Tutorial: Create OAuth credentials for app authentication | Documentation

Learn how to create OAuth credentials with ArcGIS Online to support app authentication.

The developer credentials creation interface in a portal.

The developer credentials creation interface in a portal

OAuth credentials are an item required to implement app authentication. They contain client_id and client_secret parameters that are used to implement an OAuth 2.0 client credentials flow. The item page of OAuth credentials allows you to manage settings related to app authentication, including the authorized privileges of an application.

This tutorial shows you how to create OAuth credentials for use in app authentication and do the following:

Configure privileges to allow your application to access ArcGIS services, content, and functionality.
Set authorized referrer URLs.
Manage settings of the OAuth credentials and monitor usage using its item page.

This tutorial focuses on creating OAuth 2.0 credentials for a private application with selected privileges and access.

Prerequisites

You need an ArcGIS Online account with the correct user type and role. Please review the Product and account requirements before proceeding.
You need to know the privileges required by your application. The privileges assigned to developer credentials allow your application to access ArcGIS services and resources.

Steps

You use your portal to create and manage items, including OAuth credentials.

Create a new item

In your portal, click Content > My content > New item.
Click Developer credentials.
In the credential type screen, select OAuth 2.0 credentials and click Next.

Need troubleshooting help?

If the Developer credentials option is not visible when creating a new item, your ArcGIS Online account does not have the correct permissions. You need an ArcGIS account with a user type of Creator or higher. Learn more about user types in the ArcGIS Online documentation.

If the Select credential type menu does not display when creating developer credentials, OAuth 2.0 credentials will still be created by default. This menu only displays if your account has privileges to create multiple types of developer credentials, such as API key credentials.

Select application type

You can configure your OAuth 2.0 credentials in the Where will you use these credentials? menu to define how your credentials will be used. This setting restricts where and how the credentials can be used and helps prevent unauthorized access to secure services.

For this tutorial, select Private application with selected privileges and access.
Click Next.

Select items (optional)

If your application will require access to specific private items, you will need to configure your developer credentials to access them. The Item access menu allows you to browse your portal's content and grant your developer credentials access to specific items.

If your token does not require item access, select No item access. Then, click Next.
Otherwise, select Grant access to specific items.
Select the items you want to grant access to. You can select up to 100 items in this menu.
Click Next.

Select privileges

You can configure the settings of OAuth 2.0 credentials to configure the privileges of access tokens granted via app authentication. For an access token to work in your application, it needs to have the correct privileges to access the content and services your app is using. Select the privileges your app requires in this menu.

In the Create developer credentials > Privileges window, browse the available privileges.

Tip
If this screen is not visible, your account does not have the correct permissions. Please refer to the Prerequisites.

Browse the table below to view all available privileges, privilege strings, and descriptions for ArcGIS Online:

Category	Label	Privilege string	Description
Basemaps	Basemap styles service	`premium:user:basemaps`	Allow application to access the basemap styles service. Learn more
Geocoding	Geocode service	`premium:user:geocode`	Allow application to access the geocoding service. Learn more
Routing	Routing (Network analysis)	`premium:user:networkanalysis`	Allow application to access the routing service. Learn more
Data enrichment	GeoEnrichment service	`premium:user:geoenrichment`	Allow application to access the GeoEnrichment service. Learn more

Category	Label	Privilege string	Description
Feature analysis	Spatial analysis service	`premium:user:spatialanalysis`	Allow application to access the spatial analysis service. Learn more
Image analysis	Image analysis service	`premium:publisher:rasteranalysis`	Allow application to access image services to perform analysis. Learn more

Category	Label	Privilege string	Description
AI assistants	Use AI assistants	`portal:user:useAIAssistants`	Allow member to use generative AI and ArcGIS assistants.
Members	View	`portal:user:viewOrgUsers`	Allow application to view members of the organization.
Members	Take ArcGIS Pro license offline	`portal:user:arcgispro:takeLicenseOffline`	Allow member to take their ArcGIS Pro license offline.
Groups	Create, update, and delete	`portal:user:createGroup`	Allow application to create, edit, and delete their own groups.
Groups	Join organizational groups	`portal:user:joinGroup`	Allow application to join groups within your organization.
Groups	Join external groups	`portal:user:joinNonOrgGroup`	Allow application to join groups external to your organization.
Groups	View groups shared with organization	`portal:user:viewOrgGroups`	Allow application to view groups shared with the organization.
Groups	Invite partnered organization members	`portal:user:invitePartneredCollaborationMembers`	Allow application to invite members from partnered collaboration organizations to groups.
Groups	Add members from other organizations	`portal:user:addExternalMembersToGroup`	Allow application to create groups that allow members from other organizations, as well as invite external members to groups.
Content	Publish hosted feature layers	`portal:publisher:publishFeatures`	Allow application to publish hosted feature layers from shapefiles, CSVs, etc.
Content	Publish hosted tile layers	`portal:publisher:publishTiles`	Allow application to publish hosted tile layers from tile packages, features, etc.
Content	Publish hosted scene layers	`portal:publisher:publishScenes`	Allow application to publish hosted scene layers.
Content	Published hosted tiled imagery layers	`portal:publisher:publishTiledImagery`	Allow application to publish hosted tiled imagery layers from a single image or collection of images. Requires an ArcGIS Image for ArcGIS Online user type extension.
Content	Publish hosted dynamic imagery layers	`portal:publisher:publishDynamicImagery`	Allow application to publish hosted dynamic imagery layers from a single image or collection of images.
Content	Create and edit notebooks	`premium:publisher:createNotebooks`	Allow application to create and edit interactive notebooks.
Content	Schedule notebooks	`premium:publisher:scheduleNotebooks`	Allow application to schedule future automated runs of a notebook.
Content	View location tracks	`portal:user:viewTracks`	Allow application to view members' location tracks via shared track views when location sharing is enabled.
Content	Create and run data pipelines	`portal:publisher:createDataPipelines`	Allow application to create, edit, and run data pipelines.
Sharing	Make groups visible to organization	`portal:user:shareGroupToOrg`	Allow application to make groups discoverable by your organization.
Sharing	Make groups visible to public	`portal:user:shareGroupToPublic`	Allow application to make groups discoverable by the public.
Features	Edit	`features:user:edit`	Allow application to edit features in editable layers that are not public, based on the edit options enabled on the layer.
Features	Edit with full control	`features:user:fullEdit`	Allow application to add, delete, and update features in an editable, hosted feature layer, regardless of the editing options enabled on the layer.
Premium content	Advanced notebooks	`premium:publisher:createAdvancedNotebooks`	Allow application to import and use ArcPy modules in ArcGIS Notebooks.
Premium content	Demographic Maps	`premium:user:demographics`	Allow application to access demographic maps in ArcGIS Living Atlas.
Premium content	Feature report	`premium:user:featurereport`	Allow application to create feature reports in ArcGIS Survey123.

Category	Label	Privilege string	Description
Members	Update	`portal:admin:updateUsers`	Allow application to reset passwords, update member account information, and update member categories within your organization.
Members	Delete	`portal:admin:deleteUsers`	Allow application to delete member accounts within your organization.
Members	Add	`portal:admin:inviteUsers`	Allow application to invite members to your organization.
Members	Disable	`portal:admin:disableUsers`	Allow application to enable and disable member accounts within your organization.
Members	Change roles	`portal:admin:changeUserRoles`	Allow application to change the role a member account is assigned. Note, only members with the Administrator role can assign or unassign the Administrator role to other accounts.
Members	Manage licenses	`portal:admin:manageLicenses`	Allow application to assign licenses to members of your organization.
Groups	View all	`portal:admin:viewGroups`	Allow application to view all groups within your organization.
Groups	Update	`portal:admin:updateGroups`	Allow application to update groups within your organization.
Groups	Delete	`portal:admin:deleteGroups`	Allow application to delete groups within your organization.
Groups	Reassign ownership	`portal:admin:reassignGroups`	Allow application to reassign groups to other members within your organization.
Groups	Assign members	`portal:admin:assignToGroups`	Allow application to assign your members to, update your member's group role, and remove your members from groups within your organization.
Groups	Link to organization-specific group	`portal:admin:manageEnterpriseGroups`	Allow application to link group membership to an organization-specific group.
Groups	Create with leaving disallowed	`portal:admin:createLeavingDisallowedGroup`	Allow application to create and own groups that do not allow members to leave (administrative groups).
Content	View all	`portal:admin:viewItems`	Allow application to view all content within your organization.
Content	Publish web tools	`portal:publisher:publishServerGPServices`	Allow application to publish web tools.
Content	Create and manage administrative reports	`portal:admin:createReports`	Allow application to create and manage administrative reports for your organization
Organization settings	Security and infrastructure	`portal:admin:manageSecurity`	Allow application to manage the organization's security and infrastructure settings.
Organization settings	Organization website	`portal:admin:manageWebsite`	Allow application to manage the organization's website settings.
Organization settings	Collaborations	`portal:admin:manageCollaborations`	Allow application to manage the organization's collaborations.
Organization settings	Credits	`portal:admin:manageCredits`	Allow application to manage the organization's credit budgeting settings.
Organization settings	Member roles	`portal:admin:manageRoles`	Allow application to manage the organization's member roles.
Organization settings	Utility services	`portal:admin:manageUtilityServices`	Allow application to manage the organization's utility service settings

Select the privileges required by your application and click Next.

Need troubleshooting help?

If the Privileges window is not visible when creating API key credentials, your ArcGIS Online account does not have the correct permissions. You need an ArcGIS account with a user type of Creator or higher. Your account must also have these additional privileges:

General privileges > Content > Generate API keys
General privileges > Content > Assign privileges to OAuth 2.0 applications

Your organization administrator can grant you these privileges using a custom role. To learn how, go to the ArcGIS Online documentation.

If you don't see a specific privilege in the Privileges window, there are several possible reasons:

The application type you selected may only allow a limited set of privileges. To access a broader set of privileges, choose a different type of application in the Where will you use these credentials? menu.

Certain location services are only available for ArcGIS Location Platform. Check the privileges available for your product type in Security and authentication > Privileges.
If you have an ArcGIS Location Platform account, you need to enable pay-as-you-go in the Billing section of your dashboard to access some services, such as the GeoEnrichment service.
If you have an ArcGIS Online account, your account may not have the correct role to access the services you need. Contact your organization administrator.

Set referrer URLs

You can set referrer URLs on OAuth credentials that restrict the credentials to only be usable from authorized domains. This is highly recommended for security purposes.

In the next window, scroll down to Referrer URLs.
Set the Referrers field to the web domains you would like to restrict the access token to. To learn more about referrers, go to OAuth credentials (for app authentication).
Click Next.

Save the item

After configuring the properties of your OAuth credentials, you can save the credentials as a new item.

In the Create developer credentials window, set the following properties:
- Title: My OAuth credentials (for app authentication)
- Folder: Developer credentials (Create a new folder)
- Tags: Add tags related to the privileges of the credentials.
- Description: Describe the application that these developer credentials will be used in.
Click Next.
In the Summary window, review the properties, privileges, and item access you have set.
Click Create to create your OAuth credentials.

Copy the client ID and client secret

Your OAuth credentials contain client_id and client_secret parameters that are required to implement app authentication. Copy these values and paste them into your application or script.

On the item page of your OAuth credentials, scroll down to Credentials.
Copy the Client ID and Client Secret values and paste them into your application. Never expose the value of your client secret.

Manage your credentials

After creating an OAuth credentials item, its privileges and item access can be managed at any time by going to the item page.

To learn more and see management steps, go to OAuth credentials (for app authentication).

Additional resources

Learn more about app authentication in the following topics: