Hosted vector tile layers

A vector tile layer displaying tile data for parcels published as a hosted vector tile layer

What is a 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.

How a hosted vector tile layer works

You create hosted vector tile layers by using data management tools to convert a hosted feature layer to a hosted vector tile layer. This process is known as publishing a vector tile layer. When a vector tile layer is created, an item and a vector tile service are created. The item ID is a unique identifier for the layer. You use an item page to manage the layer and the service to access the data.

Access hosted vector tile layers and vector tile services from your applications.

Manage a vector tile layer

An item page allows you to manage the properties and settings for a hosted vector tile layer. You can access an item page by signing in to your developer dashboard or ArcGIS Online. Once signed in, you can set properties such as the name, description, tags, and sharing settings.

View a vector tile layer item page

To access an item page directly, use a portal search URL with the item ID. The portal URL for data hosted in the ArcGIS Platform is https://www.arcgis.com. To use this URL, the item must be shared publicly.

https://www.arcgis.com/home/item.html?id=<ID>

Example: https://www.arcgis.com/home/item.html?id=f0298e881b5b4743bbdf2c7d378acc84

Access a vector tile layer

You can discover information about a vector tile layer by accessing the service endpoint directly. The endpoint returns properties such as the layer name, item ID, spatial reference, extent, and tile and style information.

Get vector tile layer properties

To access the vector tile layer or get properties, use a URL with the host, unique service ID, and service name.

https://<host>/<uniqueID>/arcgis/rest/services/<serviceName>/VectorTileServer

Example: https://vectortileservices3.arcgis.com/GVgbJbqm8hXASVYi/arcgis/rest/services/Santa_Monica_Mountains_Parcels_VTL/VectorTileServer/?f=pjson

Get vector tile styles

To access the service styles, use a URL with the host, unique service ID, and path to root.json.

https://<host>/<uniqueID>/arcgis/rest/services/<serviceName>/VectorTileServer/resources/styles/root.json

Example: https://vectortileservices3.arcgis.com/GVgbJbqm8hXASVYi/arcgis/rest/services/Santa_Monica_Mountains_Parcels_VTL/VectorTileServer/resources/styles/root.json

Get vector tile layer data

To access layer data, use a URL with the host, unique service ID, and path to tiles in {z}/{y}/{x} format.

https://<host>/<uniqueID>/arcgis/rest/services/<serviceName>/VectorTileServer/tile/{z}/{y}/{x}.pbf

Example: https://vectortileservices3.arcgis.com/GVgbJbqm8hXASVYi/arcgis/rest/services/Santa_Monica_Mountains_Parcels_VTL/VectorTileServer/tile/12/1635/695.pbf

Examples

Display a vector tile layer

To display a hosted vector tile layer, you reference the layer by its URL or ID, and then add it to a map or scene. The API communicates with the service to retrieve data for the current visible extent. ArcGIS APIs optimize data access by utilizing the service functionality and caching.

Steps

Create a map or scene.
Get the hosted vector tile layer URL.
Add the layer.

ArcGIS JS API

Esri Leaflet

Mapbox GL JS

OpenLayers

ArcGIS .NET API

ArcGIS Android API

ArcGIS iOS API

ArcGIS Java API

ArcGIS Qt API (C++)

ArcGIS Qt API (QML)

<html>
  <head>
    <meta charset="utf-8" />
    <meta
      name="viewport"
      content="initial-scale=1,maximum-scale=1,user-scalable=no"
    />
    <!-- ArcGIS Mapping APIs and Location Services Guide
  Learn more: https://developers.arcgis.com/documentation/mapping-apis-and-services/maps/
-->
<title>ArcGIS Developer Guide: Display a vector tile layer</title>

    <style>
      html,
      body,
      #viewDiv {
        padding: 0;
        margin: 0;
        height: 100%;
        width: 100%;
      }
    </style>

<link rel="stylesheet" href="https://js.arcgis.com/4.20/esri/themes/light/main.css">
<script src="https://js.arcgis.com/4.20/"></script>

<script>
  require([
    "esri/config",
    "esri/Map",
    "esri/layers/VectorTileLayer",
    "esri/views/MapView"

  ],(esriConfig, Map, VectorTileLayer, MapView)=> {


    esriConfig.apiKey = "YOUR_API_KEY";

    const parcelsLayer = new VectorTileLayer({
      url: "https://vectortileservices3.arcgis.com/GVgbJbqm8hXASVYi/arcgis/rest/services/Santa_Monica_Mountains_Parcels_Styled/VectorTileServer/resources/styles/root.json",
      opacity: 0.75
    });

    const map = new Map({
      basemap: "arcgis-light-gray",
      layers: [parcelsLayer]
    });


    const view = new MapView({
      container: "viewDiv",
      center: [-118.80543,34.02700],
      zoom: 12,
      map: map,
      constraints: {
        snapToZoom: false
      }
    });
  });
</script>
</head>

<body>
<div id="viewDiv"></div>
</body>
</html>

Tutorials

Add a feature layer

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

Add a vector tile layer

Access and display a vector tile layer in a map.

Add an image tile layer

Access and display an image tile layer in a map.

Style a feature layer

Use symbols and renderers to style feature layers.

Query a feature layer (spatial)

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

Query a feature layer (SQL)

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

Edit feature data

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

Display a pop-up

Format a pop-up to show attributes in a feature layer.

Services

Feature service

Add, update, delete, and query feature data.

Vector tile service

Store and access vector tile data.

Image tile service

Store and access image tile data.

API support

	Import and create data	Manage data access	Manage data properties	Display data	Query data	Edit data
Developer dashboard	Fully supported	Layers only.	Layers and services only.	Fully supported	Not supported	Not supported
ArcGIS Online	Fully supported	Fully supported	Fully supported	Fully supported	Fully supported	Fully supported
Map Viewer	Create layers.	Web maps only.	Web maps and layers only.	Fully supported	Fully supported	Fully supported
Scene Viewer	Not supported	Web scenes only.	Web scenes and layers only.	Fully supported	Fully supported	Fully supported
ArcGIS Pro (desktop)	Fully supported	Fully supported	Fully supported	Fully supported	Fully supported	Fully supported

Full supportPartial support (see notes)Not supported

	Import and create data	Display data	Query data	Edit data
ArcGIS API for JavaScript	Not supported	Fully supported	Fully supported	Fully supported
ArcGIS Runtime API for Android	Not supported	Fully supported	Fully supported	Fully supported
ArcGIS Runtime API for iOS	Not supported	Fully supported	Fully supported	Fully supported
ArcGIS Runtime API for Java	Not supported	Fully supported	Fully supported	Fully supported
ArcGIS Runtime API for .NET	Not supported	Fully supported	Fully supported	Fully supported
ArcGIS Runtime API for Qt	Not supported	Fully supported	Fully supported	Fully supported
ArcGIS API for Python	Fully supported	Not supported	Fully supported	Fully supported
Esri Leaflet	Not supported	Fully supported	Requires ArcGIS REST JS	Requires ArcGIS REST JS
MapBox GL JS	Not supported	Fully supported	Requires ArcGIS REST JS	Requires ArcGIS REST JS
OpenLayers	Not supported	Fully supported	Requires ArcGIS REST JS	Requires ArcGIS REST JS
ArcGIS REST JS	Authentication and portal access.	Not supported	Fully supported	Fully supported

Full supportPartial support (see notes)Not supported

Tools

Developer dashboard

Manage API keys, service usage, and data with the ArcGIS Developers website.

ArcGIS Online

Create, manage, and share content and data with cloud-based GIS tools.

Map Viewer

Create, explore, and share web maps for 2D applications.

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DocumentationMapping APIs and services

Hosted vector tile layers

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