Tableau OData Connector

The ClickTime OData Source lets you connect Tableau Desktop or Tableau Cloud directly to the ClickTime OData v4 API facade. This connection links your labor cost data straight into your BI environment—no custom integration development required. This guide walks through prerequisites, authentication, the ClickTime objects available, and the step-by-step connection process.

Prerequisites

Before beginning the connection process, ensure you have the following:

• Active ClickTime Account — A valid login for the ClickTime platform.
• ClickTime API Token — A valid ClickTime API v2 token is required for authentication.
• Tableau Software — An installed version of Tableau Desktop or access to a Tableau Cloud site.
• OData Service URL — The ClickTime OData server URL.

Authentication Security

The OData connector maintains security through API token passthrough authentication. When connecting, your ClickTime API token is passed in the Authorization header so that data access remains consistent with your ClickTime permissions.

ClickTime Objects Available

The following standard OData entities are available for reporting and analysis:

Step-by-Step Connection Process

Follow these steps to establish the connection:

1. Open Tableau — Launch Tableau Desktop or log in to your Tableau Cloud environment.
2. Select Connector — In the Connect pane, select OData from the list of available server connectors.
   
3. Enter Server Details:
   • Server — Input the ClickTime OData service URL.
   • Authentication — Select the option for Username and Password (note: use your API token as the password).
4. Enter Credentials:
   • Enter clicktime into the Username field.
   • Paste your ClickTime API Token into the Password field.
5. Sign In — Click Sign In to establish the connection and retrieve the metadata.
   
6. Select Data — Drag the desired entity set (e.g., TimeEntries) into the canvas to begin building your data model.

Important Technical Notes

• Filtering — For optimal performance, filters are recommended, especially for large datasets like Time Entries. The connector supports standard OData query operations, including $filter, $select, and $orderby.
• Custom Fields — Custom fields are currently returned as a single JSON blob (CustomFields) or a stringified version (CustomFieldsStr) for easier parsing within Tableau calculated fields.