What are tooltips in Tableau?

In Tableau, tooltips are interactive elements that provide additional context and details about data points when a user hovers over them. This dynamic feature enhances the data visualization experience by allowing users to gain insights without cluttering the visual with too much information. Tooltips can display various data attributes, aggregations, or even visual cues, tailored to the specific needs of the data story being presented.

The interactivity of tooltips is particularly valuable as it allows for an engaging exploration of the data, letting viewers focus on various aspects of the visualization while still having the option to quickly access supplementary information. This aspect distinguishes tooltips from static descriptions or definitions, which do not provide the same level of interaction or detailed insights.

Furthermore, tooltips should not be confused with filters or export tools, as their primary role is to enhance data understanding through interactive engagement rather than modifying data visualizations or moving data outside of Tableau. This clarifies why the option discussing interactive boxes that show details on hover is indeed the correct choice.