Ever applied a filter in Tableau only to find your calculation ignores it? That’s because Level of Detail (LOD) expressions play by their own rules in Tableau’s Order of Operations.
In this post, we’ll break down:
✅ The difference between FIXED, INCLUDE, and EXCLUDE LODs
✅ Why some filters don’t affect FIXED LODs
✅ How to apply the right filter type to control LOD calculations
LOD Expressions & Their Place in the Order of Operations
Before filters, calculations, or visual elements are applied, Tableau processes Level of Detail (LOD) expressions. Unlike basic calculations, LODs define aggregation levels before filters apply—which can lead to unexpected results.
FIXED LODs: The “Unbreakable” Calculation
🚩 Issue: You filter by Product Category, but your total sales calculation doesn’t change.
💡 Why? FIXED LODs ignore Dimension Filters unless they’re promoted to Context Filters.
🔹 Example:
This calculates total sales per region before any dimension filters are applied.
✔ Solution: Convert your Dimension Filter to a Context Filter so it applies before the FIXED LOD runs.
INCLUDE & EXCLUDE LODs: More Flexible, But Context Matters
Unlike FIXED LODs, INCLUDE and EXCLUDE LODs respond to Dimension Filters because they adjust dynamically to the view.
✔ INCLUDE: Adds extra granularity
✔ EXCLUDE: Removes specific dimensions
🔹 Example:
This calculates average sales per category but still respects Dimension Filters in the view.
LOD vs. Table Calculations: When to Use What?
🚀 LODs run before Table Calculations, meaning they are better for stable aggregations.
✔ Use FIXED when filters shouldn’t change the result
✔ Use INCLUDE when you need extra granularity dynamically
✔ Use EXCLUDE to remove a specific level of detail
📌 Next Up: Table Calculations – The Last Step Before Rendering!
