Add layers
In this topic
- What layers can you add?
- Search for layers
- Add layers from web
- Add layers from files
- Add map notes
- Add route layers
Layers are the contents of a map. They include a wide range of topics about people, earth, life, and so on, and are composed of imagery, tiles, features, and more. To get started adding layers, sign in to the site, open the map viewer, and click the Add button. You can search for layers, add layers from the web, add layers from files, and add map notes. You can also get directions and add the route as a layer.
Note:
If you do not have privileges to create content (you won't see Save in the map viewer), you can still add layers to explore data by clicking Modify Map.
What layers can you add?
The following list shows what layers you can add to a map. When you save the map, any items you've added are saved with the map and the map appears in your My Content.
- ArcGIS Server services such as features, imagery, tiles, and streams (URL)
- Comma-separated values (CSV) file (.csv)*
- GPS exchange format file (.gpx)
- Keyhole markup language (KML) file (.kml, .kmz)
- Map notes (created in the map viewer)
- Open Geospatial Consortium (OGC) Web Map Service (WMS) (URL)
- Open Geospatial Consortium (OGC) Web Map Tile Service (WMTS) (URL)
- Route (created in the map viewer)
- Shapefile (.zip)*
- Text file (.txt)*
- Tile layer (URL)
*The portal must have a hosting server to add a zipped shapefile or CSV or text file containing addresses to the map viewer. Additionally, a custom geocode utility service is needed to add a CSV or text file containing addresses.
Data layers versus reference layers
Layers define how the data in your map looks and behaves, for example, what the symbols look like and what information appears in pop-ups. Layers can contain data or a reference to the data. A layer from a file contains data; a web layer contains a reference to data hosted on a third-party resource like Amazon or your own organization's servers. Configurations saved to reference layers do not change the data layer. For example, in a reference layer, you might show different symbols and pop-up configurations than in the original data layer. If you delete the reference layer, the data still exists (but you lose your layer configurations). If the owner of the data layer deletes the layer, the data is deleted as well. As the owner of a layer that contains data, you can enable delete protection to prevent accidentally removing the data that others may be using in their reference layer.
Search for layers
By default, you find layers from your organization's portal.
A web search finds ArcGIS Server services published by organizations that have made them available on public servers accessible on the web. A web search does not find OGC WMS or KML layers. A GIS server search allows you to specify a URL to an ArcGIS server you know about and see a list of services on that server. You can also enter the URL of an ArcGIS Server service and add that service from the list of results. Map, image, and feature services are supported.
- Choose Search for Layers and enter keywords within the Find field.
- Choose where you want to search for layers—your portal, the web, a GIS server, or only in your content.
- Click Go. A list of layers that relate to the keywords you entered appears.
- Click a title to see a pop-up summary of the layer, or click Add to the right of the title to add the layer to your map.
Add layers from web
You can add the following types of layers through a URL—ArcGIS Server web service, OGC WMS web service, OGC WMTS web service, Tile layer, KML file, and CSV file. If your organization is configured for Bing Maps, you can also add Bing Map basemaps.
Choose the Add Layer from Web option and choose the type of web layer you want to add.
ArcGIS Server web service
ArcGIS Server web services is a map, image, or feature resource that is located on ArcGIS Server. You can add secure services created with ArcGIS Server 10 SP1 and later if you know the user name and password. You will be prompted for this information when you add a secure service to the map. Anybody viewing your map will also be prompted for the login. The map will display without the layer if the login is not valid.
- Choose An ArcGIS Server Web Service and enter the layer's web address in the URL field.
ArcGIS Server web service URLs are in the format http://<server name>/arcgis/rest/services/folder/<service name>/<service type>. If the service is in the root folder, you do not need to include the folder name in the URL. The URL format in that case is http://<server name>/arcgis/rest/services/<service name>/<service type>.
For example, to connect to an ArcGIS Server map service, you would type a URL similar to the following: http://gisserver.domain.com:6080/arcgis/rest/services/service/MapServer. For more information and examples, see Components of ArcGIS URLs in the Portal for ArcGIS Administrator Guide.
If you need to access your service over SSL, add your layer with https.
- If you want to use the layer as a basemap, check Use as Basemap.
- Click Add Layer to add the layer to your map.
OGC WMS web service
OGC WMS is a map that follows the OGC Web Map Service specification.
- Choose A WMS OGC Web Service and enter the layer's web address in the URL field.
For example, to connect to an ArcGIS Server map service with WMS capability, you would type a URL similar to the following: http://gisserver.domain.com:6080/arcgis/services/service/MapServer/WMSServer. For more information and examples, see Components of ArcGIS URLs in the Portal for ArcGIS Administrator Guide.
If you need to access your service over SSL, add your layer with https.
- If you want to use the layer as a basemap, check Use as Basemap.
- Click Add Layer to add the layer to your map.
OGC WMTS web service
OGC WMTS is a set of cached image tiles that follows the OGC Web Map Tile Service specification.
- Choose A WMTS OGC Web Service and enter the layer's web address in the URL field. A list of available layers appears.
For example, to connect to an ArcGIS Server image service with WMTS capability, you would type a URL similar to the following: http://gisserver.domain.com:6080/arcgis/services/service/ImageServer/WMTSServer. For more information and examples, see Components of ArcGIS URLs in the Portal for ArcGIS Administrator Guide.
If you need to access your service over SSL, add your layer with https.
- Select the layer you want to add. You cannot select more than one layer.
- If you want to use the layer as a basemap, check Use as Basemap.
- Click Add Layer to add the layer to your map.
- Repeat the steps if you want to add additional layers in your WMTS.
Tile layer
A Tile layer is a set of web-accessible tiles that reside on a server. The tiles are accessed by a direct URL request from the web browser. The URL contains values that are used by the map viewer to dynamically request the tiles that correspond with the extent and scale of the map as you pan and zoom.
- Choose A Tile Layer and enter the layer's web address in the URL field.
You should get this URL from the data provider.
If you need to access your service over SSL, add your layer with https.
- If the tile layer contains one or more subdomains, specify the tile layer's subdomain labels in the Subdomain field. Delimit the labels with commas.
Subdomains are used by the tile layer provider to distribute tile requests across multiple servers. Not all tile layers have subdomains. If the tile layer does not have any subdomains, the Add Layer from Web window does not display the subdomain field. If you are unsure of the subdomain labels, contact the tile layer provider.
- Enter the title of the tile layer in the Title field.
The Content pane of the map will display the title you enter as the name of the tile layer.
- Enter any copyright information or required attribution information for the tile layer provider in the Credits field.
The map will display the credits in the lower right of the map.
- Click Set Tile Coverage to set the extent of the tile coverage.
Tile coverage represents the extent of all the tiles. This is an optional setting. When the extent is set, tiles are only requested for the extent specified. However, because the tiles are not clipped to fit the extent, tiles may extend beyond the extent.
- If you want to use the layer as a basemap, check Use as Basemap.
- Click Add Layer to add the layer to your map.
If the tiles are distributed across multiple servers, you need to give the map viewer information about the layer's subdomains.
KML file
A KML file contains a set of geographic features.
- Choose A KML File and enter the layer's web address in the URL field.
You should get this URL from the data provider.
- Click Add Layer to add the layer to your map.
CSV file
A CSV file that you reference as a URL is a web-based, comma-separated values text file of features that includes location information.
- Choose A CSV File and enter the layer's web address in the URL field.
You should get this URL from the data provider.
- Click Add Layer to add the layer to your map.
Bing basemaps
The Bing Basemap option only appears if your administrator has configured the map viewer with a Bing key.
- Choose Bing Basemap and choose the type of Bing Map you want to use: Road, Aerial, or Hybrid.
- Click Add Layer to add the layer to your map.
Add layers from files
You can add features to your map by importing data you have stored in a delimited text file (.csv or .txt), GPS Exchange Format (.gpx) file, or shapefile (compressed into a .zip). A layer from a file is stored in the map.
- Choose Add Layer from File and locate the file on your computer.
- Click Import Layer.
- If you add a delimited text file (.csv or .txt) with location information, choose to have the map viewer locate features using either latitude-longitude or address information.
- To change the country that the map viewer uses to geocode your addresses, select a different country from the Country drop-down list. If your file contains addresses from multiple countries or from a country not in the list, select World.
- Review the location fields and click a cell to change which location field or fields are used.
- If you add a shapefile, choose to generalize the features for web display or keep original features.
- Click Add Layer to add the file to the map viewer.
- If you encounter issues with adding your file to the map, be sure your portal administrator configured the portal with a hosting server. If you still encounter issues with adding or viewing your file in the map, see Troubleshoot.
Drag and drop a file
In addition to importing your .csv, .txt, or .gpx file through the map viewer Add button, you can drag it from your computer and drop it onto your map. The map viewer will handle the file as if you had used Add. Dragging and dropping a .txt, .csv, and .gpx file is supported on Google Chrome and Mozilla Firefox browsers; it is not supported on Internet Explorer and Apple Safari.
You cannot drag a shapefile from your computer and drop it onto your map; you must use the Add button.
Add map notes
You can add your own data directly to a map by adding a map notes layer. These layers are useful for adding a small number of features to a map, for example, the swimming pools managed by your city's parks and recreation department. When you add a map notes layer, it is stored in the map; it cannot be saved, downloaded, or used independently. Only you, the map author, can edit the layer.
- Choose Add Map Notes and enter a name for the layer.
- Choose a layer template. Each template includes a set of related shapes and symbols. For example, the Park Planning template includes symbols for picnic areas and bicycle trails, and the Oil & Gas Infrastructure template has symbols for oil refineries and treatment facilities.
- Click Create. A template appears in the left side of the map.
- Click a shape or symbol and click the map where you'd like to add the feature. Press the Ctrl key to enable snapping. Snapping helps you line up the feature you are adding next to an existing one on the map. How you add the feature depends on the geometry; for example, add points and circles by clicking on the map, and add lines and polygons by clicking on the map to start the shape and double-clicking to complete it.
- Add the following information about the feature:
- Title—The title appears as the title of the feature's pop-up.
- Description—The description field includes formatting options for creating rich text such as hyperlinks, color, and styles.
- URL to an image—The image needs to be stored on a website that is accessible from your organization's network and should be in a web format such as PNG, GIF, or JPEG. For best results, the image should be 200 pixels wide by 150 pixels high. Other sizes will be adjusted to fit, so your image may appear stretched or shrunk.
- Related link—This opens a website when somebody clicks the image in the pop-up.
- Create your own symbol if you want by clicking Change Symbol at the bottom of the pop-up.
- Choose Source and click a symbol to use a predefined symbol.
- Choose URL and enter the URL of the symbol file. The symbol needs to be stored on a website that is accessible from your organization's network. The image file should be in a web format such as PNG, GIF, or JPEG. For best results, the image should be 200 pixels wide by 150 pixels high. Other sizes will be adjusted to fit, so your image may appear stretched or shrunk.
- Adjust the size of the symbol by using the Symbol size slider.
- Click Done and click Close. The information you add to your pop-up is automatically saved.
Add route layers
You can use the map viewer to get directions and add the route as a layer in your map. You can configure the layer, create a route map, and perform analysis on the route. Your route map is like any other map you create with the map viewer—you can configure it, share it through a web app, story template, blog, and so on, and use it in a Portal for ArcGIS client such as an iOS device, Android phone, and ArcGIS for Desktop.
- Sign in to the portal.
- Open the map viewer and click Directions
to display the Directions pane to the left of the map. - Get directions by adding an origin and one or more destinations.
- Once you get your directions, click Add as Layer.
- To add an additional route, create a new set of directions and add that layer to your map. Each route appears as a layer in the Contents of your map.
- If you have privileges to create content, save your map.
The route layer is stored in the map; it is not an independent layer you can reuse in other maps.
Configure the route layer
If you intend to share your route with others (and have sharing privileges), you may want to configure the route layer for your specific audience. For example, if you work for an emergency management agency and plan to share a map of evacuation routes with your police department, you probably want to rename the route layer in the Contents and the route name in the pop-ups to the names the police department uses.
On the route layer, you can change the transparency, rename the layer, hide it in the legend, and edit the features. You can also move the layer up or down in the Contents if you have other feature layers in your map.
The route layer contains the three sublayers listed below. On each sublayer, you can set the visibility, configure pop-ups, change symbols, and hide it in the legend. You cannot change the name of sublayers.
- Route Stops—A point feature layer of your origin and destination or destinations.
- Route—A line feature layer of your route. This layer includes the total drive time and distance.
- Route Directions—A set of line features for each segment of your route. This layer contains your turn-by-turn directions. By default, it is not drawn on your map. You can display it by checking the box next to the layer name (in Contents).