Add layers to maps (Map Viewer)

Layers are the contents of a map. They include a wide range of information about people, the earth, life, and so on, and are composed of imagery, tiles, features, and more. To add layers to a map, sign in to your organization and open Map Viewer. You can search for public layers in ArcGIS Online, layers in your content or organization, and subscription layers from ArcGIS Marketplace. You can also add layers from a URL.

When you save a map, the layers you added are saved with it, and the map appears on the My Content tab of the Content page.

Note:

You can explore maps, add and configure layers, and more without signing in. To save your work, sign in before creating a map.

The following table shows the layers you can add to a map and the method to use to add them. When you save the map, any items you've added are saved with the map and the map appears on the My Content tab on the content page.

Layer type	How you add it
ArcGIS Server service Service types include feature, map, imagery, tile, and stream services.	Add a layer from a URL.
Comma-separated values (CSV) file (.csv)	Add a layer from a file.
.csv file from a third-party data provider	Add a layer from a URL.
File geodatabase	Add a layer from a file.
GeoJSON file (.json or .geojson)	Add a layer from a file or Add a layer from a URL.
GeoRSS web feed	Add a layer from a URL.
Keyhole markup language (KML) document	Add a layer from a URL.
Layers from ArcGIS Living Atlas of the World	Browse ArcGIS Living Atlas layers
Sketch layer	Create a sketch layer.
Marketplace subscription layers	Browse subscription layers.
Markup layers	Search for layers from ArcGIS Online or search for layers available to you in your organization.
Microsoft Excel spreadsheet (.xls or .xlsx)	Add a layer from a file.
Open Geospatial Consortium (OGC) API - Features layer	Add a layer from a URL.
Open Geospatial Consortium (OGC) GeoPackage	Add a layer from a file.
Open Geospatial Consortium (OGC) Web Feature Service (WFS) layer	Add a layer from a URL.
OGC Web Map Service (WMS) layer	Add a layer from a URL.
OGC Web Map Tile Service (WMTS) layer	Add a layer from a URL.
Public layers on ArcGIS Online	Search for layers from ArcGIS Online.
Route	Create a route layer or search for layers available to you in your organization.
Shapefile (.zip)	Add a layer from a file.
Tile layer from a third-party data provider	Add a layer from a URL.
Web layers hosted in your organization Layer types include elevation layer, feature layer, map image layer, imagery layer, tile layer, tiled imagery layer, and group layer.	Search for layers available to you in your organization.