Getting started with data hosting

What is data hosting?

Data hosting is the process of securely storing and managing your data as a data service in ArcGIS. When data is hosted, you can build applications to easily access and display your data through data services.

You can use data hosting to:

• Import data in CSV, XLS, GeoJSON, Shapefile and other formats.
• Convert data to new data formats.
• Access data through feature services, vector tile services, and image tile services.
• Perform SQL and spatial queries on your data.
• Edit and track edits for feature data.
• Access feature data in JSON or GeoJSON format.
• Optimize data with indexes and caching.
• Upload and download data.
• Take data offline.
• Securely manage private and public data.

How data hosting works

To host data, you need an ArcGIS account. An account gives you access to a private space in ArcGIS to store and manage data. An account also allows you to sign in and access data management tools in ArcGIS Online and the developer dashboard, and a number of other tools such as Map Viewer and Scene Viewer, which can be used to view, edit, and perform analyses on any data you wish to use in your applications.

Data management tools allow you to import data, create new data, or convert existing data. Each time you add or create data, a new hosted layer is created with an item and a layer in a data service. The item manages the layer properties and capabilities, and the data service accesses the layer data. Each item has a unique ID. The type of item and service created depends upon the type of data and tool used.

After a hosted layer is created, applications can easily access and display its data by referencing the layer's item ID or data service URL.

For example:

• Item ID: https://www.arcgis.com/home/item.html?id=883cedb8c9fe4524b64d47666ed234a7

• URL: https://services3.arcgis.com/GVgbJbqm8hXASVYi/ArcGIS/rest/services/Trailheads/FeatureServer/0

Types of hosted layers

You can store and manage different types of data as hosted layers in ArcGIS. Each type of hosted layer references a specific type of data service. Each data service supports a specific set of operations. Therefore, the functionality available in a hosted layer is determined by the type of data service it references. In general, all data services allow client applications to optimally access and display data in maps and scenes.

Hosted feature layer

A hosted feature layer is a reference to a feature layer in a feature service used to store your data. A feature layer is a spatially-enabled table that contains features with a geometry and attributes. Applications can use feature layers to access, query, edit, and display features in a map or scene.

You use a hosted feature layer when you want to:

• Import files such as CSV, XLS, or Google Sheets with coordinate information.
• Store collections of geometry and attribute data as features.
• Access and display features in maps and scenes.
• Securely share data with applications and users.
• Optimize accessing and displaying large amounts of features.
• Edit data and track edits.
• Perform SQL or spatial queries.
• Update or export data.
• Use feature data in offline applications.

Hosted table

A hosted table is a reference to a table in a feature service used to store your data. It contains features with attributes but no geometry. Applications can use hosted tables to access, query, and edit data as stand-alone tables or as related tables.

Hosted tables are created by importing files such CSV, XLS, or Google Sheets that do not have spatial data associated with them. Learn more in Data publishing.

Use hosted tables when you want to:

• Import files such as CSV, XLS, or Google Sheets without coordinate information.
• Store collections of data.
• Optimize accessing large amounts of data.
• Create related tables for other hosted layers.
• Edit features and track edits (add, update, and delete).
• Perform SQL queries.
• Update or export data.
• Use non-spatial data in offline applications.

Hosted vector tile layer

A hosted vector tile layer is a reference to a vector tile layer in a vector tile service used to store your data. Applications can use a vector tile layer to access and display vector tiles in a map or scene.

You use hosted vector tile layers when you want to:

• Convert feature layers to vector tile layers.
• Store and access data as pre-cached (static) vector tiles in PFB format.
• Provide styles for tiles that are rendered on the client and can be re-styled.
• Provide high-resolution rendering on different devices.
• Create and use your own basemap layer styles with the Vector Tile Style Editor.
• Optimize accessing and displaying large amounts of data as tiles.
• Use vector tile data in offline applications.

Hosted image tile layer

A hosted image tile layer is a reference to an image tile layer in an image tile service used to store your data. Applications can use image tile layers to display large amounts of geographic data in a map or scene with static image files.

You use hosted image tile layers when you want to:

• Convert feature layers to image tile layers.
• Store and access data as pre-cached image tiles in different formats e.g. JPEG or PNG.
• Optimize accessing and displaying large amounts of data as tiles.
• Use image tile data in offline applications.

Hosted WFS layer

A hosted WFS layer is a reference to a layer in a feature service that returns data as OGC-compliant WFS features. Applications use hosted WFS layers to access, query, and display features in a map or scene.

You can publish a hosted WFS layer from a hosted feature layer.

You use hosted WFS layers when you want to:

• Access data as OGC-compliant features.
• Optimize accessing and displaying large amounts of data as WFS features.

Hosted scene layer

A hosted scene layer is a reference to a scene service with data that conforms to the I3S specification. Applications can use a scene layer to access and display 3D data in scenes.

You can create hosted scene layers from hosted feature layers (points only), or you can publish different types of 3D data as hosted scene layers from ArcGIS Pro. ArcGIS Pro can publish 3D data such as 3D objects, buildings, point clouds, or integrated meshes.

You use hosted scene layers when you want to:

• Store 3D in I3S format.
• Access and view 3D data in different clients.
• Optimize accessing and displaying large amounts of 3D data.
• Use 3D data in offline applications.

Hosted layers comparison

The following compares the different types of hosted layers.

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 

Add a feature layer

Access and display point, line, and polygon features from a feature service

JavaScript .NETJava Qt Esri Leaflet MapLibre OpenLayers 

Add a vector tile layer

Access and display a vector tile layer in a map.

JavaScript Esri Leaflet MapLibre OpenLayers 

Add an image tile layer

Access and display an image tile layer in a map.

Esri Leaflet MapLibre OpenLayers 

Style a feature layer

Use symbols and renderers to style feature layers.

JavaScript .NETJava Qt Esri Leaflet MapLibre OpenLayers 

Query a feature layer (spatial)

Execute a spatial query to get features from a feature layer.

JavaScript Esri Leaflet MapLibre OpenLayers ArcGIS REST JS REST 

Query a feature layer (SQL)

Execute a SQL query to access polygon features from a feature layer.

JavaScript Esri Leaflet MapLibre OpenLayers ArcGIS REST JS REST .NET Qt 

Edit feature data

Add, update, and delete features in a feature service.

JavaScript ArcGIS REST JS REST 

Display a popup

Format a popup to show attributes in a feature layer.

JavaScript Esri Leaflet MapLibre OpenLayers 

Services

API support

Tools