How to build a monthly revenue analysis report in Tableau using calculated fields

So you want to build a monthly revenue analysis report in Tableau, but you don't want a vague dashboard that just looks pretty. You want real numbers, real insights, and a way to actually see what’s going on with your revenue each month. Maybe your boss asked, maybe you’re just sick of exporting spreadsheets. Either way, you’re in the right place.

This guide is for folks who have some data to work with—maybe you’re in sales ops, finance, or any team trying to get a grip on revenue trends. I’ll walk you through the nuts and bolts, from connecting your data to using calculated fields that actually tell you something useful. No jargon, no hype, and no hand-waving.

Let’s get into it.

1. Get Your Data Ready

Let’s not overthink this—if your data’s a mess, your report will be too.

What you need:
- A table (Excel, CSV, database, etc.) with at least: - A date field (when the revenue was recognized or invoiced) - A revenue amount field (the money) - Optional: customer name, product, or region if you want to break things down later

Pro tips: - Dates should be real dates, not text like “Jan-2024.” If they are, fix them first. - If you have multiple currencies or negative values (refunds), know what you want to include. - Don’t worry about having “perfect” data. Good enough is good enough to start.

2. Connect to Tableau

Open up Tableau. If you’re new, use Tableau Desktop or Tableau Public. The steps are pretty much the same.

  • Click Connect and pick your data source (Excel, CSV, SQL, etc.).
  • Check that Tableau reads your date and revenue fields correctly (dates as dates, numbers as numbers).
  • Drag your table into the canvas, and hit “Update Now” if using Tableau Public.

Ignore:
- Fancy data modeling or data blending tricks for now. You just need a single table to get started.

3. Build Your Base View

Let’s get a simple table or chart showing monthly revenue.

  1. Drag your date field to Columns.
    Tableau might default to “Year.” Click the dropdown on the pill, and pick “Month” (as a continuous or discrete field—doesn’t matter much at this stage).

  2. Drag revenue to Rows.
    Now you’ve got a line chart or bar chart showing revenue by month.

  3. Check the math.
    Hover over a few months—do the totals look right? If not, double-check your data source.

What works:
- Simple line/bar charts. They’re boring, but everyone gets them. - Just showing revenue by month is enough for a first pass.

What doesn’t:
- Pie charts. Ever. For monthly trends, they’re useless. - Overloading with filters and breakdowns before you have the basics nailed.

4. Create Calculated Fields for Deeper Analysis

Here’s where Tableau starts to earn its keep. Calculated fields let you create new insights from your data, right inside Tableau.

a. Month-over-Month (MoM) Growth

This shows how much revenue changed compared to the previous month.

How to set it up:

  1. Right-click in the Data pane, choose Create Calculated Field.
  2. Name it “MoM Revenue Growth (%)”.

  3. Paste this formula:

    tableau (SUM([Revenue]) - LOOKUP(SUM([Revenue]), -1)) / ABS(LOOKUP(SUM([Revenue]), -1))

  4. This gives you the percent change from last month.

  5. If you want just the difference (not percent), drop the division part.

  6. Drag this calculated field onto your view (Rows or Tooltip).

What to ignore:
- Tableau’s built-in “Quick Table Calculation > Percent Difference” is tempting, but it can be confusing to customize or reuse later. Calculated fields are more flexible.

b. Year-to-Date (YTD) Revenue

Shows cumulative revenue from the start of the year to each month.

How to do it:

  1. Create a new calculated field called “YTD Revenue.”

  2. Use this formula:

    tableau RUNNING_SUM(SUM([Revenue]))

  3. Make sure your date field is set to “Month” and your view is sorted chronologically.

  4. Add this to your chart for a running total line, or as a label.

Tip:
- If you want to reset YTD at every January, you’ll need to structure your view so “Year” is also in Columns or Rows.

c. Revenue Target vs Actual

If you have targets, you can add them for context.

  1. Add a “Target” field to your data, or create a constant calculated field (if it’s the same each month).

  2. Create a calculated field for “Difference from Target”:

    tableau SUM([Revenue]) - SUM([Target])

  3. Drop this into your chart or tooltip to see which months you missed or beat your goal.

Reality check:
- Targets are only useful if your team actually tracks against them. If your targets are made up, skip this step.

d. Cumulative Revenue by Customer/Product

If you want to see who’s driving your revenue:

  1. Add “Customer” or “Product” to Rows.
  2. Use “YTD Revenue” or “SUM([Revenue])” to see running totals by customer/product.

Don’t:
- Try to slice and dice too much at once. Start simple, and filter later if you need.

5. Clean Up Your Report

This is where most people overdo it. Keep it simple.

  • Titles: Use clear, human titles. “Monthly Revenue Trend” beats “Sheet 1.”
  • Labels: Add value labels if your audience likes numbers. Otherwise, tooltips do the trick.
  • Colors: Use color sparingly. Red for negative, green for positive, blue for everything else.
  • Filters: Only add filters (like year or region) if people will actually use them.
  • Tooltips: Customize tooltips to make them useful—show MoM change, not just the month name.

What to ignore:
- Fancy backgrounds, logos, or “interactive” stuff nobody uses. - Overly complex dashboards with too many charts. One or two well-made charts beat a cluttered mess every time.

6. Share or Automate

Once you’re happy with your report:

  • Export as PDF or image for a quick share.
  • Publish to Tableau Server or Tableau Public if your team needs live access.
  • Automate refreshes only if your data updates regularly. Otherwise, just refresh manually.

Reality check:
- Automation is great, but only if someone is actually looking at the report. Don’t spend hours automating something that nobody reads.

7. Troubleshooting & Real-World Tips

  • Your numbers don’t match finance: Double-check filters and date groupings. Finance teams often use different definitions for “month” (posting date vs invoice date).
  • Blank or weird values: Look for missing or malformed dates, or months with no sales.
  • Slow dashboards: Too many calculated fields or too much data? Try aggregating the data before it hits Tableau.
  • Stakeholders want more: Add breakdowns gradually. Don’t try to answer every question in one report.

8. Keep It Simple—Iterate as You Go

Most so-called “advanced” Tableau reports get ignored because they’re too complicated. Start with a clear monthly revenue trend, add one or two calculated fields, and only build more if people actually use it. Check with your audience, fix what’s confusing, and keep iterating.

If you get stuck, look for answers in Tableau’s own forums, or just try something and see if it works. Don’t wait for perfect data or perfect charts—get something out there and improve it over time.

That’s it. You’ve got the steps, the caveats, and a couple of tricks that actually work. Keep it simple, stay skeptical of dashboards that try to do too much, and remember: your goal is to make revenue easier to understand, not harder.