Do you have an object in your Tableau dashboard that should be expanding and contracting but isn't?

There are a number of reasons you might set up an object to expand and contract. Maybe it's a detailed sheet that should only display when the user makes a selection from the summary sheet at the top of the dashboard. Maybe it's a parameterized worksheet swap. Maybe you've set up a simple show/hide button for your user.

Regardless, when an object is in a layout container and isn't expanding and contracting as desired, it's frustrating!

Over the years, I've had an up and down relationship with layout containers in Tableau dashboard. I remember they saved me on my first big project when I needed to design a worksheet with a dynamic height.

However, then I eventually soured on them. I found them cumbersome and I didn't like how they would show up automatically and force me to lay items out in a particular order.

Over time, I've come back around and have a healthy respect for containers. In fact, I use them in the majority of dashboards I build now. Here are a few key ways I use containers: