Use URL parameters to create and modify maps

A map authored in an ArcGIS Enterprise portal contains a basemap; data layers; an extent; a legend; and navigation tools such as zoom, pan, place finders, and bookmarks. Many maps also contain interactive elements such as a basemap gallery, measure tools, pop-ups, and buttons for playing data over time.

In addition to creating maps with Map Viewer or Map Viewer Classic, you can create and modify maps directly with URL parameters.

For example, you can construct a map with URL parameters that shows shoals off the coast of Maryland.

myportal.domain.com/arcgis/apps/mapviewer/index.html?basemapUrl=https://services.arcgisonline.com/ArcGIS/rest/services/Ocean_Basemap/MapServer&url=https://services5.arcgis.com/9cBkZtsx7PSOoaCF/arcgis/rest/services/Maryland_Shoals/FeatureServer/0

You can construct a map with URL parameters that shows onshore wind farms in the United Kingdom in Map Viewer Classic.

https://myportal.domain.com/arcgis/home/webmap/viewer.html?basemapUrl=https%3A%2F%2Fservices.arcgisonline.com%2FArcGIS%2Frest%2Fservices%2FOcean_Basemap%2FMapServer&url=https%3A%2F%2Fservices.arcgis.com%2FWQ9KVmV6xGGMnCiQ%2Farcgis%2Frest%2Fservices%2FOnshore_Windfarms%2FFeatureServer&extent=-24.3161%2C45.2274%2C18.0911%2C63.5381

For example, you can use a map viewer URL in the following circumstances:

• If you don't need to include a lot of reference or operational layers and you don't need to apply specific styles to the map's content, use a URL to open one of the map viewers. For example, if your website allows people to look up an address or view a single layer related to your site, you can include a link in the website that opens Map Viewer with the specified basemap and the single layer required.
• You need to link to a saved web map from a website or email. You can use a URL that opens the specific web map.

What to include in the URL

In Map Viewer Classic, the URL always begins with the ArcGIS Enterprise portal home page URL, plus /webmap/viewer.html? and one or more of the query parameters listed below. In Map Viewer, the URL always begins with the fully qualified ArcGIS Enterprise name and web adaptor or load balancer context, plus apps/mapviewer/index.html? and one or more of the query parameters listed below. To include more than one parameter, use an ampersand (&) to separate the parameters. You'll find examples of using multiple parameters throughout this page.

The first example below opens Map Viewer; the second opens Map Viewer Classic:

https://myportal.domain.com/arcgis/home/webmap/viewer.html?center=20,45&level=4

https://myportal.domain.com/arcgis/apps/mapviewer/index.html?center=20,45&level=4

Note:

If any of the resources in the URL parameter are provided as HTTP, the URL for the map must also be HTTP. For added security, use an HTTPS URL if possible.

Encode the query parameters

All query parameters must be encoded. URL encoding ensures that valid characters are sent to the portal. Encoding replaces invalid characters with % followed by their hex equivalent.

For example, here is an unencoded URL parameter:

basemapUrl=https://myportal.domain.com:7443/arcgis/rest/services/Ocean_Basemap/MapServer

Here is the same parameter encoded:

basemapUrl=https%3A%2F%2Fmyportal.domain.com:7443%2Farcgis%2Frest%2Fservices%2FOcean_Basemap%2FMapServer

Parameters within parameters must also be encoded, for example:

urls=https%3A%2F%2Fmyportal.domain.com:7443%2Farcgis%2Frest%2Fservices%2Fweb_mercator%2Ftrackline_gravity%2FMapServer%2Chttps%3A%2F%2Fmaps.ngdc.noaa.gov%2Frest%2Fservices%2Fweb_mercator%2Fhazards%2FMapServer%3Flayers%3Dshow%3A5%2C6

The internet has many free sites and tools for generating encoded URLs. For readability, the rest of the examples in this topic are not encoded.

Open a saved map

To open a saved map created with Map Viewer or Map Viewer Classic, use webmap= and the unique ID of the map.

In the first example, a web map with an ID of 8505192e747d440098523e9e64419710 will open in Map Viewer Classic. The second URL opens the same map in Map Viewer.

https://myportal.domain.com/arcgis/home/webmap/viewer.html?webmap=8505192e747d440098523e9e64419710

https://myportal.domain.com/arcgis/apps/mapviewer/index.html?webmap=8505192e747d440098523e9e64419710

In this example, a web map with an ID of 29990ur6423j1180p53f9t30019491 will open in Map Viewer with the extent set to -117.996342,33.841078,-117.993692,33.844375:

https://myportal.domain.com/arcgis/apps/mapviewer/index.html?webmap=29990ur6423j1180p53f9t30019491&extent=-117.996342,33.841078,-117.993692,33.844375

Define the basemap

To define the basemap, set basemapUrl= to the layer. If a basemap is not defined, the default basemap, World Topographic basemap, is used.

In the first example URL, Map Viewer opens with the World physical map used as the basemap. The second example URL opens it in Map Viewer Classic.

https://myportal.domain.com/arcgis/apps/mapviewer/index.html?basemapUrl=https://services.arcgisonline.com/ArcGIS/rest/services/World_Physical_Map/MapServer

https://myportal.domain.com/arcgis/home/webmap/viewer.html?basemapUrl=https://services.arcgisonline.com/ArcGIS/rest/services/World_Physical_Map/MapServer

In this example, Map Viewer opens with the World physical map used as the basemap and an operational layer with item ID d35a5w4bo77593y0358s0x7312jpp04 present in the map:

https://myportal.domain.com/arcgis/apps/mapviewer/index.html?basemapUrl=https://services.arcgisonline.com/ArcGIS/rest/services/World_Physical_Map/MapServer&layers=d35a5w4bo77593y0358s0x7312jpp04

Include a reference layer

To include a reference layer with the basemap, set basemapReferenceUrl= to the layer. The basemapReferenceUrl= parameter must be used in addition to the basemapUrl parameter.

In this example, Map Viewer Classic opens with the world imagery map image layer present and the basemap set to the World boundary and places layer:

https://myportal.domain.com/arcgis/home/webmap/viewer.html?
basemapUrl=https://services.myportal.domain.com:7443/arcgis/rest/services/World_Imagery/MapServer
&basemapReferenceUrl=https://services.myportal.domain.com:7443/arcgis/rest/services/Reference/World_Boundaries_and_Places/MapServer

Define the operational layers

To define the operational layers that overlay the basemap, use webmap=, layers=, url=, or urls=. If the layer is an item in the website, use layers= so you get all the layer configurations. If the layer isn't in the website, use url= or urls=.

The layers= parameter accepts a single item ID or multiple item IDs. For multiple layers, use a comma-separated list of IDs (&layers=<itemID>,<itemID>,<itemID>).

The first example opens in Map Viewer. The second opens in Map Viewer Classic.

https://myportal.domain.com/arcgis/apps/mapviewer/index.html?layers=a79a3e4dc55343b08543b1b6133bfb90,a068913914cd4fecb302b9207a532d1a

https://myportal.domain.com/arcgis/home/webmap/viewer.html?layers=a79a3e4dc55343b08543b1b6133bfb90,a068913914cd4fecb302b9207a532d1a

The url= parameter accepts a single layer URL.

For example:

https://myportal.domain.com/arcgis/home/webmap/viewer.html?
     url=https://services.myportal.domain.com:7443/arcgis/rest/services/Demographics/USA_Population_Density/MapServer

Use urls= to include more than one layer. Separate layers with a comma. The map extent is based on the last layer in the list or the slowest one to load. To zoom to a specific extent, include the extent= parameter.

The first URL opens the map in Map Viewer. The second URL opens in Map Viewer Classic

https://myportal.domain.com/arcgis/apps/mapviewer/index.html?urls=https://services.myportal.domain.com:7443/arcgis/rest/services/web_mercator/trackline_gravity/MapServer,https://maps.ngdc.noaa.gov/rest/services/web_mercator/hazards/MapServer?layers=show:5,6,12&extent=5,45,10,50

https://myportal.domain.com/arcgis/home/webmap/viewer.html?urls=https://services.myportal.domain.com:7443/arcgis/rest/services/web_mercator/trackline_gravity/MapServer,https://maps.ngdc.noaa.gov/rest/services/web_mercator/hazards/MapServer?layers=show:5,6,12&extent=5,45,10,50

As of ArcGIS 10.5, you can use the ?layers operation on a feature service.

For example:

https://myportal.domain.com/arcgis/home/webmap/viewer.html?url=https://sampleserver6.arcgisonline.com/arcgis/rest/services/RedlandsEmergencyVehicles/FeatureServer?layers=show:1,2

Define the scale level and center the map

Scale is automatically set for a map in Map Viewer Classic when you use the webmap or find parameter. If you use the webmap parameter, the map is automatically zoomed to the full extent of the map, unless other URL parameters such as level and center or extent are used to override the web map scale. If you use the find parameter, the map is automatically zoomed to the best extent of the found location.

To define a specific scale level, use the center and level parameters. The level parameter accepts the level ID of the cache scale as listed in the REST service endpoint of the tiled basemap. The resolution is inversely related to the scale. The level parameter is only supported for tiled basemaps, not for basemaps created from dynamic map services and other nontiled data.

To center the map at a particular location, set center using geographic coordinates (x,y) or projected coordinates (x,y,WKID). You can use commas or semicolons as separators. Use semicolons if your numbers use colons as their decimals.

Note:

The level and center parameters must be used together. The level parameter is ignored if it's used on its own.

Geographic coordinates example in Map Viewer:

https://myportal.domain.com/arcgis/apps/mapviewer/index.html?center=20,45&level=4

Geographic coordinates example in Map Viewer Classic:

https://myportal.domain.com/arcgis/home/webmap/viewer.html?center=20,45&level=4

Projected coordinates example in Map Viewer:

https://myportal.domain.com/arcgis/apps/mapviewer/index.html?center=500000,5500000,102100&level=4

Define the extent

To define the extent of the map, use extent. The extent parameter accepts geographic coordinates (GCS) as MinX,MinY,MaxX,MaxY or projected coordinates (PCS) as MinX,MinY,MaxX,MaxY,WKID. You can use commas or semicolons as separators. Use semicolons if your numbers use colons as their decimals.

Geographic coordinates example in Map Viewer:

https://myportal.domain.com/arcgis/apps/mapviewer/index.html?extent=-117.20,34.055,-117.19,34.06

Projected coordinates example in Map Viewer:

https://myportal.domain.com/arcgis/apps/mapviewer/index.html?extent=-13079253.954115,3959110.38566837,-12918205.318785,4086639.70193162,102113

Projected coordinates example in Map Viewer Classic:

https://myportal.domain.com/arcgis/home/webmap/viewer.html?extent=-13079253.954115,3959110.38566837,-12918205.318785,4086639.70193162,102113

Set the layer visibility

To set the visibility of sublayers for a layer that you open in the map, use layers=show:.

In this example, sublayers 1 and 2 in the Parcels layer are visible in Map Viewer Classic but other sublayers are not visible:

https://myportal.domain.com/arcgis/home/webmap/viewer.html?url=https://otherportal.domain.com:7443/arcgis/rest/services/BloomfieldHillsMichigan/Parcels/MapServer?layers=show:1,2

Find a location or feature to open the map

To find a location or feature immediately upon opening the map, use find. The map is automatically zoomed to the closest match and a callout marker is added to the map. The find parameter accepts single-line addresses, partial addresses (such as city only or country only), place-names, and longitude-latitude coordinates.

The following example uses a single-line address in Map Viewer:

https://myportal.domain.com/arcgis/apps/mapviewer/index.html?find=380 new york st,redlands,ca

Tip:

To find a location or feature in a searchable layer, include the webmap= parameter with the unique ID of the map.

Add a point

To add a point to the map, use marker=<x>,<y>. You can also include the following optional properties:

• <wkid>—Spatial reference of the x,y coordinates to be added to the map. If you do not include a WKID, GCS coordinates are used.
• <encoded title>—Title of the point pop-up. If you do not include a title, the pop-up will be empty.
• <encoded icon URL>—Symbol for the point. If you do not include a symbol, a blue marker symbol is used.
• <encoded label>—Label next to the point symbol.

Example

The following example uses semicolon separators:

https://myportal.domain.com/arcgis/home/webmap/viewer.html?marker=-79.234826;38.147884;;Race start and finish;;Grindstone 100 Ultra Marathon&level=7

Considerations

Keep the following in mind when adding a point to a map:

• In Map Viewer Classic, the point is added to a new map notes layer at the specified x,y coordinate location.
• The <x>,<y> coordinates are required to add a point.
• Be sure to encode the title, icon, and label parameters.
• You must add properties in this order: marker=<x>,<y>,<wkid>,<encoded title>,<encoded icon URL>,<encoded label>.
• You can use commas or semicolons as separators. Use semicolons if your numbers use colons as their decimals.
• Use empty values. Do not use spaces. For example, to specify a label and no other optional properties, add the label as the sixth parameter with empty values for the others (x;y;;;;label).
• If you want the map to zoom in (in addition to centering on the point), include the level parameter.
• You can edit and save the map notes layer as a map or item.
• Organizational accounts can use the point to get directions and perform analysis.

Hide the Details pane

Note:

This functionality is currently only supported in Map Viewer Classic (formerly known as Map Viewer). It will be available in a future release of the new Map Viewer.

To hide the Details pane in Map Viewer Classic, use mapOnly=true.

In this example, a saved web map with ID b487d81007294fb5a0be9e10a411f2d0 is opened in Map Viewer Classic, but the Details pane is hidden:

https://myportal.domain.com/arcgis/home/webmap/viewer.html?webmap=b487d81007294fb5a0be9e10a411f2d0&mapOnly=true