# Tableau Agent conversational analytics and calibration

*Tableau Next Consultant Study Guide · Agentic Experiences · Last updated November 13, 2026 · https://www.certifyforce.com/study-guide/tableau-next-consultant/agentic-experiences/tableau-agent-conversational-analytics-and-calibration*

How the Analytics Agent (Tableau Agent with the Data Analysis subagent) answers questions through semantic queries, which models it searches, what context and question types it supports, and how Q&A Calibration (Beta) and Business Preferences tune its answers.

- Certification: Salesforce Tableau Next Consultant
- Exam section: Agentic Experiences
- Study guide: https://www.certifyforce.com/study-guide/tableau-next-consultant

**Official exam objective:**

> Understand how the Analytics Agent enables users to explore data and generate insights.

## What the exam expects

- Explain how the Analytics Agent answers a question with a semantic query against the model behind a metric or dashboard.
- Configure Agent Scoping and predict which semantic models the agent searches with and without page context.
- Match a request to supported question types, surfaces and context, and spot unsupported types and PDS function limits.
- Use exact-match quoting, Sources, metadata questions, follow-up chart changes and the Slack thread workflow.
- Run Q&A Calibration (Beta) and write Business Preferences that respect their precedence, scope and format rules.

Key terms:
- **Tableau Agent:** Help's current name for Agentforce for Analytics; with the Data Analysis subagent it provides conversational analytics (formerly Concierge: Analytics Q&A), which the exam guide calls the Analytics Agent.
- **Fallback list:** the admin-approved semantic models an agent searches when a question has no clear context.
- **Verified question:** a calibrated question and answer saved with its semantic model.
- **Business Preference:** free-text guidance in a semantic model that tells Analytics Q&A how the business uses its data.

## Key facts

| Fact | Detail | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Query path | Semantic query against the associated metric or dashboard's model | [About Conversational Analytics](https://help.salesforce.com/s/articleView?id=analytics.tua_metric_questions.htm&type=5&language=en_US) |
| Fallback list editors | Tableau Unmetered Admin or Tableau Next Admin; analysts view only | [Agent Scoping](https://help.salesforce.com/s/articleView?id=analytics.tua_admin_enable_agent_scoping.htm&type=5&language=en_US) |
| Context available | Agent uses dashboard or metric models instead of the fallback list | [Agent Scoping](https://help.salesforce.com/s/articleView?id=analytics.tua_admin_enable_agent_scoping.htm&type=5&language=en_US) |
| Response provenance | Sources shows analysis details, data sources and metrics | [Ask Questions](https://help.salesforce.com/s/articleView?id=analytics.tua_metric_analytics_qa.htm&type=5&language=en_US) |
| Slack thread answers | Preview first; Share in Thread reveals it | [Slack Q&A](https://help.salesforce.com/s/articleView?id=analytics.tua_metric_analytics_qa_slack.htm&type=5&language=en_US) |
| Quoted value | Exact, case-insensitive match | [Supported Questions and Surfaces](https://help.salesforce.com/s/articleView?id=analytics.tua_metric_analytics_qa_surfaces_questions.htm&type=5&language=en_US) |
| Unsupported question types | Hypothesis testing, root cause, window functions except Period over Period | [Limitations](https://help.salesforce.com/s/articleView?id=analytics.tua_metric_analytics_qa_limitations.htm&type=5&language=en_US) |
| Verified question limit | 100 per semantic model | [Q&A Calibration (Beta)](https://help.salesforce.com/s/articleView?id=analytics.tua_data_sdm_qa_calibration.htm&type=5&language=en_US) |
| Business Preference size | Up to 50 instructions, 300 characters each | [Business Preferences](https://help.salesforce.com/s/articleView?id=analytics.c360_a_sl_biz_preferences_bestp.htm&type=5&language=en_US) |
| Supported hierarchy types | Role and manager hierarchies | [Organizational Hierarchies (Beta)](https://help.salesforce.com/s/articleView?id=analytics.c360_a_sl_org_hierarchy_overview.htm&type=5&language=en_US) |

## Check yourself

- What does the agent do when a quoted exact-match search returns nothing?
- Why can adding many Business Preferences slow the agent?
- When Agentforce isn't enabled, what does the metric details page offer instead?
- Which hierarchy filter does Tableau Next currently offer for organizational hierarchies?

## Sources

- [About Conversational Analytics in Tableau Agent](https://help.salesforce.com/s/articleView?id=analytics.tua_metric_questions.htm&type=5&language=en_US)
- [Set Up Agent Scoping for Tableau Agent in Tableau Next](https://help.salesforce.com/s/articleView?id=analytics.tua_admin_enable_agent_scoping.htm&type=5&language=en_US)
- [Ask Questions with Tableau Agent in Tableau Next](https://help.salesforce.com/s/articleView?id=analytics.tua_metric_analytics_qa.htm&type=5&language=en_US)
- [Supported Questions and Surfaces for Tableau Agent with Data Analysis](https://help.salesforce.com/s/articleView?id=analytics.tua_metric_analytics_qa_surfaces_questions.htm&type=5&language=en_US)
- [Limitations for Conversational Analytics in Tableau Agent](https://help.salesforce.com/s/articleView?id=analytics.tua_metric_analytics_qa_limitations.htm&type=5&language=en_US)
- [Ask Questions About Shared Metrics and Dashboards in Slack Using Tableau Agent](https://help.salesforce.com/s/articleView?id=analytics.tua_metric_analytics_qa_slack.htm&type=5&language=en_US)
- [Organizational Hierarchies in Tableau Semantics (Beta)](https://help.salesforce.com/s/articleView?id=analytics.c360_a_sl_org_hierarchy_overview.htm&type=5&language=en_US)
- [Use Q&A Calibration to Improve Accuracy in Tableau Agent (Beta)](https://help.salesforce.com/s/articleView?id=analytics.tua_data_sdm_qa_calibration.htm&type=5&language=en_US)
- [Best Practices for Adding Business Preferences](https://help.salesforce.com/s/articleView?id=analytics.c360_a_sl_biz_preferences_bestp.htm&type=5&language=en_US)

## About the full unit

The "Core concepts", "Exam traps" and "Worked scenario" sections of this unit, its 19 linked practice questions, and unlimited timed mock exams are included with the Tableau Next Consultant pack (USD $19): https://www.certifyforce.com/practice-exams