Labeling Overlapping Marks With One Label

Published: 25 Jul 2018
Last Modified Date: 20 Sep 2023

Question

How to add one label for a group of overlapping or stacked marks.

For example, labeling points on a map with the same zip code with a list of all customer names. Or labeling points on a scatter plot with the same measure values with the total number of points in the stack.

Environment

Tableau Desktop

Answer

Option 1: Creating a text list

For directions on creating a concatenated text/string list see Display dimension members as a list rather than as individuals rows or marks

Option 2: Create a numeric label of a total value

In this scenario, each point is defined as a [Customer Name], but many customers are in each [Sales (bin)] and [Profit (bin)]. This means that the marks for these customers will overlap on the scatter plot.

Select Analysis > Create Calculated Field.
In the Calculated Field dialog box that opens, do the following, and then click OK:
1. Name the calculated field. In this example, the calculated field is named "Total Customers per Sales and Profit Bin"
2. In the formula field, create a calculation similar to the following: { FIXED [Sales (bin)], [Profit (bin)] : SUM([Number of Records]) }
3. Note: The fields [Sales (bin)] and [Profit (bin)] should be replaced with the measures used to define the coordinates of each point on the scatter plot. The field [Number of Records] can be replaced with any measure to return a total of that measure.
Drag [Total Customers per Sales and Profit Bin] to Label on the Marks card.
(Optional) Click on Label on the Marks card, and in the dropdown do the following:
1. Check Allow labels to overlap other marks
2. Open the Alignment dropdown
3. Under Vertical, select the Middle icon