Image tile service

An image tile service is a type of data service that stores and provides access to image tiles. An image tile service can also package image tiles for offline use as image tile packages. Image tile services are created and managed using data management tools and are accessed with a REST API.

Mapping applications typically use client APIs and image tile services to access and display image tiles in a map or scene.

Image tile layers showing the 2018 Kilauea eruption with data published as hosted image tile services

Key features

  • Securely store image tiles in ArcGIS.
  • Efficiently display large amounts of pre-rendered geographic data.
  • Create image tile services from feature layers.
  • Access and view image tiles while offline.

How to use an image tile service

You typically use an image tile service by:

  1. Creating an image tile service using data managament tools.
  2. Displaying image tiles from the image tile service in a map or scene.

How an image tile service works

An image tile service is accessed using the base service URL and consists of properties describing the service. Some key properties are:

  • Name
  • Default geographic extent for viewing tiles
  • Bounding geographic extent for all tiles
  • Supported image formats
  • Tiling information

An image tile service also provides:

  • A REST API for programmatic access.
  • A web page for exploring and interacting with the image tile service.
  • Operations for working offline with image tiles stored in the image tile service.

Image tile service URL

Image tile services only support an enhanced endpoint. To access an image tile service, use the host, unique service ID, and service name.

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https://<host>/arcgis/rest/services/<serviceName>/MapServer

For example:

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https://services.arcgisonline.com/arcgis/rest/services/World_Imagery/MapServer

Learn more about standard and enhanced endpoints in Service endpoints.

Required parameters

f

The format of the query response:

  • json
  • pjson
  • geojson
  • html
  • pbf

ArcGIS client APIs use json (or pbf when displaying content in a map view or scene view). Many open source APIs use geojson.

To see which formats are supported for a particular feature layer, see the supportsQueryFormats property of the feature layer.

token

The access token used to access restricted operations or private content. The value can be an API Key or OAuth 2.0 token.

Image tile URL

To get an image tile from an image tile service, use the host, unique service ID, and service name, and path to tiles in {z}/{y}/{x} format.

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https://<host>/arcgis/rest/services/<serviceName>/MapServer/tile/{z}/{y}/{x}

Example:

Learn more about standard and enhanced endpoints in Service endpoints.

Code examples

View an image tile service web page

Explore an image tile service by visiting its web page:

Get tile format information from an image tile service

Get the image tile service description properties for this service as formatted JSON.

The service is shared with everyone, so no token is required.

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https://services.arcgisonline.com/arcgis/rest/services/World_Imagery/MapServer?f=json

Authentication

To make authenticated requests you need to use one of the following:

  • API key: A permanent token that grants your application access to ready-to-use services and, with an ArcGIS Developer account, private content (currently in beta).
  • User authentication (formerly _ArcGIS identity): Grants a short-lived token, generated via OAuth 2.0, giving your application permission to access the content and services authorized to an existing ArcGIS user's account.

Learn more about getting access tokens in Security and authentication.

API support

Import and create dataDisplay dataQuery dataEdit data
ArcGIS Maps SDK for JavaScript
ArcGIS Maps SDK for Kotlin
ArcGIS Maps SDK for Swift
ArcGIS Maps SDK for Java
ArcGIS Maps SDK for .NET
ArcGIS Maps SDK for Qt
ArcGIS API for Python
ArcGIS REST JS1
Esri Leaflet22
MapLibre GL JS322
OpenLayers322
Full supportPartial supportNo support
  • 1. Access portal via HTTP request and authentication.
  • 2. Access via ArcGIS REST JS.
  • 3. Requires manual application of renderers

Pricing

To determine how much it costs to access the service:

  1. If you have an ArcGIS Developer account, go to Pricing. Transactions are billed in US dollars. A free tier of transactions may be available.
  2. If you have an ArcGIS Online account, go to Understand credits. Transactions are billed in credits.

Tutorials

To learn how to work with image tile services that are hosted in ArcGIS, try the following tutorial.

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