behavior.
Summary
When using Tableau’s method to simulate dashboard filter configuration, the filter does not apply the “Exclude Null Values” setting. The dashboard behaves correctly when used manually, but the simulated filter includes null dates, causing a discrepancy. This is due to a limitation in the Tableau-provided method, which does not support the “Exclude Null Values” option.
Symptoms
- Manual use of the dashboard shows correct behavior: null dates are excluded.
- When the filter configuration is simulated, null dates are included.
- If the dashboard filter is manually changed to allow all dates (including nulls), the results match what is seen in the simulated run—but this is incorrect for the intended behavior.
Root Cause
The Tableau method used to simulate the dashboard’s filter configuration does not support the “Exclude Null Values” option. Because this capability is missing, null dates are always included during execution, regardless of how the dashboard filter is configured.
Impact
- The simulated filter does not match the dashboard’s logic, leading to inconsistent results.
- Null dates are unintentionally included.
- Anyone comparing dashboard results to the simulated results may see data misalignment or incorrect record counts.
Workarounds
Add an explicit “not null” filter directly in the workbook
A reliable workaround is to enforce null exclusion at the workbook level:
- Add a filter directly on the date field with the condition: Date IS NOT NULL.
- Configure this filter using Wiiisdom for Tableau Desktop so it is consistently applied.
This ensures null dates are excluded regardless of the limitations in the filter simulation method.