The Art of Clean Canvases: Alteryx Tips from My Data School Journey
When I first started using Alteryx, my main goal was just to get my workflow working, never mind how messy the canvas looked or how long it took to run! But after a few weeks (and a handful of broken workflows), I realised that a few simple habits could save me a lot of time and confusion. Whether you’re just starting out or want to level up your Alteryx skills, here are five best practices that made a huge difference for me, and you can ensure that no one looks at your workflow and goes holy noodles!
Tip 1: Keep your canvas organized
As an art student, I like to think of the Alteryx canvas just like an artist’s canvas. You have a choice, you can channel your inner Leonardo da Vinci, known for his precise, balanced compositions, or go the full Jackson Pollock route, letting tools land wherever inspiration or panic strikes, resulting in a whirlwind of chaos.
I have done both when it comes to building workflows, but I highly recommend being a little more “Leonardo” as it will always pay off in the longer run. To do that use tool containers to group each step of your process such as input, cleaning, transformations, and output. Colour code them for quick visual reference. This way, your workflow is organized and easy on the eyes, both for you and especially for anyone else who might use it. Be conscious that the workflow isn’t only used the first time you built it so the even when you come back a month later it needs to make sense!
Tip: Give your containers clear, descriptive names like “Data Preparation” or “Transformations.”
Tip 2: Comment and annotate your work
You might remember why you used a particular formula or step, but you don’t work in a vacuum. Think of times when you might need another teammate to execute your process or to build on from your workflow. There is a saying by the founder of Python, Guido van Rossum: “Code is read much more often than it is written.” To ensure both future you and colleagues can understand what the heck you thought of at 4PM on a Friday afternoon add comments and annotations to your tools. Especially for complex steps or workarounds.
Tip 3: Filter early and join late
This is a golden rule especially during the dashboard week, when the datasets are truly massive. I’m talking gigantic files that can bog down your workflow and chew up your precious time. When the clock is ticking and the dataset is overwhelming, your best move is to quickly get familiar with your data and start trimming the noise.
My go to strategy? Always use the Filter or Select tool first to cut out the unnecessary rows and columns. Don’t even think about joining tables together until you’ve cut things down! Not only does this make your workflow run faster, but it also makes troubleshooting way easier.
Think of it as doing a quick sketch before committing to a full canvas. By sampling and selectively processing your data, you can make sure each tool is behaving as expected before opening the floodgates to the entire dataset.
Summary
Your Alteryx workflows will be revisited by you and others so make them clear and easy to follow. Organise your canvas, comment your steps, and filter early before joining. These simple habits will save you time and confusion, turning every workflow into a well-structured piece anyone can understand. Let’s leave the noodles to the ramen experts and keep our workflows neat and tangle-free.
