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How to open a .twbx file on a Mac

A .twbx is a Tableau packaged workbook: the workbook plus its data, zipped into one file. On a Mac, open it in your browser with xmetric: dashboards and filters work, it's free, and nothing is installed or uploaded. Prefer Tableau's own app? Tableau Reader (free) opens it too.

Facts checked October 2026 · Open a .twbx in this page

Open your .twbx in this page

Drop a .twbx or .twb. This page lists its dashboards, sheets, data sources and every calculated field with its formula, and lets you save the files packaged inside. It runs in this browser; the file is not uploaded.

No file loaded yet. You can also drop a workbook on this box.

1. Open it in your browser: xmetric

Open xmetric and drop the .twbx on the page. Its dashboards and sheets open in the tab with filters working, on any Mac, with nothing to install. The file is read in your browser, not uploaded.

2. Click through the dashboards: Tableau Reader

Free desktop app for Windows and Mac that opens and interacts with workbooks shared as local files. source Download it from Tableau's Reader page, install it, then double-click the .twbx. Filters and highlights work, but you can't change the workbook.

3. Edit it in Tableau: Tableau Desktop Free Edition

Tableau Desktop Free Edition: full Desktop analytics for one person, stored locally; no publishing, online sharing or sharing packaged workbooks. source Pick this if you need to change a chart or a calculation.

4. List what's inside

Use the box above. It reads the file in your browser and lists the dashboards, the sheets on each one, the data sources, and every calculated field with its formula. CSV and Excel files packaged inside can be saved with one click.

Or unzip it in Finder

A .twbx is a ZIP archive. To see the files yourself:

  1. Duplicate the file (select it, press Command-D).
  2. Rename the copy so it ends in .zip instead of .twbx, and confirm the change.
  3. Double-click the .zip. Archive Utility makes a folder.
  4. Inside: the workbook as a .twb file (XML you can read in any text editor), and a Data folder with the packaged CSV, Excel or .hyper extract files.

CSV and Excel files open in Numbers or Excel. A .hyper extract needs Tableau.

Questions people ask

Why does my Mac say no app can open a .twbx?

No Tableau app is installed. Install Tableau Reader or Tableau Desktop Free Edition, or open the file in this page.

Can Numbers or Excel open a .twbx?

Not directly. Unzip it first (steps above) and open the CSV or Excel files from its Data folder.

What's the difference between .twb and .twbx?

A .twb is the workbook alone, as XML, pointing at data stored elsewhere. A .twbx packages the workbook with copies of its local data files and extracts in one ZIP file.

Drop your .twbx above. Need to view it on Linux or a locked-down laptop? See the Tableau Reader alternative.

Sources, checked 2026-10-18

Prices and features of Tableau on this page were checked against these pages on 2026-10-18. Prices change; the vendor's page is the final word.

xmetric is an independent project, not affiliated with, endorsed by or sponsored by Salesforce, Inc. Tableau is a trademark of Salesforce, Inc. The name is used only to identify the product being compared.