How to work with data services

1. Create a service

To create a data serviceData services, also known as hosted data services, are services created dynamically to store and provide access to your data in ArcGIS. Examples are feature services, vector tile services, map tile services, image services, and scene services.Learn more, you use a data management toolData management tools are ArcGIS software applications and functionality in portal and ArcGIS Pro that can be used by developers to create, manage, and edit content and data such as web maps, hosted layers, and data services for their applications.Learn more to publish a new service. The most common workflow is to import data from external data sources to create new feature layersA feature layer (server-side) is a spatially-enabled table in a feature service. All features in a feature layer share the same geometry type and set of fields.Learn more in a feature service. Once a feature layerA feature layer (server-side) is a spatially-enabled table in a feature service. All features in a feature layer share the same geometry type and set of fields.Learn more (and feature service) is created, you can publish additional types of services such as vector tile services and map tile services. For each service published, a hosted layerA hosted layer is an item in a portal that contains the properties and settings for a hosted data service or a layer in a hosted data service.Learn more (item) is also created so you can access and manage the service and the layers within it. The diagram below illustrates the workflow.

2. Manage a service

To manage a data serviceData services, also known as hosted data services, are services created dynamically to store and provide access to your data in ArcGIS. Examples are feature services, vector tile services, map tile services, image services, and scene services.Learn more, you use a data management toolData management tools are ArcGIS software applications and functionality in portal and ArcGIS Pro that can be used by developers to create, manage, and edit content and data such as web maps, hosted layers, and data services for their applications.Learn more to access a service's hosted layerA hosted layer is an item in a portal that contains the properties and settings for a hosted data service or a layer in a hosted data service.Learn more (item). The tool you use depends on the type of ArcGIS product and account you have, and the type of management operation you would like to perform. You can update hosted layerA hosted layer is an item in a portal that contains the properties and settings for a hosted data service or a layer in a hosted data service.Learn more (item) properties such as the item name and description, data service capabilities, and sharing and security settings. You can also perform other administration operations such as setting the data cache timeouts, uploading and replacing data, and exporting data. The diagram below illustrates the workflow.

3. Access a service

After you create and manage a data serviceData services, also known as hosted data services, are services created dynamically to store and provide access to your data in ArcGIS. Examples are feature services, vector tile services, map tile services, image services, and scene services.Learn more, you access the underlying data with an HTTP request to the service. The structure of the request is defined by the ArcGIS REST APIArcGIS REST APIs are the API specifications for all ArcGIS location services and ArcGIS Enterprise services. They define the operations, parameters, and structures required to make HTTPS requests.Learn more. The URL assigned to each service is unique and can be found in the hosted layerA hosted layer is an item in a portal that contains the properties and settings for a hosted data service or a layer in a hosted data service.Learn more (item) or item pageAn item page is a web page in ArcGIS Online or the developer dashboard used to access and manage the properties for an item and the content it references such as a web map, hosted layer, or file.Learn more for the service. To access the service, you can use ArcGIS Maps SDKsArcGIS Maps SDKs are developer products for building mapping and spatial analysis applications for web browsers, native devices, and game engines.Learn more, open source libraries, or scripting APIs. An access tokenAn access token is an authorization string that provides access to secure ArcGIS content, data, and services. Its capabilities are determined by the privileges it supports. It is obtained by implementing API key authentication, User authentication, or App authentication.Learn more is also required if the sharing level is not public.

The URLs below illustrate how to make requests to get data from different data services.

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https://{host}/{organizationId}/arcgis/rest/services/{serviceName}/FeatureServer/{id}/query?{parameters}&token={access_token}

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https://{host}/{organizationId}/arcgis/rest/services/{serviceName}/VectorTileServer/tile/{z}/{y}/{x}.pbf?token={access_token}

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https://{host}/{organizationId}/arcgis/rest/services/{serviceName}/MapServer/tile/{z}/{y}/{x}?token={access_token}

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https://{host}/{organizationId}/arcgis/rest/services/{serviceName}/FeatureServer/{id}/query?{parameters}&token={access_token}

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https://{host}/{organizationId}/arcgis/rest/services/{serviceName}/VectorTileServer/tile/{z}/{y}/{x}.pbf?token={access_token}

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https://{host}/{organizationId}/arcgis/rest/services/{serviceName}/MapServer/tile/{z}/{y}/{x}?token={access_token}

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https://{host}/{webadaptor}/rest/services/Hosted/{serviceName}/FeatureServer/{id}/query?{parameters}&token={access_token}

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https://{host}/{webadaptor}/rest/services/Hosted/{serviceName}/VectorTileServer/tile/{z}/{y}/{x}.pbf?token={access_token}

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https://{host}/{webadaptor}/rest/services/Hosted/{serviceName}/MapServer/tile/{z}/{y}/{x}?token={access_token}

Tutorials

Import data to create a feature layer

Use data management tools to import files and create a feature layer in a feature service.

ArcGIS portal

Define a new feature layer

Use data management tools to define and create a new empty feature layer in a feature service.

ArcGIS portalPython APIREST JS

Manage a feature layer

Use a hosted feature layer item to set the properties and settings of a feature layer in a feature service.

ArcGIS portal

Create a vector tile service

Use data management tools to create a new vector tile service from a feature service.

ArcGIS portalPython APIREST JS

Create a map tile service

Use ArcGIS Online or scripting APIs to publish a map tile service.

ArcGIS portalPython APIREST JS

Add a feature layer

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

JavaScript Maps SDKKotlin Maps SDKSwift Maps SDK.NET Maps SDKJava Maps SDKQt Maps SDKLeafletMapLibre GL JSOpenLayersCesiumJSPython APIREST JS

Add a vector tile layer

Access and display a vector tile layer in a map.

JavaScript Maps SDKLeafletMapLibre GL JSOpenLayers

Add a map tile layer

Access and display a map tile layer in a map.

LeafletMapLibre GL JSOpenLayersCesiumJS

Style a feature layer

Use symbols and renderers to style feature layers.

JavaScript Maps SDKKotlin Maps SDKSwift Maps SDK.NET Maps SDKJava Maps SDKQt Maps SDKLeafletMapLibre GL JSOpenLayersCesiumJS

Query a feature layer (spatial)

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

JavaScript Maps SDKLeafletMapLibre GL JSOpenLayersCesiumJSPython APIREST JSREST API

Query a feature layer (SQL)

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

JavaScript Maps SDKKotlin Maps SDKSwift Maps SDK.NET Maps SDKJava Maps SDKQt Maps SDKLeafletMapLibre GL JSOpenLayersCesiumJSPython APIREST JSREST API

Edit feature data

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

JavaScript Maps SDKPython APIREST JSREST API

Display a popup

Format a popup to show attributes in a feature layer.

JavaScript Maps SDKLeafletMapLibre GL JSOpenLayersCesiumJS

Workflows

Create a feature service for an app

Learn how to import parcel data, create and style a feature layer, and then access the features in an app.

Create a feature layer view for an editor app

Learn how to import parcel data, create and style a feature layer view, and then access the features in an editing app.

Create a vector tile service for an app

Learn how to import parcel data, style a feature layer, and then create a vector tile service for an app.

Create a map tile service for an app

Learn how to import contour data, style a feature layer, and create a map tile service for an app.

Services

API support

Use data management toolsData management tools are ArcGIS software applications and functionality in portal and ArcGIS Pro that can be used by developers to create, manage, and edit content and data such as web maps, hosted layers, and data services for their applications.Learn more or Client APIsA Client API is a web, native, or scripting Application Programming Interface (including all ArcGIS, open source, and third-party APIs) that has mapping capabilities and can be used to access ArcGIS location services.Learn more to create, manage, and access data servicesData services, also known as hosted data services, are services created dynamically to store and provide access to your data in ArcGIS. Examples are feature services, vector tile services, map tile services, image services, and scene services.Learn more. The table below outlines the level of support for each API.

Tools