Types of apps | Documentation

Use the portal service to search for different types of public or private content.

The ArcGIS portal service enables the creation of two main types of applications:

Admin apps focus on organizing and securing geospatial data, implementing access controls, version management, and metadata organization.
Content-driven applications leverage curated data to create interactive maps, dashboards, and custom applications, enhancing user engagement and enabling data-driven decision-making.

Admin apps

A content management application is a tool designed using 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 or REST APIs, enabling direct interaction with the portal service. Developers utilize these APIs to create applications that can efficiently perform fundamental operations. These operations include:

Creating new geospatial items
Accessing existing resources
Managing users permissions and groups within the portal.

By automating tasks such as data creation and user management, these applications simplify the process of organizing and securing geospatial data. Content management applications streamline essential functions, ensuring the portal's content remains well-organized and accessible.

Example apps

You can build applications that:

Search for public or private content.
Create new items.
Manage and update item properties.
Organize content.
Create groups, assign users, and share items.
Update an item's content.

Workflows

The general steps for building content management applications are:

Connect to the portal service at https://www.arcgis.com/sharing/rest.
Make requests to the portal service. An access token may be required.

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 are required to make requests to restricted operations in the portal service, such as accessing private content or creating new content. In most cases, you will need to use an OAuth 2.0 token because API keys only provide access to private content such as feature layers and vector tile layers. To access all other restricted operations, an OAuth 2.0 token is required.

Get a content item

Learn how to retrieve an item using the portal service.

Content-driven applications

Content-driven applications are created through a practical approach called the tools-first workflow. This method prioritizes efficiency and user-friendly development. Initially, developers use interactive tool like the portalArcGIS portal, also known as a portal, is a website with applications and tools that can be used to create, manage, access, and share geospatial content and data. It supports security and authentication, developer credentials, content and data service management, user and group management, and site administration. A portal can be hosted in Esri's infrastructure or your own infrastructure.Learn more to design content within the portal. These tools offer intuitive interfaces allowing users to create detailed maps and datasets without diving into complex coding.

Once the content is authored in the portal, developers can focus on building customized web applicationsA web app is a mapping, analysis, or data-driven application that runs in a web browser. In most cases they are configurable and are hosted in ArcGIS.Learn more that access this existing content. This approach significantly reduces development time and complexity. Instead of starting from scratch, developers can use the pre-made content available in the portal in their apps.

For instance, creating and styling a web mapA web map is a map stored as a JSON object that defines properties such as the basemap layer, data layers, layer styles, and pop-up styles. Its JSON structure is defined by the web map specification.Learn more becomes much simpler when done using the Map Viewer. It is far easier to then display this pre-styled map in a web app rather than having to write extensive code to create and style the entire map from scratch. This approach streamlines the development process, making it more efficient and less time-consuming.

Example tools

Tools that can create content for applications are:

Map ViewerMap Viewer is a browser-based mapping tool that can view, create, and save web maps. It can also perform mapping, visualization, and spatial analysis operations.Learn more: Create and style layers in a web map.
Scene ViewerScene Viewer(™) is a browser-based mapping tool that can view, create, and save web scenes.Learn more: Create and style layers in a web scene.
PortalArcGIS portal, also known as a portal, is a website with applications and tools that can be used to create, manage, access, and share geospatial content and data. It supports security and authentication, developer credentials, content and data service management, user and group management, and site administration. A portal can be hosted in Esri's infrastructure or your own infrastructure.Learn more: Import data as a feature layer and set its properties, publish a vector tile layer.
ArcGIS Vector Tile Style EditorThe ArcGIS Vector Tile Style Editor is a web-based application used to create, edit, and save a custom style for vector tile basemap layer.Learn more: Style a basemap layer.

Workflows

The general steps for building content-driven applications are:

Create content such as a web map, web scene, or hosted layer with tools.
Manage the content items with tools.
Access the content items with a custom application.

Create and access a web map

Learn how to create and display a web map.

Create and access a web scene

Learn how to create and display a web scene.

Create and access a feature service

Learn how to create and display a feature service.

Create and access a vector tile service

Learn how to create and display a vector tile service.

Create and access a custom basemap style

Learn how to create and display a custom basemap style.

Services

Portal service

Store, manage, and access private and public content.

API support

	Search	Items	Users	Groups	Settings	Security
ArcGIS Maps SDK for JavaScript			¹	¹	¹	¹
ArcGIS Maps SDK for .NET			¹	¹	¹	¹
ArcGIS Maps SDK for Kotlin			¹	¹	¹	¹
ArcGIS Maps SDK for Swift			¹	¹	¹	¹
ArcGIS Maps SDK for Flutter			¹	¹	¹	¹
ArcGIS Maps SDK for Java			¹	¹	¹	¹
ArcGIS Maps SDK for Qt			¹	¹	¹	¹
ArcGIS API for Python
ArcGIS REST JS
Leaflet	²	²	²	²	²	²
MapLibre GL JS	²	²	²	²	²	²
OpenLayers	²	²	²	²	²	²
CesiumJS	²	²	²	²	²	²

Full supportPartial supportNo support

1. Limited operations, use HTTP requests.
2. Access via ArcGIS REST JS.

Tools

Use tools to access the portal and create and manage content for applications.

ArcGIS Enterprise

Create, manage, analyze, and share data, maps, and applications in your organization.

Portal

Create, manage, and access content and data services for applications.

Map Viewer

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

Scene Viewer

Create, style, and explore web scenes.

Vector Tile Style Editor

Create styles for basemap and vector tile layers.

Content management tools

Create, manage, organize, and share items in a portal.

Data management tools

Import data and create hosted layers and data services. Upload and manage documents, images, and other files.

Spatial analysis tools

Perform feature and raster analysis to create new datasets with the Map Viewer.

Developer credentials tool

Create API key and OAuth 2.0 developer credentials for custom applications.

Items

Manage and share items.

ArcGIS Pro

Create, style, and explore maps and scenes.

Geoprocessing tools

Import, manage, and analyze data.