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Map notes

You can create features on your map by adding a map notes layer. You use features to symbolize something you want to show on your map, such as public access points, hiking trails, or fire perimeters. You can also add descriptive information that appears in pop-ups when somebody clicks on the feature.

The features are saved with the map so that only you, the map author, can edit them. These types of feature layers are useful for displaying information, such as events happening within a community or inventory of oil production facilities. This is an easy way to add a small number of features to a map, for example, the swimming pools managed by your city's parks and recreation department. It's also a way to create feature layers if you don't have portal publishing privileges or access to ArcGIS Server.

Considerations for adding map notes

  • Only you, the map author, can save edits to the layer.
  • Map notes layers do not contain legend information.
  • You can set the visibility range for when your map notes layer is displayed on the map.
  • Make edits to an existing feature by clicking inside the symbol on the map. This reopens the pop-up.
  • Change the size of an existing symbol by dragging the vertices that appear on the shape.
  • Remove a feature from your layer by clicking inside the feature to reopen the pop-up and clicking Delete.
  • Hide all features associated with a layer by clicking Details, then Contents, and unchecking the box to the left of the layer name.
  • Remove a layer by clicking Details, then Contents. Click the layer, click More Options and click Remove.
  • The Disasters, General Infrastructure, and Damage templates include humanitarian icons from the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs. Source: OCHA.