The Append Data tool allows you to append features to an existing hosted layer in your ArcGIS Enterprise organization. Append Data allows you to update or modify existing datasets.
Workflow diagram
Examples
Note:
The Append Data tool is available with ArcGIS Enterprise 10.6.1.
A large chain restaurant collects monthly sales records for each of their locations. To avoid maintaining datasets for each location each month, the company wants to use one annual sales layer for each location. The Append Data tool enables them to append data to a master dataset at the end of each month when their newly collected sales records are available.
Ecological Marine Unit studies are being conducted to better understand ocean floor patterns of the Atlantic Ocean over time. The studies are conducted using data gathered from various environmental organizations that have collected information from the Atlantic Ocean in the past. Because each organization maintains its own datasets, the Append Data tool can be leveraged to append multiple ocean floor datasets into one layer.
Analysis using GeoAnalytics Tools
Analysis using GeoAnalytics Tools is run using distributed processing across multiple ArcGIS GeoAnalytics Server machines and cores. GeoAnalytics Tools and standard feature analysis tools in ArcGIS Enterprise have different parameters and capabilities. To learn more about these differences, see Feature analysis tool differences.
Usage notes
The input layer is defined using the Choose layer to append to parameter. The input layer must be an existing hosted point, line, area, or table layer.
The append layer is defined using the Choose layer to append parameter. The append layer can be a point, line, area, or table big data file share dataset or feature layer.
Append Data requires that the input layer and append layer have the same geometry type.
You can optionally use the Append all features or define a subset parameter by clicking the Query button 
. Only features that match the condition will be appended. For example, if you have a field named temperature, you could append all features with temperature values greater than 10 with the condition temperature is greater than 10.
The fields of the input layer are never modified. Any append layer fields that are not matched in the Choose how to append fields parameter will be excluded from the appended results.
The Choose how to append fields parameter appears after the input layer and append layer are selected. It will automatically populate with input layer fields and their matching values from the append layer.
By default, input layer fields will be appended with null values when they do not have a matching field in the append layer. Optionally, you can use the Choose how to append fields parameter to append custom values of the following two types:
- Append Field—Match an input layer field with an append layer field of a different name but the same type.
- Expression—Calculate input layer field values for append features. Learn more about Arcade expressions with Append Data
For example, human migration researchers want to append datasets with the input layer and append layer schemas shown below. Both layers have a field in common named Country of type text and both have two additional fields with the same data type, but unique names. The input layer has Pop_ and Pop_Density fields, and the append layer has Population and area_km2 fields. The researchers want to match the Country field to the Country field, append the Population field to the Pop_ field, and calculate the population density for the Pop_Density field using a calculation.
By default, the field mapping will match Country fields based on the field name and field type. The Pop_ and Pop_Density fields have no match in the append layer and will be appended with null values.
Use the Choose how to append fields option to append the input layer Pop_ field with append layer values from the Population field. Use the Expression option to calculate Pop_Density values for the appending features using the append layer Population and area_km2 fields by building the Arcade expression $feature["Population"]/$feature["area_km2"].
Limitations
- The features in the input layer must have the same geometry type as features in the append layer.
- The input layer must be an existing layer on your hosting server. If you want to append to a different layer, you must create a hosted layer of that dataset first. To do this, use the Copy To Data Store tool, or share a layer to your portal. To learn more about sharing layers, see Introduction to sharing web layers. Once your dataset is a hosted layer, you can run the Append Data tool to append features to it.
- The Field Mapping parameter does not allow fields to be added, removed, or renamed in the input layer.
- If the hosted input layer has a different time type than the appending features (that is, instant, interval, or none), the input layer time type will be maintained and the appending features time type will be ignored. The appending features' attributes will be appended.
Similar tools
Use the ArcGIS GeoAnalytics Server Append Data tool to append features to layers on your hosting server. Other tools may be useful in solving similar but slightly different problems.
Map Viewer analysis tools
Select and copy data to a new feature layer in your portal using the ArcGIS GeoAnalytics Server Copy To Data Store tool.
Calculate values for features in a new or existing field using the ArcGIS GeoAnalytics Server Calculate Field tool.
ArcGIS Desktop analysis tools
To run this tool from ArcGIS Pro, your active portal must be Enterprise 10.6.1 or later. You must sign in using an account that has privileges to perform GeoAnalytics Feature Analysis.
Perform similar append operations in ArcGIS Pro with the Append geoprocessing tool.