If you are a member of the default administrator role or a member of a custom role that has the appropriate administrative privileges, you can manage content in your organization.
Managing content includes the following tasks:
- Categorizing content—As an organization administrator, you define the categories that you and other members can add to items to help others find the items.
- Transferring content to a different owner—When someone leaves the organization or changes responsibilities, you may need to reassign ownership of that member's items.
- Deleting items—At times, you may need to delete items that are no longer relevant to the organization. For example, if a member added draft items and did not remove them or items owned by a member who left the organization are no longer needed, you can delete the items.
- Managing items owned by a specific member—If an item owner is unable to manage their items, for example, if the employee is on vacation or extended leave, you can manage their items.
- Designating content as authoritative—As an organization administrator, you define what content is considered the most accurate and reliable. By marking an item as authoritative, you communicate to users that the item is the best version of the content available in the organization.
Categorize content
If you are a member of the default administrator role or a custom role that has privileges to manage categories, you can set up hierarchical categories for organizing content in your organization. Once you configure the categories, users and publishers can categorize items so that other organization members can more easily find the content they need when searching or browsing.
Set up categories
You can create your own custom categories or use standard category sets from ArcGIS (presented in ArcGIS Living Atlas of the World), the International Organization for Standardization (ISO), or INSPIRE as a starting point.
You can configure content categories for your organization from the content page or from the Items tab of the organization settings. The following steps describe how to configure categories from the organization settings:
- Sign in to your organization.
- At the top of the site, click Organization and click the Settings tab.
- Click Items on the side of the page.
- Under Organization categories, click Set up categories.
Note:
If you already configured categories, click Configure categories to add, rename, delete, or reorder categories as needed.
- Select one of the following:
- Custom categories—Create your own categories to organize content in the organization.
- ArcGIS categories—Use ArcGIS categories as a starting point. You can customize them or leave them unchanged. These categories are presented in ArcGIS Living Atlas of the World.
- ISO categories—Use topic categories from the ISO as a starting point. You can customize them or leave them unchanged. ISO publication 19115 provides a method to describe and catalog geographic information.
- INSPIRE categories—Use theme categories from the INSPIRE Directive as a starting point. You can customize them or leave them unchanged.
- If you selected Custom categories in the previous step, create a category hierarchy as follows:
- Click the Add category button
, type a name for the category (using up to 100 characters), and click Add 
. - To create subcategories, click the Add subcategory button , type a name for the subcategory (using up to 100 characters), and click Add.
- Create additional top-level categories and subcategories as needed.
- Click the Add category button
- If you selected ArcGIS categories, ISO categories, or INSPIRE categories, do any of the following to review or make changes to the category hierarchy:
- Expand and collapse categories in the category tree as needed using the expand button
and collapse button 
to the left of the categories. - To add a category or subcategory, click the Add category button or Add subcategory button , type a name for the category or subcategory (using up to 100 characters), and click Add.
- Expand and collapse categories in the category tree as needed using the expand button
- Do any of the following to make additional changes to the categories as needed:
- To rename a category or subcategory, click the Edit category button
for the category or subcategory you want to rename, type a new name (using up to 100 characters), and click Save . - To delete a category or subcategory, click the Delete category button
for the category or subcategory you want to delete. - To change the order of categories at the same level in the hierarchy, hover over the expand button or collapse button to the left of the category and drag it to a different location.
- To rename a category or subcategory, click the Edit category button
- When you finish setting up categories, click Save.
Note:
You can have up to three levels of categories in the hierarchy, with a maximum of 900 categories and subcategories in total. For efficiency, it is recommended that you create a comprehensive and complete category hierarchy and naming scheme before assigning items to categories.
Categorize items
Once organization categories are configured, administrators and those with privileges to update content can categorize items in the organization. Categorizing content makes it easier for organization members to find the content they need.
- Verify that you are signed in to your organization and that you have privileges to update content.
- At the top of the site, click Content, and click the My organization tab.
Note:
Organization members can categorize items they own from the My content tab of their content page.
- Select one or more items you want to categorize and click Categorize.
- Do any of the following:
- To categorize all selected items at once, check the boxes on the left to select the categories and subcategories as applicable. Each item card updates to show the categories you selected.
Note:
Selecting a subcategory automatically selects all associated categories and subcategories above it in the hierarchy. However, selecting a category does not automatically select its subcategories.
- To categorize items individually, click Assign Category on the item card and select the categories you want. You can assign up to 20 categories to each item. You can also use the Filter categories box to narrow your options.
- To remove all selected items from a specific category or subcategory, uncheck the boxes on the left to deselect the appropriate category or subcategory. Each item card updates to reflect the category you removed.
Note:
When deselecting categories and subcategories, the following occurs:
- Deselecting a category or subcategory automatically deselects all of its associated subcategories.
- Deselecting a subcategory when no other subcategories are selected at the same level also deselects the associated categories above it and subcategories below it.
- To remove an individual item from a category, click the x next to the category on the associated item card.
- To categorize all selected items at once, check the boxes on the left to select the categories and subcategories as applicable. Each item card updates to show the categories you selected.
- When you're finished categorizing the items, click Save.
The items are organized into the categories you specified.
Note:
When you categorize an item, it is recommended that you choose the most specific and relevant category possible to ensure that the item is displayed and discovered as expected in an appropriate grouping. For example, to categorize a web map, choose Maps > Web Maps instead of Maps.
Change owner
Members of the default administrator role and those with the appropriate privileges can change the owner of items in the organization. You can transfer all items owned by specific members, or change the ownership of specific items in the organization. Organization members with the privilege to reassign content can transfer ownership of only their items to other members with the privilege to receive content.
When you transfer the ownership of an item shared with one or more groups, the new owner must be a member of all groups with which the item is shared. In addition, the Who can contribute content? setting of each group must allow the new owner to share items with the group. For example, if the item is shared with a group that only allows the group owner or group managers to contribute content, the new owner of the item must be that group's owner or manager.
Tip:
Changing layer ownership changes ownership of the file from which the layer was created. When you change the owner of a hosted feature layer, ownership changes for its dependent hosted feature layer views.
Changing the owner of a layer does not change the owner of the maps and scenes in which the layer is used. Similarly, changing the owner of maps and scenes does not change the ownership of the layers inside them, nor does it change the owner of the apps in which the maps and scenes are used.
Transfer all content owned by specific members
You can transfer content owned by one or more organization members to another member of your organization. Transferring all content in bulk to a new owner is useful when you need to delete members but want to keep their content in the organization. You can also transfer ownership of these items during the member deletion process.
- Verify that you are signed in as a member of the default administrator role or a member of a custom role with administrative privileges to reassign ownership of content.
- At the top of the site, click Organization and click the Members tab.
- Search for members by name or username and apply filters to narrow the members list. Optionally, sort the list, such as by name or last login date.
- Check the box next to each of the members whose content items you want to transfer.
Tip:
You can select up to 100 members at a time. The selected set is maintained while you search and filter all the members in your organization, even across multiple pages. If necessary, click the members selected drop-down menu to review and revise your selection once you've modified your initial search or filter.
- Above the list of members, click More and click Transfer content.
- In the Transfer content window, click to select a new owner for the content.
You can search for members by name or username to narrow the members list.
- If you are transferring content from a single member, select or create a folder as needed. To transfer content from more than one member, select one of the following target folder options:
- Folder for each previous owner—Transferred items are stored in separate folders named for each of the current item owners. Enter a specific prefix for each folder name, or accept the default prefix of from. For example, entering hosted layers for the prefix creates folders named hosted layers_[previous owner's username], where [previous owner's username] is the name of the member from whom the content is being transferred.
- Only one folder—Transferred items are all stored in a single folder. Select or create a folder, or keep the default folder.
- Click Transfer.
Tip:
Before clicking Transfer, you can review the list of items being transferred by clicking the View all items button
under Content to transfer.The items are transferred to the new owner you specified.
Change the ownership of specific items
You can change the ownership of specific items in the organization in bulk. This is useful when you have a large number of items owned by different organization members that you want to reassign to a new owner.
When you transfer the ownership of an item shared with one or more groups, the new owner must be a member of all groups with which the item is shared. In addition, the Who can contribute content? setting of each group must allow the new owner to share items with the group. For example, if the item is shared with a group that only allows the group owner or group managers to contribute content, the new owner of the item must be that group's owner or manager.
Tip:
You can manage content owned by a specific member, including reassigning their content to another member, from the Members tab of the organization page.
- Verify that you are signed in as a member of the default administrator role or a custom role with administrative privileges to reassign ownership of content.
- At the top of the site, click Content, and click the My organization tab.
- Use the filters, sort options, and search as needed to find the items to reassign.
- Select the items and click Change owner.
- In the Change owner window, search for and select a new item owner, and select or create a folder as needed.
- Click Save.
The items are reassigned to the new owner you specified.
Delete items owned by others
Default administrators and members with the appropriate privileges can delete items owned by other organization members. You can delete organization items in bulk from the My Organization tab of the content page.
Tip:
You can delete content owned by a specific member, and perform other content management tasks for individual members, from the Members tab of the organization page.
- Verify that you are signed in as a member of the default administrator role or a custom role with administrative privileges to delete content owned by members.
- Click Content at the top of the site.
- Click the My organization tab.
- Use the filters, sort options, and search as needed to find the items you want to delete.
- Select the items you want to delete and click Delete.
The items are deleted from your organization.
Note:
Dependencies exist between some items, such as between a hosted tile layer and the tile package from which it was published or between the hosted feature layer view and the hosted feature layer from which it was created. You must delete the dependent item before you can delete the item from which it was created.
Manage items for a specific member
If you have privileges to manage items owned by other members, you can manage items for a specific member of your organization from the member's content page. For example, depending on your privileges, you can edit the details of items; change their sharing properties, such as making a public item private; move one or more items to a different folder; change the owner of an item; and delete an item.
- Verify that you are signed in to your organization and that you have privileges to manage items owned by other members.
- At the top of the site, click Organization and click the Members tab.
- Search for members by name or username and apply filters to narrow the members list. Optionally, sort the list, such as by name or last login date.
- Click the More options button
and click Manage items.The member's content page appears.
- Use the filters, sort options, and search as needed to find the items you want to manage.
- To edit the properties and settings of a specific item, such as modifying its description or enabling Delete Protection, click the title of the item and make changes on the Overview and Settings tabs on the item page.
- To manage multiple items owned by the member from the member's content page, check the box to the left of each item you want to manage and do any of the following:
- If your organization has content categories configured, to organize items into categories, click Categorize and follow the steps to categorize the member's items.
- To move items to a different folder, click Move, select an existing folder or create one, and click Save.
- To reassign items to a different owner, click Change owner, search for and select a new owner, select a new folder as needed, and click Save.
Tip:
Changing layer ownership changes ownership of the file from which the layer was created. When you change the owner of a hosted feature layer, ownership changes for its dependent hosted feature layer views.
Changing the owner of a layer does not change the owner of the maps and scenes in which the layer is used. Similarly, changing the owner of maps and scenes does not change the ownership of the layers inside them, nor does it change the owner of the apps in which the maps and scenes are used.
- To change the sharing properties of items, click Share. Update with whom the items are shared: the organization, everyone (public), or groups to which the member belongs.
- To delete items from your organization, click Delete.
Note:
Dependencies exist between some items, such as between a hosted tile layer and the tile package from which it was published or between the hosted feature layer view and the hosted feature layer from which it was created. You must delete the dependent item before you can delete the item from which it was created.
Other than deleting the items, none of the options above change the location on disk or ID of the items.
Change item ownership in bulk using the command line utility
Changing item ownership in bulk using the command line utility is appropriate if you need to transfer the ownership of multiple members' items to other members in your portal at once. You may need to transfer ownership of items if you are attempting to remove members. Members cannot be removed if they own content or groups.
Use the TransferOwnership command line utility installed with the software to transfer ownership of member items in bulk. The tool is located in the <Portal for ArcGIS installation location>\tools\accountmanagement directory. The tool takes a text file as input and must run on the machine on which Portal for ArcGIS is installed.
Note:
The utility can only be executed by a built-in administrator account; you cannot use an organization-specific administrator account. The built-in account you use can be the initial administrator account you set up when you configured the portal or another built-in account that has been assigned the default administrator role. If you deleted the initial administrator account and do not have any other built-in administrator accounts available, you must create one to execute the utility. For instructions, see the Built-in portal accounts section of Add members to your portal.
- Create a text file that contains the usernames of members who currently own items and the usernames of members to whom the item's ownership is transferred. Separate the usernames using a pipe (|). Each line must contain two usernames; the first name listed is the current owner and the second name listed is the new owner.
sarah|robert james|qing nichole|jose alex|davidNote:
Specify the username of the members. Do not use the full name of the members; the tool ignores all entries that use the full name. Also note that the usernames you type in the text file must be in the same case as they are stored in the portal. Run the ListUsers command line utility or check the Organization page of your portal website to see how the usernames are stored.
- Save the text file.
- Run the TransferOwnership command line tool by specifying your text file as the tool's input.
The following example runs the TransferOwnership command with a file named ownershiptotransfer.txt.
TransferOwnership --file c:\scripts\ownershiptotransfer.txt.
Tip:
Be sure to use the correct case for command line options and file names.
Once the script runs successfully, transferred items are placed in a new content folder in the new owner's content. For example, if sarah transferred items to robert, robert will find the transferred items in a new folder in his content page named sarah_root.
Designate items as authoritative
Items can be designated as authoritative to indicate to others that the item is the best version of specific content. This is helpful when there are many versions of similar content in the organization.
Members of the default administrator role and members of a custom role with administrative privileges to update content can specify that an item is authoritative.
Follow these steps to label an item is authoritative:
- Sign in to the organization as an administrator.
- Open the item page and click the Settings tab.
- Click the Mark as Authoritative button.
The item is identified to all users with an Authoritative badge, and delete protection is automatically enabled on the item.
Organization members can use the Status filter to find content marked as authoritative when they browse or search for content in the organization. Authoritative content is boosted in search results, and users can limit searches to layers marked as authoritative when adding layers to a map in Map Viewer or Map Viewer Classic.