SharePoint Online list connection issue with Tableau desktop app

 About

Tableau desktop application is being used most popularly in various organizations for data analysis or reporting purposes. It allows connection between SharePoint Online list to get the data and display. This article will cover connection issue between SharePoint Online list and Tableau Desktop application. 

"An error occurred while refreshing tasks." 

"You must either set an auth cookies or specify a username and password to connect to SharePoint Online. Unable to cerate extract"
OR
"Unrecognized response when getting SharePoint online security cookies, please check your credentials."

If you connect Tableau desktop app with SharePoint online list and able to create extract, publish to tableau server and finally save the extract. No issue reported. But once you reopen the saved extract file and try to refresh the connection it gives you connection issue with below error message.

"You must either set an auth cookies or specify a username and password to connect to SharePoint Online. Unable to cerate extract"

Troubleshooting:

• Make sure your are using correct version of drivers both on client side and server side. You can find latest driver information from Tableau site. click here
• You can use Fiddler or WireShark apps to capture and compare the traffic data while connecting to SPO list when it was first working and then when it is not working. 
• You can try to login to Tableau client desktop app and as well as web app in non-cached environment (using browser in private mode) and to see if issue is limited to desktop app or web app also have same trouble.
• Try using same account email address to login to SharePoint online list directly to see if you can connect without Tableau app 
• Resolution: If you are using Tableau version 2019.4 (or below) desktop client app, then you can consider upgrading it to higher version as this has been seen that if you try to open already saved Tableau extract file it will not allow you to re-enter the credentials and give above error messages. In higher version like 2019.4.3 (or latest) desktop client you can see new popup feature to re-enter the credentials and connect to SharePoint Online list again.

Reference:

You can visit below articles to know How to connect to Tableau with SharePoint Online list

https://help.tableau.com/current/pro/desktop/en-us/examples_sharepoint_lists.htm

https://www.tableau.com/support/drivers?_fsi=IXoDeruy&_ga=2.65582054.973423501.1589759769-1324713014.1589759769&_fsi=IXoDeruy