Create apps from maps

You can create a web app with a map using a variety of app builders. You can choose an app template with minimal to no configuration required, use one of the available builders to customize an app before publishing, or use ArcGIS Hub to create a website. Each of these options offers various functionality, such as query and edit tools, social media feeds, side-by-side map viewers, and layouts and color schemes.

Note:

Your organization may have specified brand colors or a logo to apply to apps created by members of your organization. When you create an app that supports these Shared theme settings, the specified settings will be applied instead of the default theme of the app.

When a published web app is based on a map, any changes made to the map, including its extent, layers, description, and so on, are reflected in the web app. If a map that was available to everyone in the organization is made private (or deleted), the map no longer appears in the app.

Tip:

To share an app publicly that contains subscriber content, you can configure it to allow access to the content through your organizational subscription. Your subscription will incur any credit costs. To determine how a specific app builder handles subscriber content, refer to the respective app documentation.

To create a web app from a map, use one of the following methods:

  • On the content page, click the Create app button.
  • On the web map item page, click the Create Web App button.
  • In Map Viewer, open the web map and click the Create app button on the Contents (dark) toolbar.
  • In Map Viewer Classic, open the web map and click the Share button.

The following table lists which app builder is available for each method:

App builderMap ViewerMap Viewer ClassicItem pageContent page

ArcGIS Dashboards

Yes

Yes

Yes

Yes

ArcGIS Experience Builder

Yes

No

Yes

Yes

ArcGIS Hub

No

No

No

Yes

ArcGIS Instant Apps

Yes

Yes*

Yes

Yes

ArcGIS StoryMaps

Yes

No

Yes

Yes

ArcGIS Web AppBuilder

No

Yes

Yes

Yes

Note:

Web AppBuilder, Dashboards, Experience Builder, and ArcGIS Hub require an organizational account.

Create an app from the content page

Complete the following steps to create an app from the content page:

  1. If necessary, verify that you are signed in with the privileges to create content, and have access to the app builder you are using.
  2. At the top of the site, click Content and click the My Content tab.
  3. Click Create app and choose an app builder.
  4. Depending on your choice of app builder, do the following:
  5. Type a title, tags, and a summary.
  6. If your organization has set up content categories, click Assign Category and select up to 20 categories to help people find your app. You can also use the Filter categories box to narrow the list of categories.
  7. Optionally, select a different folder in My Content in which to save your app.
  8. For Web AppBuilder, click OK and continue creating your app. Refer to the app documentation for details.
  9. If you chose an Instant Apps template (with the express or full setup experience), click Publish to save and publish your changes (or you can return to the configuration from your app's item page to make changes to the draft and publish later). Otherwise, click Save and click Close when you're finished.

Your app will be added as an unshared item in My Content. To make your app accessible to others, share it.