Basemap layer service

The basemap layer service provides global basemap layers in a variety of styles to use in mapping applications. Basemap layers give geographic context to a map or scene by serving static tiles containing geographic reference data. This data includes, but is not limited to, topographic features, road networks, footpaths, building footprints, water features, administrative boundaries, and labels.

Key features

Some key features of the basemap layer service are:

• Basemap layers are highly optimized for fast, efficient rendering.
• Depending upon the basemap layer, data is served as vector tiles or image tiles:
  • Vector tiles contain vector data that is rendered on the client.
  • Image tiles are pre-rendered image files (typically PNGs or JPGs).
• Basemap layers include many different styles, including:
  • Day and night navigation styles, useful for driving.
  • Light and dark street focused styles, useful for urban areas.
  • Topographic and terrain styles, useful for rural areas.
  • Imagery from satellite and aerial sources that shows real-world geography.
  • Light and dark gray canvas for accentuating overlaid data.
• You can also create your own custom basemap layer styles using the ArcGIS Vector Tile Style Editor.
• Many basemap layers have options to show localized labels.
• Vector tile basemap layers can be configured to accommodate boundary disputes.
• Basemap layers can be used offline in applications built with ArcGIS Runtime APIs.

The basemap style you use depends on the purpose of your application, your users' needs, and on the nature of your application's data.

How the basemap layer service works

To access a basemap layer, you access the basemap style URLs to get a JSON definition for a particular basemap style. This definition includes references to one or more tile service URLs.

The basemap layer service includes two sets of URLs:

• Basemap style URLs provide a JSON style definition for a basemap style.
• Tile service URLs provide vector tiles or image tiles used by a basemap style.

Basemap styles

The basemap style URL provides an easy way to access the basemap style definitions. You request a basemap style by providing the basemapStyle and type parameters. The response is a JSON structure that defines the basemap style, including references to the individual tile layers used by the style. The format of the JSON structure depends on the type parameter.

Service URL

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https://basemaps-api.arcgis.com/arcgis/rest/services/styles/{basemapStyle}?type={type}&token=<ACCESS_TOKEN>

Parameters

Examples

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https://basemaps-api.arcgis.com/arcgis/rest/services/styles/ArcGIS:DarkGray/?type=style&token=<ACCESS_TOKEN>

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{
  "version": 8,
  "sprite": "https://cdn.arcgis.com/sharing/rest/content/items/5e9b3685f4c24d8781073dd928ebda50/resources/styles/../sprites/sprite?token=AAPKc56d587fc6774b2fb4d866c50b227bdeHgve6W4_2bXsjC6IkMHLmB0P5uyhjnrPmA42Ce3qm2IQbqWz2aLlaFFUAvwcxpjt",
  "glyphs": "https://basemaps-api.arcgis.com/arcgis/rest/services/World_Basemap_v2/VectorTileServer/resources/fonts/{fontstack}/{range}.pbf?token=AAPKc56d587fc6774b2fb4d866c50b227bdeHgve6W4_2bXsjC6IkMHLmB0P5uyhjnrPmA42Ce3qm2IQbqWz2aLlaFFUAvwcxpjt",
  "sources": {
    "esri": {
      "type": "vector",
      "url": "https://basemaps-api.arcgis.com/arcgis/rest/services/World_Basemap_v2/VectorTileServer?token=AAPKc56d587fc6774b2fb4d866c50b227bdeHgve6W4_2bXsjC6IkMHLmB0P5uyhjnrPmA42Ce3qm2IQbqWz2aLlaFFUAvwcxpjt",
      "minzoom": 0,
      "maxzoom": 16,
      "tiles": [
        "https://basemaps-api.arcgis.com/arcgis/rest/services/World_Basemap_v2/VectorTileServer/tile/{z}/{y}/{x}.pbf?token=AAPKc56d587fc6774b2fb4d866c50b227bdeHgve6W4_2bXsjC6IkMHLmB0P5uyhjnrPmA42Ce3qm2IQbqWz2aLlaFFUAvwcxpjt"
      ],
      "copyrightText": "Sources: Esri, HERE, Garmin, FAO, NOAA, USGS, © OpenStreetMap contributors, and the GIS User Community",
      "attribution": "Sources: Esri, HERE, Garmin, FAO, NOAA, USGS, © OpenStreetMap contributors, and the GIS User Community"
    }
  },
  "layers": [
    {
      "id": "background",
      "type": "background",
      "paint": {
        "background-color": "#1d2224"
      }
    },
    {
      "id": "Land",
      "type": "fill",
      "source": "esri",
      "source-layer": "Land",
      "minzoom": 0,
      "layout": {},
      "paint": {
        "fill-color": {
          "stops": [
            [
              0,
              "#3b3c3c"
            ],
            [
              12,
              "#353636"
            ],
            [
              15,
              "#323333"
            ]
          ]
        }
      }
    },
    {
      "id": "Urban area",
      "type": "fill",
      "source": "esri",
      "source-layer": "Urban area",
      "minzoom": 5,
      "maxzoom": 15,
      "layout": {},
      "paint": {
        "fill-color": {
          "stops": [
            [
              5,
              "#2F3030"
            ],
            [
              10,
              "#323333"
            ]
          ]
        }
      }
    },
    {
      "id": "Openspace or forest",
      "type": "fill",
      "source": "esri",
      "source-layer": "Openspace or forest",
      "minzoom": 12,
      "layout": {},
      "paint": {
        "fill-color": {
          "stops": [
            [
              7,
              "#373837"
            ],
            [
              9,
              "#373938"
            ]
          ]
        },
        "fill-outline-color": "#373938"
      }
    },
    {
      "id": "Admin0 forest or park",
      "type": "fill",
      "source": "esri",
      "source-layer": "Admin0 forest or park",
      "minzoom": 7,
      "layout": {},
      "paint": {
        "fill-color": {
          "stops": [
            [
              7,
              "#373837"
            ],
            [
              9,
              "#373938"
            ]
          ]
        },
        "fill-outline-color": "#373938"
      }
    },
    ...

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https://basemaps-api.arcgis.com/arcgis/rest/services/styles/ArcGIS:DarkGray/?type=webmap&token=<ACCESS_TOKEN>

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{
  "authoringApp": "ArcGIS Basemap Style API",
  "authoringAppVersion": "1.0",
  "version": "2.17",
  "operationalLayers": [],
  "baseMap": {
    "title": "ArcGIS:DarkGray",
    "baseMapLayers": [
      {
        "id": "5e9b3685f4c24d8781073dd928ebda50",
        "title": "World_Basemap_v2",
        "type": "VectorTileLayer",
        "layerType": "VectorTileLayer",
        "isReference": false,
        "styleUrl": "https://basemaps-api.arcgis.com/arcgis/rest/services/styles/ArcGIS:DarkGray:Base",
        "opacity": 1,
        "visibility": true
      },
      {
        "id": "747cb7a5329c478cbe6981076cc879c5",
        "title": "World_Basemap_v2",
        "type": "VectorTileLayer",
        "layerType": "VectorTileLayer",
        "isReference": true,
        "styleUrl": "https://basemaps-api.arcgis.com/arcgis/rest/services/styles/ArcGIS:DarkGray:Labels",
        "opacity": 1,
        "visibility": true
      }
    ]
  },
  "spatialReference": {
    "wkid": 102100,
    "latestWkid": 3857
  }
}

Tile services

You can access tile services directly with a URL. A basemap style definition JSON includes templates URLs to get individual basemap tiles which are displayed together to form a seamless map. Tiles are downloaded by providing x, y, and z (zoom level) values to the tile service.

A basemap style can use vector tiles and/or image tiles

Each component of a basemap (such as Base or Labels) will use a single type of tile

Vector tile URL

Vector tiles are served as PBF (Protocolbuffer Binary Format) tiles from https://basemaps-api.arcgis.com.

Vector tiles contain static vector data which is rendered on the client using the basemap style definition.

Template URL for ArcGIS provider tiles:

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https://basemaps-api.arcgis.com/arcgis/rest/services/World_Basemap_v2/VectorTileServer/tile/{z}/{y}/{x}.pbf?token=<ACCESS_TOKEN>

Template URL for OSM provider tiles:

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https://basemaps-api.arcgis.com/arcgis/rest/services/OpenStreetMap_v2/VectorTileServer/tile/{z}/{y}/{x}.pbf?token=<ACCESS_TOKEN>

Image tile URL

Image tiles are pre-rendered and are served as images from https://ibasemaps-api.arcgis.com

Tiles are typically 256x256 pixel, 96 ppi PNG or JPEG images

Template URL:

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https://ibasemaps-api.arcgis.com/arcgis/rest/services/{serviceName}/MapServer/tile/{z}/{y}/{x}?token=<ACCESS_TOKEN>

The full template URL including the serviceName is returned in the basemap style JSON.

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https://ibasemaps-api.arcgis.com/arcgis/rest/services/{serviceName}/MapServer?token=<ACCESS_TOKEN>

Custom basemap styles

Use the Vector Tile Style Editor to create custom basemap styles. These custom basemap styles use the same vector tiles as the default ArcGIS provider styles, but using your custom style definition.

API support

Authentication

Service data

Data providers

The data sources contributing to a basemap service layer depend on the layer. For example, imagery data is provided by a number of sources such as Maxar, Earthstar Geographics, CNES/Airbus DS, and GeoEye. Vector tile services derive their data from HERE, Garmin, FAO, NOAA, USGS, OpenStreetMap contributors, and local authorities (provided via the community maps program). The dedicated OpenStreetMap maps are 100% OpenStreetMap data.

Detail and accuracy

The detail and accuracy of the data varies across the globe.

Projections

Basemaps service layers are published in the Web Mercator (Auxiliary Sphere) projection.

Languages

Basemaps service layers have global labeling in English. Vector tile basemap layers are available in other languages.

Boundary disputes

Vector basemap service layers can be configured to display disputed boundaries according to a specific world view. This requires modifying the style definition JSON.

The source Esri Community Map data used to build the vector tiles has disputed boundaries defined for many areas around the world. In the Esri vector basemaps, internationally recognized national boundaries (e.g. United States / Canada border) are typically represented with different types of “solid” lines while disputed boundaries (e.g. parts of French Guiana / Suriname border) are typically represented with “dashed” lines. In some cases, a country will want to not render (i.e. make invisible) a disputed boundary that it does not recognize. See this blog for an example of how to change the JSON code and apply the DisputeID code in the filter for boundary lines.

Visit this web map to view details of all the disputed boundaries, with DisputeID codes, configured in the Esri Vector Basemaps.

Tutorials

Display a map

Create and display a map with the basemap layer service.

Display a scene

Display a scene with the basemap layer service.

Add a point, line, and polygon

Display point, line, and polygon graphics in a map.

Add a feature layer

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

Display a web map

Create and display a map from a web map.

Display a web scene

Create and display a scene from a web scene.

Change the basemap layer

Switch a basemap layer from streets to satellite imagery.

Create a web map

Use Map Viewer to create a web map for your application.

Create a web scene

Use Scene Viewer to create a web scene for your application.