Designer Updates & Release Notes

Version: 2026.2 (For upgrade considerations as well as fixed and known issues, go to Release Notes)

New Features: Designer

AMP Engine Only for New Workflows

Important

The AMP engine is now the default engine for all new workflows.

Designer now uses the AMP engine as the default engine for all new workflows. New workflows no longer include an option to use the original engine by default.

Existing workflows retain their current engine setting, and you can configure them to use either engine. Once you save an existing workflow configured to use the AMP engine, you can't revert the change.

Workspace Indicator in Designer

The Designer window that launches from Alteryx One app has the same workspace name showing the currently selected workspace that shows in the Alteryx One app window.

• Users can see which workspace they selected.
• The selected workspace is visible in the separate Designer window.
• The visual context helps users understand the active workspace.

To switch workspaces, go to the Alteryx One app. You cannot switch workspaces in Designer.

Designer Offline and Alteryx One App

The Alteryx One app supports temporary and permanent offline scenarios. If you don't have an internet connection, you can still launch Designer from the Alteryx One app and activate Designer offline if needed. After activation, you can continue using Designer while offline. Available functionality is limited to the features that Designer supports in offline mode.

Note

If you use offline activation for Designer while connected to the internet, this scenario is not currently supported in version 2026.1. We recommend waiting to upgrade to Designer version 2026.1 until we address this scenario in a future upgrade.

AMP Engine Spill File Performance Improvement

The AMP Engine now uses a dynamic disk allocation strategy for spill files instead of fixed 256 KB blocks. Disk space is allocated based on the size of the compressed data, which can reduce disk usage and I/O overhead when workflows process highly compressible data, such as repetitive values.

Python Tool AMP Support

We've converted the Python tool to work natively with the AMP engine.

Designer Save Dialog Improvements

We've made a number of usability improvements to the Save As > Alteryx One experience in Designer. This includes adding tooltips, information banners, and the option to reset dependencies for packaged workflows.

• Updated the Location field value from Library to Alteryx One Library.
• Added tooltips to clarify the recommended usage for the various file types (.yxmd, .yxmc, .yxzp, etc).
• Added a note to clarify that only workflow packages (.yxzp) are executable when saved to the Alteryx One Library.
• Added the option to reset dependencies for packaged workflows.
• Added support for the dialog for both light and dark modes in Designer.

MapInfo TAB Date/Time Import

The Input Data tool includes a new Use String for Date/Time Types option for MapInfo TAB (.TAB) files.

By default, Designer imports date and time fields as strings to preserve existing behavior. Clear this option to import date, time, and datetime fields as native Alteryx data types for immediate use in date calculations and sorting.

If you execute the workflow on an earlier version of Server (2026.1 and earlier), this setting will be ignored.

Select Fields Option for Parquet Files

The Select Fields option, available for Parquet files, lets you specify a comma-separated list of fields to read. The Input Data and Dynamic Input tools read only the selected fields, which can reduce the amount of data your workflow processes.

This feature is currently available only in Designer. If you run the workflow on an earlier version of Server (2026.1 and earlier), you may notice differences in execution time because this optimization isn’t yet supported.

Control Container Error Reporting Improvement

Control containers now distinguish between recoverable errors and exceptions that indicate code defects. Recoverable errors continue to appear as informational messages or warnings, while code defects are reported as errors to help identify issues that require investigation.

Output Data Tool Updates and Dataset Support

We have updated the tool configuration UI in the Output Data tool, including an improved connection creation experience.

Additionally, you can now connect the Output Data tool to datasets that you have access to in your active Alteryx One workspace.

The output configuration panel also includes additional output actions: relational datasets support append, create, drop, and update, while file-based datasets support create and overwrite.

Data Support in Preview in 2026.2

This initial release of Alteryx One dataset support is in preview. Please note these requirements and limitations:

• This feature is currently in preview and is under active development. As Designer is updated, breaking changes might affect assets created in earlier versions, and the dataset configuration might need to be updated.
• Users can access only datasets for which they have permission as part of their Alteryx One user role (datasets must be available in the user’s workspace).
• You can access one dataset per Output Data tool.
• The Output Data tool supports connecting to and updating existing datasets. Creating new datasets isn’t currently supported.

Support for Microsoft Excel 97–2003 (XLS) files

You can continue to read from and write to Microsoft Excel 97–2003 (XLS) files by specifying the file path directly.

Designer now supports both 32-bit and 64-bit Microsoft Access Database Engine (ACE) drivers and automatically uses the latest installed version, preferring the 64-bit driver.

These changes align with the planned removal of 32-bit driver support starting in 2026.3.

Databricks ODBC Driver Compatibility

We've improved compatibility with the renamed Databricks ODBC Driver, replacing the legacy Simba Spark ODBC Driver. This update helps prevent connection and workflow issues when migrating from the legacy driver.

BigQuery Connector Support Enhancements

We've added a new MERGE / UPSERT write mode to the native BigQuery connector. You can now update existing records and insert new records in a single bulk write operation by defining match key columns. MERGE processing runs directly in BigQuery, simplifying incremental data-loading workflows and providing a more consistent experience across cloud data warehouse connectors.

Standardized DCM Connector Configuration Experience

We've standardized DCM connector forms across major connectors to provide a more consistent configuration experience. This update introduces clearer technology and authentication names, streamlined forms with improved field organization and help text, and removes redundant options to simplify connector setup.

New Features: AI Tools

AI Tools Improvements

Added various AI tool improvements:

• Improved overall tool performance.
• Improved authentication error handling.
• Updated Invoice Extractor to use the gemini-2.5-flash model.
• Updated Schema Fit to preserve output data and handle metadata correctly.
• Updated Prompt Builder text handling to prevent overflow.
• Updated Prompt Builder test runs to omit unset optional model settings and show generated content validation errors.

Original source

Version: 2026.1 (For upgrade considerations as well as fixed and known issues, go to Release Notes)

Release Date: May 7, 2026

Designer and Alteryx One App

The Alteryx One app provides a unified experience for Alteryx One. It connects Designer Desktop and Alteryx Cloud in a single entry point. Use the Alteryx One app to prepare data, build workflows, automate processes, and create reports in a single platform.

To upgrade to or access Designer 2026.1, you must download and install the Alteryx One Windows application (which also installs Designer) from the Alteryx One Download Center. There is no longer a separate Designer installer. A cloud login is required for all Alteryx One app and Designer 2026.1 (and newer) users.

WebView2

Starting with the 2026.1 release, the Alteryx One app and Designer rely on a new Microsoft technology called WebView2. This is installed by default on most Windows versions supported by Designer. However, Windows Server doesn't currently include WebView2.

We recommend that an Admin user trigger the WebView2 installation and install it for all users.

New Features: Designer

Python Version and Tool Upgrades

We have upgraded the embedded Python version to 3.13.11. Designer tools that rely on Python (including many connectors) must be updated to support Python 3.13. Tools built for Python 3.10 will not work in 2026.1 versions of Designer or Server. For additional details, go to Python 3.13 Upgrade FAQ.

We have also updated the Python tool. Some of the key updates include:

• Updated Python tool Configuration UI.
• Interactive Mode is no longer available in the Python tool. Python development is now supported through a production-first execution model. This means you can edit your Python scripts directly in the tool or in your preferred external Integrated Development Environment (IDE) before you run your workflows.
• Added the ability to import a Python script (.py) or notebook (.ipynb) into the tool.
• You can now configure a custom environment for the tool.

Warning

Make sure to review and test your existing Python tool workflows to ensure you are getting the expected results, especially in these situations:

• Your existing workflows were published in Interactive Mode in the previous version of the Python tool (rather than Production Mode).
• You regularly turn on the Disable Auto Configure setting in Designer User Settings.

For details, go to Python Tool.

Decoupled Designer and Server Updates

Users with workflows built in Designer versions 2025.2 or later can now publish to supported older Server versions.

• This save/publish only works via the Designer user interface (UI), not via the Server REST API or Server Admin UI.
• The currently-supported older Server versions are 2025.2, 2025.1, and 2024.2.
• Saving workflows built in Designer versions 2025.1 and older to versions of Server older than 2025.1 is not supported. The functionality is available starting with Designer version 2025.2.

For important details (including potential limitations) and ongoing updates, go to Designer Server Version Compatibility.

Branding Updates

We’ve updated a number of visual and UX components in Designer. You’ll notice a new Designer app icon (including a new desktop Designer icon). We’ve also updated brand colors, including in notification snack bar messages.

Alteryx One Global App Bar

The global app bar replaces the original top-level Designer header and shortcut toolbar when you open Designer in the Alteryx One app. This creates a consistent navigation experience across Alteryx One applications while preserving core window controls. Designer runs within the Alteryx One app. All common Alteryx One navigation experiences are the same while working in Designer.

The global app bar retains standard window functionality. You can…

• Double-click the title bar to maximize or restore the window.
• Use Minimize, Maximize, and Close controls.
• Drag the window using the title bar.
• Resize the window using the top borders.

Alteryx One Set as the Unified Cloud Platform

All Alteryx Cloud instances have now been transitioned to Alteryx One, reflecting a platform unification and naming update for all cloud-based workflows and services.

Workspace Management with Alteryx One App

The Alteryx One app automatically creates and updates Alteryx Links per workspace, ensuring the current user’s selected workspace is always set as the active workspace across login and installation. The app also lets you switch the workspace.

Designer Assets in Your Alteryx One Workspace

We've added functionality that lets users save, manage, and open Designer workflows and macros (YXMD, YXMC, and YXWZ files) directly in Alteryx One, without needing to package them as YXZP files. Users can leverage platform capabilities like sharing, tagging, versioning, and search while working seamlessly between Designer and cloud services. While saving to Alteryx One is the default, the options to save locally and save to Server are still available.

Note

Note that at this time, unpackaged Designer files are not executable in the cloud. To execute your Designer file via the Alteryx One library, it must be a packaged workflow (YXZP).

Designer Updates via Alteryx One App

Starting with the 2026.1 release, Designer updates and upgrades are available exclusively via the Alteryx One app. When you launch the Alteryx One app, the app checks whether your Designer version is up to date and notifies you if an update is available. If you have the appropriate permissions, you can proceed with the update. For more information, go to Version Updates.

Input Data Tool Updates and Dataset Support

We have updated the tool configuration UI in the Input Data tool, including an improved connection creation experience.

Additionally, you can now connect the Input Data tool to datasets that you have access to in your active Alteryx One workspace.

Data Support in Preview in 2026.1

This initial release of Alteryx One dataset support is in preview. Please note these requirements and limitations:

• This feature is currently in preview and is under active development. As Designer is updated, breaking changes might affect assets created in earlier versions, and the dataset configuration might need to be updated.
• Users can access only datasets for which they have permission as part of their Alteryx One user role (datasets must be available in the user’s workspace).
• You can access one dataset per Input Data tool.

For instructions and additional details, go to Input Data Tool.

AMP Performance Improvements

We’ve made several performance improvements in the AMP engine:

• Improved speed for reading Parquet files.
• Improved speed of CSV writer for Doubles.
  • Improved execution time.
  • Improved numerical precision. Previously, values were limited to 15 significant digits, but the new approach uses up to 17 digits to ensure exact accuracy when read back. This change increases precision but might produce a different output than before.
• Optimized and faster execution for the Generate Rows and Multi-Formula tools.

Union Tool Updates

We’ve made updates to the Union tool. It now returns partial results from valid input connections (matching original Engine behavior), so you can avoid workflow failures when some inputs are invalid. For additional information, go to Union Tool.

Disabled Connection Handling in Engine

We’ve improved how disabled connections behave in the AMP engine to ensure consistent results. For more information, go to Disabled Connection Handling in Engine.

Proxy Integration into Connections UI

The standalone Proxy screen has been integrated into the standardized Connections UI for a consistent and intuitive experience. Additionally, we have extended proxy support to Designer and Server to achieve parity with Desktop.

JSON Schema Tool

Added the JSON Schema tool to the Developer tool palette. Use the JSON Schema tool to generate JSON schemas that define structured output for downstream tools, including large language model (LLM) responses from the Prompt tool.

End of Support for File Formats

These file formats are no longer supported by Alteryx:

• GEO (SRC Geography)
• MID/MIF (MapInfo Professional Interchange Format)
• SDF (Autodesk)
• SZ (Spatial Zip)

Warning

These file formats are also not supported in existing workflows.

HTML GUI Library Tool Deprecation

The HTML-GUI Library tool has been deprecated in Designer and moved to the Deprecated category. By default, this tool is no longer visible in the Designer tool palette. In addition, the SDK Examples category is now hidden in the tool palette.

Google BigQuery Billing Project Support

We've added support for configuring a separate billing project for Google BigQuery connections. This allows customers to access data in one project while attributing query and job costs to another project.

AWS Custom STS and Private Endpoint Support

We've added support for custom AWS STS endpoints and private endpoint configurations for supported AWS connector scenarios. This helps customers meet private-network and compliance requirements for AWS-based workloads.

Avro Datetime Timezone Handling

We've added support for respecting the workflow timezone when writing datetime values to Avro output. This improves timestamp accuracy when Avro files are consumed by downstream systems such as Databricks.

Databricks External Volume Support

We've added support for using Databricks external volumes as a staging location in Designer write workflows. This allows customers to use external volumes in addition to Databricks-managed volumes when loading data to Databricks.

Databricks DCM DSN-less SSL Parameters

We've added support for additional DSN-less Databricks SSL and security parameters in DCM. This improves compatibility for users who need to replicate secure Databricks ODBC configurations in DCM.

SQL Server DCM DSN-less Security Parameters

We've added support for additional DSN-less SQL Server security parameters in DCM, including Encrypt, Trusted_Connection, and TrustServerCertificate. This helps customers replicate secure SQL Server ODBC configurations directly in DCM.

New Features: AI Tools

New Tool Palette Name

Renamed GenAI tools to AI tools. You can now find these tools in the AI tool palette.

JSON Schema Support in the Prompt Tool

The Prompt tool now supports defining a JSON schema alongside your prompt. This update enables structured outputs without requiring you to describe the format in the prompt. With this update, you can:

• Define a schema to enforce response structure, data types, and required fields.
• Separate output formatting from prompt instructions to reduce complexity.
• Improve consistency for downstream parsing and workflows.

An optional validation setting checks responses against the schema to catch malformed or incomplete output.

Server Support for AI Tools

Added support for running AI tools on Server using a service principal. You can now configure a service principal in Alteryx One, share LLM connections, and authenticate AI tools in Designer to run workflows on Server. Learn more how to Use AI Tools on Server.

New Features: Intelligence Suite

AIS Tools Updated to Python SDK v2

Updated Alteryx Intelligence Suite (AIS) tools to use the Python SDK v2. AIS tools now run on the updated SDK.

AutoML Tool Removed from AIS Tools

The AutoML tool (deprecated) is no longer available in the Machine Learning tool palette.

Original source

To modernize the update experience and reduce IT overhead, Alteryx has decoupled Designer and Server updates. This change allows you to upgrade Designer independently from Server, so users can immediately access the latest Designer features without waiting for Server approval or environment upgrades. This improvement streamlines adoption, accelerates access to new functionality, and reduces delays especially for organizations with lengthy Server update cycles.

With this enhancement, assets built in newer versions of Designer are no longer blocked from being published to older Server environments. Instead of a blocking error, users will now see a warning and can choose whether to proceed, empowering teams with more flexibility while reducing workflow disruptions.

For important details (including potential limitations) and ongoing updates, go to Designer Server Version Compatibility.

Workflow Execution

In the 2025.2 release, the previous Designer-Server version compatibility limitations still apply to workflow execution. That is, you can't execute workflows created in a newer version of Designer than Server.

The 2026.1 release will be the first release where you can take advantage of the decoupling between Designer and Server. That is, you can upgrade Designer to 26.1 and save and execute 26.1 workflows in Server 25.2 (noting Potential Execution Impacts).

Original source

Over the past several releases, we've continued to build exciting new capabilities on the AMP engine. AMP delivers significant performance benefits and powers many of our newest features, including AMP-only tools like GenAI, Control Container, Rank, and Data Cleanse Pro. New workflows now use AMP by default, and new connectors are also AMP-only.

Today, AMP is where innovation in Designer is happening. As we look ahead, we're investing in AMP as the strategic engine for Alteryx One. Going forward, we will focus our innovations, development, and improvements on the AMP engine. Rest assured, the original Engine will still receive critical fixes until AMP adoption and migration are complete.

We are committed to investing in AMP as our primary Engine. To take advantage of what's next, we encourage you to begin your transition today. We're committed to supporting you every step of the way.

Original source

This content applies to the new Alteryx One Editions launched in spring 2025. It doesn't apply to accounts purchased earlier unless those accounts have migrated to one of the new editions.

We have updated the Designer user interface for Basic users and Full users who don't have access to certain add-ons. Full and Basic users can now clearly identify which settings and options they have access to based on their user type. As part of these updates, the Designer main menus, User Settings, and Workflow Configuration settings have been updated.

Original source

Control Containers

We have introduced robust error suppression within Control Containers. Use this to prevent workflow failures due to localized issues, enable visibility into captured errors, and create intelligent routing logic.

With error suppression, fewer workflows fail unexpectedly, less manual effort is needed to rerun or patch jobs due to transient or expected issues, Server admins don't need to sift through noisy logs to find meaningful problems, and teams can automate more complex logic (for example, retries, conditionals) without external scripting. For details, go to Control Container Tool.

Original source

Stored Procedures Support

We have added support for stored procedures via the Pre-SQL and Post-SQL statement functionality introduced in the 2025.1 release. This enhancement provides greater flexibility when working with In-DB tools. You can leverage stored procedures for tasks like data validation, logging, or cleanup operations, eliminating the need for external scripts. Stored procedure support is available via the Data Stream In, Data Stream Out, and Write Data In-DB tools.

Note

Stored procedures are supported for these connections:

• SQL Server for ODBC and Bulk Writer
• Oracle for ODBC Only

Original source

The GenAI tools are now installed with Designer Desktop 2025.2 and newer, so you don’t need to install them separately. To get started, download and install Designer Desktop 2025.2 from Alteryx One.

Known Issues for Public Preview Users

• Workflows created with the Public Preview version of the GenAI tools don’t run as expected. To fix the issue, select each LLM Override and Prompt tool to initialize them. In some cases, replace the Public Preview LLM Override tool with the updated version from the GenAI tool palette.

• If you previously installed the Public Preview version of the GenAI tools, you must first delete the Public Preview tool folders before upgrading to Designer 25.2. Go to these folders:

  • %PROGRAMDATA%\Alteryx\Tools
  • %APPDATA%\Roaming\Alteryx\Tools

Then delete these folders if they exist:

• LLMOverride_2024_1
• Prompt_1_0
• Synthetic Input
• Precision Match
• Schema Fit

Original source

Users with workflows built in Designer versions 2025.2 or later can now publish to supported older Server versions.

• This save/publish only works via the Designer user interface (UI), not via the Server REST API or Server Admin UI.
• The currently-supported older Server versions are 2025.2, 2025.1, and 2024.2.
• Saving workflows built in Designer versions 2025.1 and older to versions of Server older than 2025.1 is not supported. The functionality is available starting with Designer version 2025.2.

For important details (including potential limitations) and ongoing updates, go to Designer Server Version Compatibility.

Original source

We have removed these tools from the Laboratory tool category:

• Transpose In-DB: If you still need to access this tool, right-click the Designer tool palette and select Show Deprecated Tools.
• The Connect JSON Builder and Connect Output tools have been officially deprecated and moved from the Laboratory category to the Connect category in Designer. Note that by default, the Connect category is hidden, as all tools within it are deprecated. As a result, you can't see these tools unless you specifically choose to Show Deprecated Tools in Designer.

These tools were experimental and not officially supported by Alteryx.

Original source

Important

This content applies to the new Alteryx One Editions launched in spring 2025. It doesn't apply to accounts purchased earlier unless those accounts have migrated to one of the new editions.

We have updated the Designer user interface for Basic users and Full users who don't have access to certain add-ons. Full and Basic users can now clearly identify which settings and options they have access to based on their user type. As part of these updates, the Designer main menus, User Settings, and Workflow Configuration settings have been updated.

Original source