Use custom web tools

Custom web tools are geoprocessing workflows that are published and hosted in ArcGIS Online. Custom web tools can be added to supported apps, such as Map Viewer, and run from the Analysis pane.

Types of custom web tools

Custom web tools in ArcGIS Online use Tool items published from ArcGIS Notebooks.

Open and run a custom web tool

To access and use custom web tools in Map Viewer, complete the following steps:

1. On the Settings (light) toolbar, click Analysis .

   Note:

   If you do not see the Analysis button in Map Viewer, contact your ArcGIS administrator. You may not have the privileges or credits required to perform analysis.

   Learn more about licensing requirements for spatial analysis

2. Click Tools .
3. Click Browse custom web tools at the bottom of the pane.

   The Browse custom web tools window appears. By default, the window shows the custom web tools available in My content.

4. Optionally, click My content and choose My favorites, My groups, My organization, Living Atlas, or ArcGIS Online from the menu to change the source of the items.
5. Optionally, use the Search bar and Sort by menu to reduce the number of items or reorder the items.
6. On the desired item, click Select task, and choose a task from the menu.

   An item may have multiple tasks associated with it.

   You can also click the item to view the item details in a side pane.

7. Click Confirm.

   The custom web tool opens in the Analysis pane.

   Note:

   Custom web tools published from Notebooks will not be available if your ArcGIS administrator has added ArcGIS Notebooks to the organization's blocked apps.

8. Update the tool parameters.

   Required parameters are marked with a red dot.

   Tip:

   Click the help icon next to a parameter to view the help, if available.

9. Click Environment settings to view and update the environments that are used during the processing.
10. Click Run.

Credits

Custom web tools published from ArcGIS Notebooks consume credits. Credits are consumed based on the time used to run the custom web tool and the number of credits required for each analysis tool in the notebook.

For more information, visit Understand credits for spatial analysis.

Outputs

Custom web tool outputs vary by tool. For information on the outputs for a specific custom web tool, see the tool description or contact the tool owner.

Some custom web tools create temporary output layers, such as feature collections, as part of their workflow. Temporary layers are only available within the web map where the layers were created until the map is closed, unless the layers are saved to create a hosted layer. The temporary layers will be permanently deleted if the web map is closed without saving the layers. Saving the web map will not save temporary layers.

Note:

Editing layers is not available for temporary layers. You can save the temporary layer to create a hosted feature layer to enable editing on the layer.

Temporary layers cannot be saved as part of a group layer item. If a custom web tool creates a temporary layer as part of a group layer, you can do one of the following:

• Save the temporary layer individually before saving the group layer. The temporary layer will be replaced by a hosted feature layer when it is saved.
• Ungroup the group layer or move the temporary layer out of the group and save the temporary layer individually. The temporary layer will be persisted in the web map once it has been saved and replaced with a hosted feature layer.

Temporary layers are indicated in the Layers pane using the following icon:

Save a temporary layer

Complete the following steps to save a temporary layer:

1. On the Contents (dark) toolbar, click Layers if the Layers pane is not open.
2. In the Layers pane, click Options next to the layer you want to save and click Save as .

   Tip:

   You can also save the layer by clicking Properties , expanding the Information section, and clicking Save as .
3. Provide the following information for the new item:
   • Type a title.
   • Choose a folder in My content where you want to save the layer.
   • If your organization has set up content categories, select categories to help people find the layer.
   • Type tags and a summary that describe the layer.
4. Click Save.

   The current layer properties are saved to a new item in My content. The new item becomes the source for the layer in the map.

Licensing requirements

Custom web tools require the following licensing and configurations to run in Map Viewer:

• Creator, Professional, or Professional Plus user type
• Publisher, Facilitator, or Administrator role, or an equivalent custom role

The Run web tools privilege is required to run custom web tools published from Notebooks.

Additional privileges may be required to run custom web tools published from Notebooks depending on which analysis tools are included in the notebook. For information about the privileges required to run an analysis tool, see the individual tool help.

Note:

Custom web tools created in Notebooks are hosted as tool items.

Troubleshooting

Use the sections below to troubleshoot potential issues when adding or running custom web tools.

Custom web tool fails to open

Custom web tools may fail to open in the following situations:

• If a custom web tool fails to open from the Browse custom web tools window, the tool may be temporarily unavailable.
• If a custom web tool fails to open from the tool history, the tool item may have been deleted or you no longer have permission to use the tool (for example, the item is no longer shared). Contact the tool owner for information about the tool status.

Unsupported parameter type

Some parameter types are not currently supported for custom web tools in Map Viewer. If an unsupported parameter is marked as required and no default is set, the tool cannot be run. The following parameter types are not currently supported:

• GPMultivalue:GPComposite
• GPMultivalue:GPBoolean
• GPMultivalue:GPDataFile
• GPMultivalue:GPRasterDataLayer

Unsupported parameter configuration

Parameters using the GPValueTable parameter type do not support empty or duplicate parameter names. If an empty or duplicate name is used, the parameters will not be available in the web tool. Contact the tool owner to update the empty or duplicate parameter names.

Unsupported output parameter configuration

Layers nested within GPValueTable results are not supported and will not be accessible or added to the map.

Custom web tools with no input parameters

Some custom web tools may not have input parameters. Custom web tools without input parameters have been configured to use a default input dataset and parameters that cannot be configured. Environment settings, such as Processing extent, can be used to customize the output of the tool. For information about the tool inputs and parameters, review the description on the item page or contact the item owner.

Parameters not repopulated when opened from history

Tool runs can be reopened from the analysis history. If a custom web tool has been updated since the tool was run, some parameters may not be repopulated to match the settings used when the tool was run. Updated parameters will not be populated in the following cases:

• A parameter is added
• A parameter is deleted
• A parameter name is changed
• A parameter type is changed

Resources

Use the following resources to learn more:

• Perform analysis using notebooks
• Publish a notebook as a web tool
• General information on Geoprocessing Services