Adding a URL reference to an existing app is an effective way to share your work with members of your organization and the public (depending on your sharing privileges). In addition to the URL, you can share other details such as the type of app, its purpose, a summary and description, and a .zip file with the code you used to create the app. Adding an app to ArcGIS Online only adds a reference to the app URL; ArcGIS Online does not store the app files.
As an app developer with an organizational account, you can also register apps with the platform. This involves registering an OAuth application so that organization members and users outside the organization can sign in to the app. See the Add and register an app using developer credentials section below for more information.
If you do not need to register your app—for example, when uploading a code sample—follow the steps in the Add an app from a URL section below.
Tip:
Another way to share apps with members of your organization and the public is to create apps with maps and gallery apps with groups.
Add an app from a URL
Follow these steps to add an item that uses a URL to access an app on the web but does not need to be registered (for example, code samples):
Note:
To add a registered app, follow the steps to add and register an app using developer credentials.
- Verify that you are signed in and have the privilege to create content.
- From the My content tab of the content page, click New item and click Application.
- Choose the type of app:
- Web mapping—A web app built with a web API, such as JavaScript.
- Desktop—An app for desktops built on a desktop platform, such as Java or .NET (Microsoft Windows Desktop).
- Mobile—A downloadable app built for mobile devices with an SDK, such as iOS or Android.
- Other application—A desktop application, Python script, or any type of generic app for which you don't have details about the application's purpose, API, SDK, or URL address.
- For web mapping, desktop, or mobile, type the URL of the app, for example, https://<myServer>/myWebMapApp.
- For desktop apps, click Browse and choose the .zip file that contains the app.
- Click Next.
- Type a title.
- Choose a folder in My content where you want to save the item.
- If your organization has set up content categories, click Assign categories and select up to 20 categories to help people find the item.
You can also start typing a category name to narrow the list of categories.
- Optionally, type tags that describe the item.
Separate the terms with commas (for example, Federal land is considered one tag; Federal, land is considered two tags).
As you type, you can select any of the suggested tags that appear; suggestions are generated from tags you have added previously.
- Optionally, add a summary that describes the app.
- Click Save.
Once you add the app, it appears in your content. If you need to register it later, you can do so from the Settings tab of the app's item page. See the Add and register an app using developer credentials section below for more information.
You can configure the item details, attach code if required, and share the app if you have sharing privileges.
Add and register an app using developer credentials
As a developer with an organizational account, you can add and register your app with the platform to generate an app ID. Use the app ID in the app to collect usage statistics and to allow users to sign in to the platform with OAuth 2.0, a standardized authorization framework. With OAuth 2.0, apps guide the user to sign in to the platform through a platform-hosted login page. It also allows the app to work with user content associated with their organization as well as work with other ArcGIS Online capabilities such as geocoding, routing, and GeoEnrichment. To learn more about authentication and OAuth 2.0, see ArcGIS Developer.
Note:
The implementation pattern for user logins differs slightly depending on whether you are developing a web-based app or a native app. ArcGIS Developer documentation includes details and code samples for both web-based apps and native apps.
- Verify that you are signed in with an organizational account and have privileges to create content.
- Click the My content tab of the content page and click New item.
- In the New item window, click Developer credentials.
- Under Redirect URLs, enter the URL to a web page or server endpoint that will be used to redirect users after they successfully sign in. Click Add to add more redirect URLs as needed.
The redirect URLs specified during authorization must match one of the registered URLs; otherwise, authorization will be rejected.
A special value of urn:ietf:wg:oauth:2.0:oob can also be specified for authorization grants. This results in the authorization code being delivered to a portal URL (/oauth2/approval). This value is typically used by apps that don't have a web server or a custom URL scheme where the code can be delivered.
The following are examples of supported redirect URL formats:
- https://app.foo.com
- urn:ietf:wg:oauth:2.0:oob
- Under Application environment, choose an application environment for the app—Multiple, Native, Browser, or Server.
- In the URL box, type a URL for your app in the format https://<myServer>/myWebMapApp.
- Click Next.
- Type a title.
- Choose a folder in My content where you want to save the item.
- If your organization has set up content categories, click Assign categories and select up to 20 categories to help people find the item.
You can also start typing a category name to narrow the list of categories.
- Optionally, type tags that describe the item.
Separate the terms with commas (for example, Federal land is considered one tag; Federal, land is considered two tags).
As you type, you can select any of the suggested tags that appear; suggestions are generated from tags you have added previously.
- Optionally, add a summary that describes the app.
- Click Save.
The app is added to your content and its item page appears. You can configure the item details, attach code if required, and share the app if you have sharing privileges.
From the Settings tab of the app’s item page, you can view registration information, which includes the app ID (Client ID), an app secret (Client Secret), and the application environments. You can also update the URL of the data source or the redirect URLs , reset the secret, unregister the application, or copy or renew the temporary app token.
Note:
Resetting the app secret invalidates all existing user and app tokens issued for the app. Users must sign in to the app again, and apps configured with the secret may need to be updated.
From the Usage tab of the item page, you can view usage information about who has signed in to the app and the number of credits they've consumed.