Feature layers

A feature layer is a grouping of similar geographic features, for example, buildings, parcels, cities, roads, and earthquake epicenters. Features can be points, lines, or polygons (areas). Feature layers are most appropriate for visualizing data on top of basemaps. You can set properties for feature layers—such as style, transparency, visible range, refresh interval, and labels—that control how the layer appears in the map. Using a feature layer, you can view, edit, analyze, and execute queries against features and their attributes.

Each type of feature layer meets a different need and, therefore, has slightly different functionality. For a comparison of functionality available with each type of feature layer, see Feature layer functionality.

For information on Open Geospatial Consortium (OGC) features, see OGC.

Layers in feature layers

Each feature layer item can contain one or more layers. These layers (also called sublayers) can each store different geometry types; for example, a parks feature layer item can contain a point layer representing trees, a line layer representing trails, and a polygon layer representing park buildings.

Sublayers can also represent different types of data, such as a catalog layer or oriented imagery layer.

There are some settings, such as enabling attachments, that are always set on the sublayer. Other settings, such as metadata, can be different for a sublayer than for the feature layer item.

You can add sublayers individually to a map if you do not need every layer in the feature layer item. The exception to this is catalog layers—you cannot add them to a map. Because catalog layers are used to provide access to other data, they cannot be viewed on the Visualization tab in the item details page, and they are not included in hosted feature layer views.

Hosted feature layers

Hosted feature layers are layers that have been published to ArcGIS Online. The feature data in these layers is hosted by, or stored on, ArcGIS Online. These layers offer the most flexibility, scalability, and compatibility across ArcGIS. In addition to the general feature layer functionality listed above, you can do the following with hosted feature layers:

• Edit data in the field either online or offline using apps such as ArcGIS Survey123 or ArcGIS Field Maps.
• Share locations from mobile apps such as ArcGIS Field Maps.
• Control editor tracking and feature layer capabilities and settings.
• Create views from the feature layer to support different user needs.
• Publish tile layers to support high-demand use cases.
• Publish WFS layers to support requirements for OGC-compliant layers.
• Publish scene layers from feature layers containing points or multipatch layers.

You can publish hosted feature layers through a variety of workflows, including ready-to-use templates.

Hosted Indoors Spaces feature layers

When you publish a Reservations layer that conforms to the ArcGIS Indoors information model to an ArcGIS Online organization that is licensed for Indoors Spaces, a hosted Indoors Spaces feature layer is created. Hosted Indoors Spaces feature layers are used to enable workspace reservations in Indoor Viewer and the Indoors mobile apps.

Hosted Indoors Spaces feature layers have similar functionality to other hosted feature layers when you interact with them in ArcGIS Online, with the following exceptions:

• Anyone who has access to an Indoors Spaces feature layer can edit it.
• You cannot share Indoors Spaces feature layers with the public, distributed collaboration groups, or groups that allow external users.

ArcGIS Server feature layers

If you host layers on an ArcGIS Server site, you can use these ArcGIS Server feature services as layers in ArcGIS Online. These layers are similar to hosted feature layers with the following differences:

• The data is not copied to ArcGIS Online; it stays in the data source you registered with the ArcGIS Server site.
• When you delete the ArcGIS Server feature layer, the data is not deleted.
• Much of the configuration for ArcGIS Server feature layers is performed in ArcGIS Server Manager, not ArcGIS Online.
• Functionality on the ArcGIS Online website is different for ArcGIS Server feature layers than for hosted feature layers.

Many of these differences guard against unwanted changes being made to the data stored in the folders and databases you registered with the ArcGIS Server site, as this data is often your system of record and is likely accessed directly by other applications. However, the hosted feature layer data is managed by ArcGIS Online and not directly accessed by other applications.

If you want to work with an ArcGIS Server feature layer in ArcGIS Online, you can add the layer from the ArcGIS Server site to ArcGIS Online from My Content. This allows you to reference the REST endpoint (URL) of the service and use the layer in maps and apps, while leaving the data stored in the data sources you registered with the ArcGIS Server site. You can also add ArcGIS Server feature layers to Map Viewer or add them to Map Viewer Classic.

Layers in an ArcGIS Server map or feature service

You can add individual layers in a map service or feature service as an item or to a map in Map Viewer or Map Viewer Classic. This allows you to use a single layer in the service in a map or app instead of having to use all the layers in the service.

For example, if you have access to an ArcGIS Server map service that contains a roads layer, a buildings layer, and a railroads layer, but you only need to access the roads, you can add the roads layer as an item (recommended if you need to provide credentials to access the service) or directly to a map. To do this, you need to copy the roads layer's URL from the REST endpoint of the map service. The URL for a map service's REST endpoint is in the format https://<server>.<domain>/server/rest/services/<service_name>/MapServer. A link for each layer in the service is listed in the Layers section of this page. Click the link for the layer you want to use. Copy the URL of the page that opens to obtain the layer's URL.

Note:

Feature layers created from a layer in a map service are read-only; you cannot enable editing on them.

Feature collections

Feature collection items are a subset of feature layers with focused and limited functionality. They are derived from other data sources, such as when you save a map notes layer or .csv file in Map Viewer Classic. When you save these map layers as their own items, the items appear as new, read-only feature layers in My Content that you can share with others and add to multiple maps.

Feature collections can also be exported from hosted feature layers that allow data exports. However, feature collections support limited styles and cannot be used in Map Viewer.

Streaming feature layers

Streaming feature layers are feature layers created from an ArcGIS GeoEvent Server stream service or used as feeds in ArcGIS Velocity. They are useful for visualizing real-time data feeds that have high volumes of data or that have data that changes at unknown intervals. For example, a fleet of vehicles might be transmitting their location, and the current location of the vehicles needs to be continuously monitored. You can use streaming controls when you add a streaming feature layer to Map Viewer or Map Viewer Classic.

Streaming feature layers can be identified by their icon in the content page.

Streaming feature layers connect to an ArcGIS Server stream service using HTML5 WebSockets. Most modern browsers support WebSockets.

Feature layer functionality

The following sections list how to create each type of feature layer and compare available functionality with each type in Map Viewer Classic, Map Viewer, Scene Viewer, and item details.

Publishing methods

The following list describes how you create each type of feature layer in ArcGIS Online:

• Hosted feature layer—Add an item to ArcGIS Online and publish, publish from ArcMap or ArcGIS Pro, create an empty hosted feature layer from a template or an existing feature layer, or define the schema for an empty hosted feature layer. See Publish hosted feature layers for more information.
• ArcGIS Server feature layer—Publish from an ArcGIS Desktop application or ArcGIS Pro to an ArcGIS Server site and add the service to ArcGIS Online.
• Streaming feature layer—Configure streaming layers in ArcGIS GeoEvent Server and add the service to ArcGIS Online.
• Feature collection—Add a .csv file, shapefile, or map notes to Map Viewer Classic and save the layer or export data from a hosted feature layer to a feature collection.

Map Viewer Classic

All feature layer items in ArcGIS Online can be added to Map Viewer Classic, but the available functionality may differ slightly. The following table compares feature layer functionality in Map Viewer Classic:

Functionality	Hosted feature layer	Hosted Indoors Spaces feature layer	ArcGIS Server feature layer	Streaming feature layer	Feature collection
Edit (if editing is enabled on the layer)	Yes	Anyone with access to the layer can edit it even if editing isn't enabled.	Yes	Yes	Not applicable; you cannot enable editing on feature collection items
Add to Map Viewer Classic with full editing control	Yes	No	Yes	Yes	No
Change style, set transparency, and set visible range	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes
Define labels	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes, but not supported for map notes
Set refresh interval	Yes	Yes	Yes	No	No
Configure pop-ups	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes
Apply filters	Yes, in Map Viewer Classic	Yes	Yes, in Map Viewer Classic	Yes, using streaming controls in Map Viewer Classic or in ArcGIS GeoEvent Server	No
Copy and save as a new layer in the map	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	No
Use feature analysis tools	Yes	Yes	Yes	No	Yes
Calculate fields in the table	Yes	Yes	No	No	No
Add fields to and delete fields from the table	Yes	Yes	No	No	No

Map Viewer

You can add hosted feature layers and ArcGIS Server feature layers to the new Map Viewer in ArcGIS Online, but the available functionality differs slightly for each type of layer. The following table compares feature layer functionality in Map Viewer Classic:

Functionality	Hosted feature layer	Hosted Indoors Spaces feature layer	ArcGIS Server feature layer	Streaming feature layer
Edit (if editing is enabled on the layer)	Yes The layer owner, organization administrators, and members of shared update groups with which the layer is shared can edit even if editing is not enabled on the layer.	Anyone with access to the layer can edit it even if editing isn't enabled.	Yes	No
Change style, set transparency, and set visible range	Yes	Yes	Yes	No
Define labels	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes
Configure pop-ups	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes
Use feature analysis tools	Yes	Yes	Yes	No
Duplicate and save layer in a map	Yes	Yes	Yes	No
Create group layers	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes
Configure forms for editable layers Note: Forms are stored with the map and not the feature layer.	Yes	Yes	Yes	No
Apply filters	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes
Calculate fields in the table	Yes	Yes	No	No
Add fields to and delete fields from the table	Yes	Yes	No	No

Scene Viewer

You can add hosted feature layers and ArcGIS Server feature layers to Scene Viewer. Each layer can contain an unlimited number of features.

Item details

Many of the settings and details you configure for feature layers are the same for all feature layers and for items in general, such as setting tags and categories, setting a summary and description, enabling delete protection, and setting an extent. Settings and details that are different across feature layers are listed in the following table:

Functionality	Hosted feature layer (including Indoors Spaces feature layer)	ArcGIS Server feature layer	Streaming feature layer	Feature collection
Publish other layers from	Yes	No	No	Yes, a hosted feature layer
Create views from	Yes	You cannot create views from a feature layer in ArcGIS Online, but the equivalent workflow is to publish multiple feature layers from the same data in an ArcGIS Desktop app or ArcGIS Pro.	No	No
Define view areas on the Visualization tab	Yes	Not applicable	Not applicable	Not applicable
Export data from	Yes	No	No	No
Add and view metadata	Yes	Yes	No	Yes
Enable attachments	Yes	You cannot enable attachments in ArcGIS Online. However, you can enable attachments on the source data before publishing the feature layer.	No	No
Overwrite the layer	Yes	You cannot overwrite the feature layer from ArcGIS Online. However, you can overwrite from ArcMap or ArcGIS Pro.	Not applicable; streaming layer data is continually changing.	No
Append data	Yes	You cannot append from ArcGIS Online. However, since the data resides in the ArcGIS Server site's registered data store, append to the source data.	Not applicable; streaming layer data is continually changing.	No
Calculate field contents on the Data tab	Yes	No	No	No
Add or delete fields on the Data tab	Yes	No	No	No
Enable or disable unique constraint on columns	Yes	No	No	No
Define attribute lists and ranges	Yes	No; you can view existing lists and ranges but not add or delete them on the Data tab.	No	No
Add field descriptions and value types	Yes	No	No	No
Edit nonspatial field values on the Data tab	Yes	Yes	No	No
Alter field properties including display name (title), description, field value type, unique value constraints, and whether edits are allowed for a field	Yes	No	No	Can edit title, description, and field value type but not the other field properties.
Apply filters on the Visualization tab	Yes	Yes	No	No
Modify settings for editing	Yes	You cannot enable or modify editing settings from ArcGIS Online. Configure the editing settings when you publish the feature layer or modify the settings in ArcGIS Server Manager after publishing.	No	No
Enable sync for offline use and collaboration	Yes	You cannot enable sync from ArcGIS Online. Set when publishing or modify in ArcGIS Server Manager.	No	No* *Sketch layers and map notes layers saved as part of a web map are automatically enabled for offline use. Other feature collection layers or layer items do not support offline use.
Track edits	Yes	You cannot enable editor tracking from ArcGIS Online. However, you can enable editor tracking on the source data from an ArcGIS Desktop app or ArcGIS Pro.	No	No
Update details, data, and visualization configuration for individual sublayers	Yes	Yes	No	No