How and where you use a web layer depends on the type of layer and what you need to do with it. The following are examples:
- Use layers in maps and scenes to visually convey spatial information.
- You can use layers, or the maps and scenes that contain the layers, in apps.
- Use feature layers and imagery layers in analysis tools to discover patterns and extract information from the data.
- Editable feature and table layers can be added to Map Viewer, Map Viewer Classic, or apps to allow you to update feature and attribute data. In some apps, editable feature and table layers are added through web maps.
- For hosted feature layers configured to allow it, you can obtain a copy of the underlying data by exporting the data from the hosted feature layer to a file.
Tip:
To determine whether a layer meets your needs, review the information on the layer's item page. Details such as the layer's description, metadata, and extent can help you decide whether the layer is suitable. For hosted feature layers, additional information about the individual fields in the layer is also available.
Use layers in maps and scenes
You build a map or scene by adding data layers to them and configuring how the layers look and behave in the map or scene. You can add layers you published, layers shared to you by others, and layers from other providers—such as ArcGIS Living Atlas of the World—to the maps and scenes. You can use the options on the Overview tab in a layer's item page to open it in Map Viewer, Map Viewer Classic, or Scene Viewer or you can start in one of those apps and add layers there. See Get started creating maps and Get started with scenes for overviews of the process to create the maps and scenes you and others can use to interact with your layers.
Feature layers can be used in analysis tools—in Map Viewer Classic and ArcGIS Pro—and custom apps to answer spatial questions, discover patterns, and identify trends.
Use layers in apps
Apps are similar to tools in that many provide focused functionality that allows you to interact with the layers in your portal.
You need to choose the app that meets the needs of the app users. Sometimes, you'll add a layer directly to an app, such as ArcGIS Pro, to use the layer as a basemap, provide reference information in a map, or edit or analyze features. In many other cases, you'll create and configure a map or scene containing the layers people need and add that map or scene to an app that provides specific functionality. You can create apps for that purpose, or use out-of-the-box apps such as ArcGIS Dashboards or ArcGIS GeoPlanner.
Edit features and tables
Feature and table layers that are configured to allow editing can be added to a map viewer, where you can edit features or edit attributes in tables.
- Learn how to edit features or edit attribute tables in Map Viewer
- Learn how to edit features or edit attributes in the tables in Map Viewer Classic
These editable layers can be edited in ArcGIS Pro. Editable feature and table layers can also be added to maps that you subsequently include in apps.
The owner of the feature layer or an administrator can also configure maps containing editable feature layers for offline use. The feature layers and the maps must be enabled for offline use. You could then load the map containing the editable, offline-enabled layers into an app, such as ArcGIS Field Maps, and collect and edit data while disconnected from the internet.
Note:
The layer owner, organization administrators, and members of shared update groups with which the layer is shared can edit a hosted feature layer, hosted spatiotemporal feature layer, or table layer's contents even when editing is not enabled on the layer. The only exception to this is if editing is disabled for specific fields in the layer; no one can edit those.
Export data from hosted feature layers
You can export data from a hosted feature layer if one of the following is true:
- You own the features.
- You are an administrator for your organization.
- You aren't the hosted feature layer owner or the administrator, but the owner or administrator has configured the hosted feature layer to allow others to export the data.
When you export from a hosted feature layer or one of its sublayers, ArcGIS Enterprise creates one of the following items on the My content tab of the Content page, depending on what you choose to export:
- CSV files—When you export from a point layer, latitude and longitude values for the points are exported to the .csv file. When you export a line or polygon layer, only nonspatial attributes are exported.
- Microsoft Excel files—When you export from a point layer, latitude and longitude values for the points are exported to the Excel file. When you export a line or polygon layer, only nonspatial attributes are exported.
- Shapefiles
- File geodatabases
- GeoJSON files
- Feature collections
- KML files
- GeoPackage files
If the hosted feature layer contains a field data type that is not supported by the export format, the export operation may fail.
After the item is created, you can download the file.
If the layers in the hosted feature layer contain metadata, the metadata is included if you export to a shapefile or file geodatabase.
When you export from a hosted feature layer view, only the data included in the view definition is included in the exported file.
You cannot export data from a hosted feature layer that was created by ArcGIS Workflow Manager.
Follow these steps to export data from a hosted feature layer or hosted feature layer view:
- Sign in and open the item page for the features to export.
- If you own the feature layer, click Content > My content and click the item title. To open the page for a sublayer in the feature layer, go to the Layers section of the Overview tab on the hosted feature layer's item page and click the sublayer.
- If you do not own the feature layer, search for the layer, and click the feature layer name in the search results list. To open the page for a sublayer in the feature layer, go to the Layers section of the Overview tab of the hosted feature layer's item page and click the sublayer.
- Click the Export Data button on the Overview tab and choose the format to export.
Tip:
If the layer you export contains attachments and you want to export the attachments, export to a file geodatabase. When you export the layer to any of the other formats listed below, attachments are not included.
- Export to Shapefile—Creates a compressed file (.zip file) containing a shapefile for each layer and its associated metadata (if present) that you export. You can download the file and save it to your computer.
- Export to CSV file—Creates a comma-separated values file when you export from a layer. You can open the file or save it to your computer. If you export all layers to a .csv file, a CSV collection is created, which is a .zip file containing one .csv file per layer. You can download the .zip file and save it to your computer.
- Export to KML—If you export a single layer, this option creates a KML service you can open in Map Viewer or Map Viewer Classic. When you export all layers to KML, a KML collection is created. This collection is a .zip file containing one KML file per layer that you can download.
- Export to Excel—Creates a Microsoft Excel spreadsheet. You can open the file or save it to your computer. If you export all layers to Excel, each layer will be a separate sheet in the spreadsheet.
- Export to FGDB—Creates a .zip file containing a file geodatabase. The file geodatabase contains a feature class and its associated metadata and attachments (if present). You can download the .zip file and save it to your computer.
Note:
The .zip file uses the name you specify for the hosted feature layer's title, but the geodatabase name is randomly generated. Each feature class has the same name as the exported sublayers.
- Export to GeoJSON—Creates a GeoJSON file containing definitions for all layers you export. If you export from an individual layer, only that layer's definition will be present in the GeoJSON file. You can download the file and save it to your computer.
- Export to Feature Collection—Creates a feature collection item you can open in Map Viewer Classic.
Choose Generalize features for web display to optimize the layer for web apps. You can only generalize features from layers published in the WGS 1984 Web Mercator (Auxiliary Sphere) coordinate system.
Note:
Exported feature collections that are generalized for web display do not work in desktop and mobile apps.
Alternatively, choose Keep original features if you need to maintain all the precision in the data, or if you intend to use the feature collection in desktop or mobile apps.
- Export to GeoPackage—Creates an Open Geospatial Consortium (OGC) GeoPackage file containing a spatial table for each layer. If you export from the hosted feature layer, the GeoPackage contains one table for each layer in the hosted feature layer. If you export from an individual layer, only one table is present in the GeoPackage. You can download the file and save it to your computer.
Tip:
If you have privileges to perform spatial analysis, you can also export data from a hosted feature layer or hosted feature layer view that has export enabled, or export data from a feature collection using the Extract Data tool in Map Viewer.