Data publishing

What is data publishing?

Data publishing is the process of making your data available as a hosted layer in ArcGIS. To do so, you use interactive data management tools found in ArcGIS Online and the developer dashboard. To publish data you need an ArcGIS Developer account or ArcGIS Online account. This gives you access to both data management tools and cloud space to store your data.

For each dataset published, a new item page, hosted layer and data service are created in ArcGIS. To learn how to manage the settings and sharing properties of a hosted layer, go to Data management.

How to publish data

There are three ways to publish data as hosted layers:

1. Import data: Upload a file with your existing data to create a hosted feature layer.
2. Create new data: Define a new empty hosted feature layer.
3. Convert data: Create a new image tile or vector tile layer from an existing hosted feature layer.

Import data

Importing data is the process of uploading a data file to create a hosted feature layer. Data files are CSV, GeoJSON, or Shapefile files with attribute and geometry data. These files can be uploaded by data management tools to create a data service. Once hosted, you can query, edit, and update the data by accessing the feature layer in the feature service.

How to import data

To import files, you can use either of the following tools:

1. Go to ArcGIS Online > Content > Add item.
2. Go to ArcGIS for Developers > Dashboard > Layers > Import data.

When a file is imported, a new hosted feature layer is created with the following:

1. Item: Feature layer (hosted) or Table (hosted)
2. Layer and data service: Feature layer or table in a Feature service.

If the source file contains coordinate, geometry, or address information, a feature layer is created. If the source file does not contain coordinate information, a table and a layer are created.

Supported file types

You can upload file types such as CSV, XLS, GeoJSON, Shapefile, and File Geodatabase files. To see a full list, visit Supported types.

Tools, data, and services

Below is a description of the tools, input files, and the hosted layer created when importing data.

*If a file contains multiple geometry types, a separate layer is created for each type. Feature layers support only one geometry type per layer.

Create new data

Creating new data is the process of defining a new empty hosted feature layer.

You typically use this process when you need to publish an empty feature layer with with either point, line, or polygon geometry types with a specific data schema. You can then build custom applications such as a data collection application to add features to the layer.

How to create a new feature layer

To create a new feature layer, you can use either of the following tools:

1. Go to ArcGIS Online > Content > Create > Feature layer. You can then create a layer from a template, an existing layer, or from a URL.
2. Go to ArcGIS for Developers > Dashboard > Layers > Create data > New hosted layer (Feature layer). You can then define the geometry type and fields for the layer interactively.

Either tool will create a new hosted feature layer with the following:

1. Item: Feature layer (hosted)
2. Layer and data service: Feature layer in a Feature service.

Next, the most common step is to add data to the new layer. You can use tools such as the Map Viewer to add, update, and delete features.

Tools, data, and services

Below is a description of the tools, input data, and the hosted layer created.

Convert data

Converting data, also known as publishing a new hosted layer, is the process of accessing an existing hosted layer to create a new type of hosted layer.

You typically use this process to publish a new type of hosted layer that can be more easily accessed by applications or to optimize accessing data.

How to publish new types of hosted layers

To create a new layer from a feature layer, you can use the following tools:

1. Go to ArcGIS Online > Content, click an existing feature layer, and then click Publish. Choose Vector tile layer, Tile layer, or WFS layer.
2. Go to ArcGIS for Developers > Dashboard > Layers, click an existing feature layer. In the Overview, click Publish vector tile layer from the Publish as new layer box .

When you use these tools, the following are created:

1. Item: An item that matches the type of new layer created.
2. Layer and data service: One of the following types layers and/or service:
   • Tile layer in an image tile service.
   • Vector tile layer in a vector tile service.
   • WFS layer that references a feature service.
   • Scene layer (points only) that references a scene service.

Tools, data, and services

Below is a list of the tools, input data source, and the hosted layer created.

Tutorials

Import data as a feature layer

Use data management tools to import and create hosted feature layers.

ArcGIS Online Developer dashboard 

Create a new feature layer

Use data management tools to create a new hosted feature layer.

ArcGIS Online Developer dashboard Python ArcGIS REST JS 

Manage a feature layer

Set the properties and capabilities of a hosted feature layer.

ArcGIS Online 

Access feature layer data

Use ArcGIS Online tools to access and display feature layer data.

ArcGIS Online Map Viewer Scene Viewer 

Publish a vector tile layer

Use ArcGIS Online to publish a vector tile layer.

ArcGIS Online 

Services

API support

Tools