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
Parameters
token
The access token used to access the service. The value can be an API Key or OAuth 2.0 token.
Learn more about access tokens and authentication methods in Security and authentication.
basemapStyle
The basemapStyle
is specified as part of the URL. It can reference the default basemap styles, or a custom basemap style created with the ArcGIS Vector Tile Style Editor.
Default basemap styles
Here are the available default basemap styles:
ArcGIS:ColoredPencil | ArcGIS:Community |
ArcGIS:Nova | ArcGIS:ChartedTerritory |
ArcGIS:Midcentury | ArcGIS:ChartedTerritory:Base |
ArcGIS:Newspaper | |
ArcGIS:ModernAntique | |
ArcGIS:ModernAntique:Base |
basemapStyle
is constructed of two or three parts:
{Provider}:{Style name}
or{Provider}:{Style name}:{Component}
where the parts are:
- Provider is the source of the basemap layer content: either
ArcGIS
orOSM
. - Style name defines the look of the basemap layer.
- Component optionally specifies a particular component of a multi-layer basemap. This is typically
Base
orLabels
.
Providers
Many basemaps contain content from the ArcGIS Community Basemap, such as:
ArcGIS:DarkGray
- The data content provider is
ArcGIS
. - The style of the basemap is
DarkGray
.
- The data content provider is
Some styles can contain OpenStreetMap content instead. For example:
OSM:DarkGray
- The data content provider is
OSM
(OpenStreetMap). - The style of the basemap is
DarkGray
.
- The data content provider is
Learn more about basemap layer data content providers.
Components
Some basemap styles include multiple layers. For example, DarkGray
includes a base layer and a labels layer:
ArcGIS:DarkGray:Base
- The data content provider is
ArcGIS
. - The style of the basemap is
DarkGray
. - The component of the
DarkGray
basemap is theBase
layer. This provides the geographic content of the basemap, displayed behind data layers.
- The data content provider is
ArcGIS:DarkGray:Labels
- The data content provider is
ArcGIS
. - The style of the basemap is
DarkGray
. - The component of the
DarkGray
basemap is theLabels
layer. This provides labels and boundaries that are overlaid on top of data layers.
- The data content provider is
If a component is not specified for a multi-layer basemap style, then the returned JSON will include references to all components of the style.
ArcGIS:DarkGray
- The data content provider is
ArcGIS
. - The style of the basemap is
DarkGray
. - There is no component specifier; this is the entire
DarkGray
ArcGIS basemap, includingBase
andLabels
layers.
- The data content provider is
Not all basemap styles are multi-layer basemap layers. For example: ArcGIS:Navigation
, ArcGIS:Topographic
, and OSM:Streets
.
Custom basemap styles
basemapStyle
is the item ID of a custom basemap style created with the ArcGIS Vector Tile Style Editor, for example d2ff12395aeb45998c1b154e25d680e5
.
type
The type
parameter specifies whether to return the basemap JSON as an Esri web map, or as a Mapbox style definition.
Type | Description |
---|---|
style | Mapbox style JSON: This is defined by the Mapbox Style Specification. This format is typically used by open source and third party APIs. The JSON response is a JSON style definition with references to individuals layers. |
webmap | Esri web map JSON: This is defined by the Esri Web Map Specification. This format is typically used by ArcGIS APIs. The JSON response is ArcGIS web map JSON containing a baseMap object with references to individual layers). |
Examples
Get a basemap style with type style
Get the ArcGIS:DarkGray
basemap style definition with the type=style
. This is typically used by non-ArcGIS APIs.
Get a basemap style with type webmap
Get the ArcGIS:DarkGray
basemap style definition with type=webmap
. Typically used by ArcGIS APIs.
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 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:
Template URL for OSM
provider tiles:
Image tile URL
Image tiles are pre-rendered and are served as images from https://ibasemaps-api.arcgis.com
Template URL:
The full template URL including the serviceName
is returned in the basemap style JSON.
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
Vector tile basemaps | Image tile basemaps | Offline | |
---|---|---|---|
ArcGIS API for JavaScript | |||
ArcGIS API for Android | |||
ArcGIS API for iOS | |||
ArcGIS API for .NET | |||
ArcGIS API for Qt | |||
ArcGIS API for Java | |||
ArcGIS API for Python | |||
ArcGIS REST JS | |||
Esri Leaflet | |||
MapBox GL JS | |||
Open Layers |
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.
- ArcGIS Identity: A temporary token that gives your application access to the private content and services authorized to an existing ArcGIS user's account.
- Application credential: A temporary token generated via OAuth 2.0 that can authorize access to ready-to-use services. See usage restrictions.
Learn more about getting access tokens in Security and 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
Access and display point, line, and polygon features from a feature service

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.