How to work with users and groups | Documentation

The general steps on how to work with users and groups.

1. Create or invite users

You can use the portal serviceA portal service provides the functionality to securely create, access, and manage content, data services, users, and groups in a portal. The service can be hosted by Esri or in ArcGIS Enterprise.Learn more to access and manage usersA user, also referred to as an ArcGIS user, is an individual who has an ArcGIS account and uses it to sign in and interact with an ArcGIS product, portal, or application. A user's identity is authenticated and their ability to interact with ArcGIS resources is determined by the privileges associated with their account.Learn more in an organizationAn organization a list of members from the same business, association, or entity who can sign in, access tools and applications, and collaborate with other members in a portal. All members have an ArcGIS account and are approved by an administrator to access the same portal.Learn more. A user is a stored identity that represents a registered user of 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.

A user is created when:

An individual signs up for a developer account.
An account is created for a user by a portal administrator.
An individual joins an organizationAn organization a list of members from the same business, association, or entity who can sign in, access tools and applications, and collaborate with other members in a portal. All members have an ArcGIS account and are approved by an administrator to access the same portal.Learn more.

When an accountAn ArcGIS account is an identity with a user type and set of privileges that can access specific ArcGIS products, tools, APIs, services, and resources. The main account types that can be used for development are an ArcGIS Location Platform account, ArcGIS Online account, and ArcGIS Enterprise account. ArcGIS Location Platform and ArcGIS Online accounts are also associated with a subscription.Learn more is created, an identity and a role are assigned. The role defines the set of privileges and operations that the user can perform within the organization associated with the account.

Invite a user

Invite individuals to join your organization in a portal. You can do this by sending them an invitation via email. Once they accept the invitation, they become users within your organization. You can also create a user in portal.

Topic
To learn more about inviting users, go to invite users.
Assign roles

Assign specific roles to each user based on their responsibilities and the level of access they need. Roles range from administrators with full control to viewers with limited access. Assigning appropriate roles ensures that users can perform their tasks effectively while maintaining security and control over organizational data.

Topic
To learn more about assigning roles to users, go to update user information.
Manage access

Regularly review and adjust user access as needed. This includes adding new users, removing users who no longer require access, and updating roles to reflect changes in responsibilities. You can ensure that only authorized individuals have access to sensitive data and resources within your ArcGIS Online organization.

2. Create or join groups

Create a group

Create your own group or join an existing one based on your interests or projects. Groups can be public, allowing anyone to join, or private, requiring an invitation or approval for membership.

Topic
To learn more about creating a new group, go to create a new group.
Add users

As a group owner, you can add relevant users to the group to start collaborating.

Topic
To learn more about adding users to a group, go to invite users to a group.
Manage group settings

As a group owner, you can manage group settings, such as controlling who can join or contribute, to ensure that the group operates effectively and meets its objectives.

Topic
To learn more about updating the properties of a group, go to update properties.

Users can:

Share maps, apps, and data with specific users or groups to facilitate collaboration and information exchange.
Determine appropriate sharing settings for each item to control access and visibility.
Review shared content to ensure compliance with organizational policies and data security requirements.

4. Manage users and groups

Portal administrators can:

Assign roles and permissions to users.
Ensure users have appropriate levels of access to content based on their responsibilities.
Create and organize groups that allows for collaboration and content sharing.
Review and update user accounts and group settings to maintain access security.

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.