Glossary

ArcGIS account: An ArcGIS account can be used to sign in to the ArcGIS Online and ArcGIS for Developers website. It gives you access to tools, applications, and services, to both manage your ArcGIS subscription and to build and deploy applications. An ArcGIS…
ArcGIS Enterprise: ArcGIS Enterprise is a full-featured mapping, analytics, and data management system that you can run on-premises, in the cloud, or in virtual environments. ArcGIS Enterprise is composed of Portal for ArcGIS, ArcGIS Server, ArcGIS Data Store,…
ArcGIS for Developers: ArcGIS for Developers is a website that contains all of the resources you need to build and deploy ArcGIS applications. It has all ArcGIS API and SDK documentation, tutorials, core concepts, features, pricing, and help resources. If you have…
ArcGIS Online: ArcGIS Online is a cloud-based mapping, analysis, and data storage system hosted by Esri that can be used to create, share, and manage maps, scenes, layers, apps, and other geographic content. ArcGIS Online provides a secure way to store your…
ArcGIS platform: The ArcGIS platform is a complete set of GIS software components, tools, SDKs and APIs, services, and specifications from Esri that you can use to build and deploy mapping and analytics solutions.…
ArcGIS Pro: ArcGIS Pro is a Windows desktop application for GIS professionals that supports data visualization, advanced analysis and authoritative data maintenance in both 2D and 3D. Users can create geoprocessing tasks and models to help automate…
ArcGIS subscription: An ArcGIS subscription is a paid subscription plan that gives a developer, group of users, or a company access to the ArcGIS Online and ArcGIS for Developers websites, tools, applications, content, and services. There are two types of…
ArcGIS Vector Tile Style Editor: ArcGIS Vector Tile Style Editor is an online editor that you can use to style vector tile layers and create custom basemaps for your applications. You can edit any of the colors, labels, and sprites for the different layers present, e.g. land,…
Basemap: A basemap is a reference layer that provides the geographic context for a map. Basemaps are usually image or vector tile layers and can be composed of different sub-layers. Operational layers with your data are commonly overlayed on top of a…
Content: Content is the collection of items (maps, scenes, layers, applications, files…) stored in either ArcGIS Online or ArcGIS Enterprise that belongs to an organization, group, or individual. Users and applications can search for and filter…
Credits: Credits is the currency used to store data in ArcGIS Online and to consume services such as batch geocoding, analytics, and premium content. Any ArcGIS application or custom application that uses these capabilities will consume credits. You ca…
Feature layer: A feature layer is a layer that contains geographic features with the same type of geometry (point, polyline, or polygon) and the same set of attribute fields. The data for a feature layer is commonly stored, hosted, and managed in ArcGIS…
Feature: A feature is a single record of information that represents a real-world geographic entity on earth. Features are composed of both a geometry (point, polyline, or polygon) and a set of attributes, and are typically stored in a feature layer…
Graphic layer: A graphic layer is a layer that contains a collection of graphics that can be displayed on a map. Graphic layers (and graphics) are typically created dynamically at runtime and are only available for the duration the application is running.…
Graphic: A graphic is a visual element that represents a feature on a map. Graphics are typically composed of a point, polyline, or polygon geometry, a set of attributes, and a symbol. The geometry represents the location and shape of the real-world…
Item: Items are web maps, web scenes, applications, layers or geographic data that can be created, stored, and managed in ArcGIS Online and ArcGIS Enterprise. All items have a unique ID that users and applications can use to access them. Items are…
Layer: A layer is a logical collection of geographic data that can be accessed by users and applications, displayed in maps and scenes, and used to perform different types of analyses. Layers are typically stored and managed in ArcGIS Online and ArcG…
Map Viewer: The Map Viewer is an interactive mapping tool built into ArcGIS Online and ArcGIS Enterprise that can be used to create, configure, and save 2D web maps. You can use the map viewer to explore the contents of a web map, change the basemap and…
Operational layer: An operational layer is a layer that stores data and is used to visualize data on top of a basemap. Operational layers are usually interactive, meaning that users can click on features (points, lines, and polygons) to discover information…
Portal: A portal is a gateway that you and your organization can use to access, manage, and share geographic content, applications, tools, and services. Portals also provide a secure and effective way to manage all of your content, e.g. web maps,…
Scene Viewer: The Scene Viewer is an interactive mapping tool built into ArcGIS Online and ArcGIS Enterprise that can be used to create, configure, and save 3D web scenes. You can use the scene viewer to explore the contents of a web scene, change the basem…
Web map: A web map is a 2D map that you can create, style, and share between different applications. Web maps are JSON objects defined by the Web Map Specification and contain configuration settings for the map extent, basemap, layers, layer styles,…
Web scene: A web scene is a 3D map that you can create, style, and share between different applications. Web scenes are JSON objects defined by the Web Scene Specification and contain configuration settings for the map extent, camera height and angle, ba…