# Recommendations, publishing and data source certification

*Tableau Server Administrator Study Guide · Administration · Last updated November 13, 2026 · https://www.certifyforce.com/study-guide/tableau-server-administrator/administration/recommendations-publishing-and-data-source-certification*

How Tableau Server trains and controls data-source, table and view recommendations, what a published data source contains compared with an embedded one, how to rename, retire and manage published sources, and who can certify data sources, virtual connections and tables.

- Certification: Salesforce Tableau Server Administrator
- Exam section: Administration
- Study guide: https://www.certifyforce.com/study-guide/tableau-server-administrator

**Official exam objective:**

> 3.4 End-user Abilities; 3.5 Understand: 3.5.1 Table recommendations; 3.5.2 Publishing views and data sources; 3.5.3 Renaming a workbook; 3.5.4 Interacting with a view via the Web; 3.5.5 Web authoring & editing; 3.5.6 How to share views; 3.5.7 Data Source Certification; 3.5.8 Extract caching.

## What the exam expects

- Explain how table, data-source and view recommendations are built and kept current, and turn all recommendations or only view recommendations off.
- Choose between publishing a data source separately and embedding it in a workbook, including frozen snapshots versus shared refreshed extracts.
- Rename, caption, retire and manage published data sources without breaking connected workbooks.
- Decide who can certify a data source, a virtual connection or a database table, and where users read a certification's context.
- Renaming workbooks, interacting with views, web authoring, sharing views and extract caching are taught in Renaming workbooks, custom views and web authoring and in Sharing views and extract cache warmup.

Key terms:
- **Recommendations Training Schedule:** the server setting that controls how often Tableau Server checks new content and usage to update recommendations.
- **Published data source:** a standalone data source on the server that many workbooks can connect to.
- **Embedded data source:** data published inside a workbook and usable only by that workbook.
- **Certification:** a curation label, shown as a green badge or check mark, that marks data as trusted.
- **Data Management:** the license needed to certify virtual connections, and with Tableau Catalog, databases and tables.

## Key facts

| Fact | Detail | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Recommendation forms | Data sources and tables in Desktop; views on Server | [Server Settings](https://help.tableau.com/current/server/en-us/maintenance_set.htm) |
| Training inputs | New and updated content plus new usage information | [Server Settings](https://help.tableau.com/current/server/en-us/maintenance_set.htm) |
| Disable all recommendations | `recommendations.enabled` set to false | [Server Settings](https://help.tableau.com/current/server/en-us/maintenance_set.htm) |
| Disable view recommendations only | `recommendations.vizrecs.enabled` set to false | [Server Settings](https://help.tableau.com/current/server/en-us/maintenance_set.htm) |
| Published source contents | Connection info, refinements, access and refresh info; extract optional | [Best Practices for Published Data Sources](https://help.tableau.com/current/pro/desktop/en-us/publish_datasources_about.htm) |
| Embedded data | Usable only inside its workbook | [Best Practices for Published Data Sources](https://help.tableau.com/current/pro/desktop/en-us/publish_datasources_about.htm) |
| Caption vs name | Independent; renaming the source leaves the caption | [Best Practices for Published Data Sources](https://help.tableau.com/current/pro/desktop/en-us/publish_datasources_about.htm) |
| Before deleting a source | Ensure no workbooks connect, or repoint them | [Tableau Server Data Sources](https://help.tableau.com/current/server/en-us/datasource.htm) |
| Virtual connection certification | Data Management license, from Tableau 2022.1 | [Use Certification](https://help.tableau.com/current/server/en-us/datasource_certified.htm) |
| Certification context | Message and certifier show in the badge or tooltip | [Use Certification](https://help.tableau.com/current/server/en-us/datasource_certified.htm) |

## Check yourself

- When does a workbook publish a connection as embedded data instead of referencing a published source?
- Why check Background Tasks for Non Extracts after changing the Recommendations Training Schedule?
- Which access levels allow some or all management tasks on a published data source?
- Besides the More actions menu, how can a published data source be renamed?

## Sources

- [Server Settings (General and Customization)](https://help.tableau.com/current/server/en-us/maintenance_set.htm)
- [What's New in Previous Versions of Tableau Cloud](https://help.tableau.com/current/online/en-us/whatsnew_previous_versions_online.htm)
- [Tableau Server Data Sources](https://help.tableau.com/current/server/en-us/datasource.htm)
- [Best Practices for Published Data Sources](https://help.tableau.com/current/pro/desktop/en-us/publish_datasources_about.htm)
- [Use Certification to Help Users Find Trusted Data](https://help.tableau.com/current/server/en-us/datasource_certified.htm)

## About the full unit

The "Core concepts", "Exam traps" and "Worked scenario" sections of this unit, its 11 linked practice questions, and unlimited timed mock exams are included with the Tableau Server Administrator pack (USD $19): https://www.certifyforce.com/practice-exams