Add layers to maps (Map Viewer Classic)

Note:

This topic includes information related to Map Viewer Classic. An enhanced map viewer is now available. Open Map Viewer from the app launcher to get started. To learn more, see the Map Viewer help documentation.

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 get started adding layers, sign in to the site, open Map Viewer Classic, and click the Add button. You can search for layers, browse ArcGIS Living Atlas layers and data layers purchased through ArcGIS Marketplace, add layers from the web, add layers from files, and add map notes. You can also get directions and add the route as a layer.

Note:

If you do not have the privilege to create content, you can still add layers to explore data by clicking Modify Map.

What layers can you add?

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 your My Content tab on the content page.

Layer type	How you add it
ArcGIS Server service Service types include feature, map, imagery, and tile services.	Add a layer from the web.
Bing basemap Your organization must be configured with a Bing Maps key to use this layer type.	Add a layer from the web.
Comma-separated values (CSV) file (.csv)	Add a layer from a file or drag and drop the file onto the map.
CSV file from a third-party data provider	Add a layer from the web.
GeoJSON file (.json or .geojson)	Add a layer from a file.
GeoRSS web feed	Add a layer from the web.
GPS exchange format file (.gpx)	Add a layer from a file or drag and drop the file onto the map.
Keyhole markup language (KML) document	Add a layer from the web.
Layers from ArcGIS Living Atlas of the World	Browse ArcGIS Living Atlas layers or search for layers from ArcGIS Living Atlas.
Map notes	Create in Map Viewer Classic.
Marketplace subscription layers	Browse subscription layers.
Open Geospatial Consortium (OGC) Web Feature Service (WFS) layer	Add a layer from the web.
OGC Web Map Service (WMS) layer	Add a layer from the web.
OGC Web Map Tile Service (WMTS) layer	Add a layer from the web.
Public layers on ArcGIS Online	Search for layers from ArcGIS Online.
Route	Create in Map Viewer Classic or search for layers available to you in your organization.
Shapefile (.zip)	Add a layer from a file.
Text file (.txt)	Add a layer from a file or drag and drop the file onto the map.
Tile layer from a third-party data provider	Add a layer from the web.
Web layers hosted in your organization Layer types include elevation layer, feature layer, map image layer, imagery layer, and tile layer.	Search for layers available to you in your organization.

Note:

Layers that contain the following data types are not supported in Map Viewer Classic:

• 64-bit object IDs
• Big integer
• Date only
• Time only
• Timestamp offset

Search for layers

One option for adding information to your map is to search for existing layers from your content, your favorites, groups you belong to, your organization, ArcGIS Living Atlas of the World, or ArcGIS Online as follows:

• My Content—Includes layers you own.
• My Favorites—Includes layers you've marked as favorites.
• My Groups—Includes layers from groups you belong to.
• <Organization Name>—Includes layers from the organization.

• Living Atlas—Includes selected layers from ArcGIS Living Atlas of the World, including traffic, demographics, and land-cover layers.

  Most ArcGIS Living Atlas layers are free to use in your maps and can be viewed by anyone, but some layers contain subscriber content or premium content, which consume credits (these are identified in the item description) and can't be viewed by the public. However, if your map contains one or more of these layers and you need to share your map with the public, you can create a map-based app and configure it to allow access to the content through your organizational subscription. (Your subscription will incur any credit costs.)

• ArcGIS Online—Includes layers you've added, layers from groups you belong to, and public layers.

Note:

You will only see some of these options if you are not signed in or if you are signed in with a public account.

When searching for layers to add to your map, you can change the way the results are displayed, sort and filter the results to help you find the layers you need, and add results to your favorites list. You can also view details about each layer to learn more about it before adding it to your map.

To search for layers, complete the following steps:

1. Click Add and choose Search for Layers.
2. Choose where to search for layers: My Content, My Favorites, My Groups, My Organization, Living Atlas, or ArcGIS Online.

   If you are not signed in, you only see the ArcGIS Online and Living Atlas options. If you are signed in with a public account, you will see all options except My Organization.

3. Do any of the following to help you find the appropriate layers:
   • Type search terms in the search box. You can also use advanced search to help narrow your search results.
   • Display layer results in different ways using the different view buttons (Table or List ).
   • Click the Sort button to sort the layer results and change the sort direction as needed.
   • Click the Filter button to narrow the search results. For example, if you are searching for layers in an organization and content categories have been set up, you can use the Categories filter to narrow the results. Use the Status filter to only return maps that the organization administrator has marked as authoritative. You can also filter ArcGIS Living Atlas layer results using the ArcGIS standard category set or the Region filter. The filter options you see depend on where you are searching for layers, and whether and how you are signed in.

     Note:

     To limit search results based on the current map extent, select Only show content within map area. For example, if your map is zoomed to Nevada, USA, your search results are ordered and based on your map extent. Changing your map extent to Pennsylvania typically returns different results (depending on your keywords). All layers that overlap your current map extent (and match your keywords) are returned.

   • To see important details about a layer, click its title. In the layer details pane, click the View full details button to open the item page to see more information about the layer.
4. To add a layer to the map, click the Add button on the layer result.

   Note:

   When you add a hosted WFS layer to Map Viewer Classic through a search, you are prompted to add individual layers and define custom parameters.

5. Repeat the previous step for each layer you need to add.

   Tip:

   You can add any of the layer results to your favorites by clicking Add to Favorites in the layer details pane. You can view your complete list of favorites by choosing My Favorites when searching for layers in Map Viewer Classic or from the My Favorites tab on the content page.

   Once you've added layers to Map Viewer Classic, you can configure each individual layer. For example, you can change the style, create labels, and configure pop-ups on each layer you added to the map.

   If you added hosted WFS layers, you can save the map that contains layers from the hosted WFS layer, and the configurations will be saved in the map. When saving configurations to each individual layer, you will be prompted to create a new WFS layer. This new WFS layer is a reference to the hosted WFS layer. All configurations are saved to the new layer, not the hosted layer.

6. To close the search pane when you are finished, click the Back button.

Browse ArcGIS Living Atlas Layers

You can browse Living Atlas Layers and add the layers directly to your map. The layers are part of ArcGIS Living Atlas of the World and include imagery, demographics, land cover, and so on. Most of these layers are free to use on your maps and can be viewed by anyone. However, if you need to share a map publicly that contains subscriber content or premium content, you can create a map-based app and configure it to allow access to the content through your organizational subscription. (Your subscription will incur any credit costs.)

1. Click Add and choose Browse Living Atlas Layers.
2. Do any of the following to help you find the appropriate layers:
   • Type search terms in the search box. You can also use advanced search to help narrow your search results.
   • Display layer results in different ways using the different view buttons (Table or List ).
   • Click the Sort button to sort the layer results and change the sort direction as needed.
   • Click the Filter button to narrow the search results. For example, you can filter layer results using the Categories filter, which includes categories from the ArcGIS standard category set, or using the Region or Item Type filters.

     Note:

     To limit search results based on the current map extent, select Only show content within map area. For example, if your map is zoomed to Nevada, USA, your search results are ordered and based on your map extent. Changing your map extent to Pennsylvania typically returns different results (depending on your keywords). All layers that overlap your current map extent (and match your keywords) are returned.

   • To see important details about a layer, click its title. In the layer details pane, click the View full details button to open the item page to see more information about the layer.
3. To add a layer to the map, click the Add button on the layer result.
4. Repeat the previous step for each layer you need to add.

   Tip:

   You can add any of the layer results to your favorites by clicking Add to Favorites in the layer details pane. You can view your complete list of favorites by choosing My Favorites when searching for layers in Map Viewer Classic or from the My Favorites tab on the content page.

5. To close the search pane when you are finished, click the Back button.

Tip:

If you need to share your map with everyone (public) but the map contains subscriber content or premium content from ArcGIS Living Atlas of the World, create a configurable app from your map and share the app with the public. Doing so allows people who are not signed in to an organization to have access to the subscriber or premium content. See Share apps for more information.

Browse ArcGIS Marketplace data layers

If your organization assigned you licenses for data layers purchased through ArcGIS Marketplace, you can add these layers to your map.

1. Click Add and click Browse Subscription Layers.
2. Find the layer to add and click its thumbnail.

   Repeat this action for any other layers you need to add.

   The selected layers are added to the map.

3. When you are finished adding layers, click Close.

Add layers from the web

You can add the following types of layers through a URL: ArcGIS Server web service, OGC WFS web service, OGC WMS web service, OGC WMTS web service, tile layer, KML file, GeoRSS file, and CSV file. If your organization is configured for Bing Maps, you can also add Bing Maps basemaps.

Choose the Add Layer from Web option and choose the type of web layer to add.

ArcGIS Server web service

An ArcGIS Server web service is a map, image, or feature resource that is located on an ArcGIS Server site. You can add secure services created with ArcGIS Server if you know the username and password to access the service on the ArcGIS Server site. You will be prompted for this information when you add a secure service to the map. Anybody viewing your map will also be prompted for the login to the ArcGIS Server to access the secured service. The map will display without the layer if the ArcGIS Server login is not valid.

Using this option, you can also specify a URL to an ArcGIS Server site and choose from a list of layers on that server.

1. Choose An ArcGIS Server Web Service and type or paste the layer's web address in the URL field.

   If you have ArcGIS Web Adaptor configured, ArcGIS Server web service URLs are in the format https://webadaptorhost.domain.com/webadaptorname/rest/services/folder/service/servicetype. If the service is in the root folder, you do not need to include the folder name in the URL. The URL format in that case is https://webadaptorhost.domain.com/webadaptorname/rest/services/service/servicetype.

   For example, to connect to an ArcGIS Server map service, you would type a URL similar to the following: https://webadaptorhost/webadaptorname/rest/services/service/MapServer. For more information and examples, see Components of ArcGIS URLs.

   If you need to access your service over HTTPS, add your layer with https.

2. To use the layer as a basemap, check Use as Basemap.
3. If you provided the URL for an ArcGIS Server site that contains multiple layers and you need to add a specific layer to the map, click Browse for More Layers and select the layer you require.
4. Click Add Layer to add the layer to your map.

OGC WFS web service

OGC WFS is a feature service that follows the OGC Web Feature Service specification. See an example. OGC WFS layers are added to Map Viewer Classic as a map image layer. After you add an OGC WFS layer, you can view its attribute table, make simple style changes, configure pop-ups, change the transparency, and perform analysis.

Note:

If you add a WFS service from an ArcGIS Server site, Map Viewer Classic uses the ArcGIS Server service instead.

1. Select A WFS OGC Web Service and type or paste the layer's web address in the URL field.

   The following is an example of a WFS service URL: https://mrdata.usgs.gov/wfs/asbestos?SERVICE=WFS&REQUEST=GetCapabilities

2. Follow the steps below to append custom parameters to requests made to the service:
   1. Click Add Custom Parameters.
   2. Click Add Parameter and type the name of the parameter to append.
   3. In the Value column, type the parameter value.

   The specified custom parameters are automatically applied to all requests made to the WFS.

   Note:

   If you do not see the option to add custom parameters and the Get Layers button is not active, the layer is likely running on an ArcGIS Server site. In that case, ArcGIS Online uses the information stored in the service and custom parameters are not needed.

3. Click Get Layers.
4. Select the layer to add.

   You cannot select more than one layer.

5. If the selected layer contains complex features, select the type of features to display: Points, Lines, or Polygons.
6. Click Show Advanced Options and make changes to the following as needed:
   • Maximum feature count—Type a new value to change the maximum feature count requested from the WFS and drawn in the web map.
   • Swap X/Y coordinates—Check this box to swap x,y coordinates.
7. Click Add Layer.
8. Repeat these steps if you need to add more layers from the WFS.

Tip:

You can also set or change the advanced options or custom parameters after the layer has been added by clicking the More Options button for the layer in the Contents pane and clicking WFS OGC options.

OGC WMS web service

OGC WMS is a map that follows the OGC Web Map Service specification. See an example. After you add an OGC WMS layer, you can enable pop-ups, configure which layers are visible, change the transparency, set the visibility range, change the refresh interval, and so on.

Note:

• If the option to enable pop-ups is not available for the WMS layer, you may need to add the layer to Map Viewer Classic again or re-create the WMS item. Some WMS layers do not support pop-ups.
• Refresh on WMS layers only works if the WMS service honors standard HTTPS caching rules.
• If you add a WMS service from an ArcGIS Server site, Map Viewer Classic uses the ArcGIS Server service instead.

1. Choose A WMS OGC Web Service and type or paste the layer's web address in the URL field.

   The following is an example of a WMS service URL: https://ows.terrestris.de/osm/service?SERVICE=WMS&VERSION=1.1.1&REQUEST=GetCapabilities.

2. Follow the steps below to append custom parameters to requests made to the service:
   1. Click Add Custom Parameters.
   2. Click Add Parameter and type the name of the parameter to append.
   3. In the Value column, type the parameter value.
   4. In the Append to column, select All to append the parameter to all requests made to the service, or select Layer only to append it only to requests that draw or query layers.
   5. Repeat these steps for each parameter you need to append.
3. To use the layer as a basemap, check Use as Basemap.
4. To choose specific layers in the OGC WMS service to add to the map instead of adding the entire service, click Get Layers and check the boxes next to the layers to add.

   Skip this step if you are adding the entire service.

   Tip:

   To rename any of the layers before adding them, click the layer name and type a new one.

   If you specified custom parameters, they will be applied to all the layers you chose. To append different custom parameters to specific layers only, you must add those layers separately.

5. Click Add Layer.

Tip:

To append or change any custom parameters after the layer has been added, click the More Options button for the layer in the Contents pane and click WMS OGC options.

OGC WMTS web service

OGC WMTS is a set of cached image tiles that follows the OGC Web Map Tile Service specification. See an example. After you add an OGC WMTS layer, you can change the transparency, set the visibility range, change the refresh interval, and so on.

1. Choose A WMTS OGC Web Service and type or paste the layer's web address in the URL field.

   The following is an example of a WMTS service URL: https://tileserver.maptiler.com/wmts

2. To append custom parameters to requests made to the service, do the following:
   1. Click Add Custom Parameters.
   2. Click Add Parameter and type the name of the parameter to append.
   3. In the Value column, type the parameter value.
   4. In the Append to column, select All to append the parameter to all requests made to the service, or select Layer only to append it only to requests that draw or query layers.
   5. Repeat these steps for each parameter you need to append.
3. Click Get Layers.
4. Select the layer to add.

   To use the layer as a basemap, check the Use as Basemap check box.

   Note:

   If the selected layer does not support a coordinate system and tiling scheme that align it with the current map, you can add the layer as a basemap and select the desired tiling scheme from the Tiling Scheme drop-down menu.

5. Click Add Layer.
6. Repeat these steps to add more layers from the WMTS.

Tip:

To append or change any custom parameters after the layer has been added, click the More Options button for the layer in the Contents pane and click WMTS OGC options.

Tile layer

A tile layer is a set of web-accessible tiles that reside on a server. When you add a tile layer from the web, the tiles are accessed by a direct URL request from the web browser. To display the tile layer accurately in Map Viewer Classic, ensure that it uses the Web Mercator (Auxiliary Sphere) coordinate system. See an example.

Access to the appropriate tiles in the tile layer depends on the URL to the tile layer. The URL contains parameterized values that are used by Map Viewer Classic to dynamically request the tiles that correspond with the extent and scale of the map as you pan and zoom. For example, the URL for the OpenCycleMap tile layer contains parameterized values in curly brackets {}: https://www.opencyclemap.org/: https://{subDomain}.tile.opencyclemap.org/cycle/{level}/{col}/{row}.png.

1. Choose A Tile Layer and type or paste the layer's web address in the URL field.

   Obtain this URL from the data provider.

   To access the service over HTTPS, add the layer with an https URL.

   Note:

   Tile layers added from the web must use the Web Mercator (Auxiliary Sphere) coordinate system to ensure proper display in Map Viewer Classic.

2. If the tile layer contains one or more subdomains, specify the tile layer's subdomain labels in the Subdomain field. Delimit the labels with commas.

   Subdomains are used by the tile layer provider to distribute tile requests across multiple servers. Not all tile layers have subdomains. If the tile layer does not have subdomains, the Add Layer from Web window does not display the subdomain field. If you are unsure of the subdomain labels, contact the tile layer provider.

   Note:

   If the tiles are distributed across multiple servers, you must provide subdomain information.

3. Type a name for the tile layer in the Title field.

   The Contents pane of the map will display the title you type as the name of the tile layer.

4. Provide any copyright information or required attribution information for the tile layer provider in the Credits field.

   The map will display the credits at the lower right of the map.

5. Click Set Tile Coverage to set the extent of the tile coverage.

   Tile coverage represents the extent of all the tiles. This is an optional setting. When the extent is set, tiles are only requested for the extent specified. However, because the tiles are not clipped to fit the extent, tiles may extend beyond the extent.

6. To use the layer as a basemap, check the Use as Basemap check box.
7. Click Add Layer to add the layer to your map.

KML file

A KML file contains a set of geographic features.

1. Choose A KML File and type or paste the layer's web address in the URL field.

   You should get this URL from the data provider.

2. Click Add Layer to add the layer to your map.

GeoRSS file

A GeoRSS file is a web feed that includes geographic features and locations. See an example.

1. Choose A GeoRSS File and type or paste the layer's web address in the URL field.

   You should get this URL from the data provider.

2. Click Add Layer to add the layer to your map.

CSV file

A CSV file that you reference as a URL is a web-based, comma-separated values text file that typically includes location information. You can also add a CSV file that doesn't contain location information as a table. This is useful for joining nonspatial data on the web—for example, sales information—to spatial data, such as a ZIP Codes layer, using the Join Features analysis tool.

Tip:

Adding a URL-based CSV file containing latitude, longitude coordinates to your map allows you to display the latest CSV data when the map is refreshed. For example, you could display up-to-date earthquake information by adding a CSV file containing earthquake locations (latitude, longitude) that is frequently updated on the USGS Earthquake Hazards Program website. Each time your map is opened, the earthquake layer is refreshed with the latest data. To change the frequency at which the layer is refreshed, you can set a refresh interval. See an example.

1. Choose A CSV File and type or paste the layer's web address in the URL field.

   You should get this URL from the data provider.

2. If the CSV file does not contain spatial information, choose to have Map Viewer Classic add it as a table.
3. Click Add Layer.

Bing basemaps

The Bing Basemap option only appears if your organization has configured the map with a Bing Maps key.

1. Choose Bing Basemap and choose the type of Bing Maps to use: Road, Aerial, or Hybrid.
2. Click Add Layer to add the layer to your map.

Add layers from files

You can add layers to your map by importing data you have stored in a delimited text file (.csv or .txt), GPS Exchange Format file (.gpx), GeoJSON file (.geojson or .json), or shapefile (compressed into a .zip file). A layer from a file is stored in the map.

Note:

When adding a file to the map, it must use World Geodetic System (WGS 84) as its reference coordinate system.

Tip:

If the CSV file, shapefile, or GeoJSON file contains a large amount of data, or you need a layer that you can reuse in multiple maps, you can publish a hosted feature layer instead of adding the file to the map.

You can also add a CSV file that doesn't contain location information to Map Viewer Classic as a table. This is useful when joining nonspatial data—for example, property damage claims related to a recent tornado—to spatial data, such as a ZIP Codes layer, using the Join Features analysis tool.

1. Choose Add Layer from File.
2. Click Choose File and locate the file on your computer.
3. If you are adding a shapefile, choose to generalize the features for web display or keep original features.
4. Click Import Layer.

   If you are adding a GeoJSON, GPX file, or shapefile, your layer appears on the map. Proceed to the next step if you are adding a delimited text file (CSV or TXT).

5. If you are adding a CSV file or TXT file, do the following:
   1. Do one of the following as needed:

      • If you are adding a delimited text file (.csv or .txt) with location information, choose to have Map Viewer Classic locate features by Coordinates or Addresses or Places as needed.

        To locate features by addresses or places, click the locator to use, or use the default.

        By default, Map Viewer Classic geocodes locations based on your organization's region. To change the country that Map Viewer Classic uses to geocode your locations, choose a different country from the Country drop-down menu. If your file contains locations from multiple countries or from a country not in the list, choose World.

        Note:

        Geocoding addresses consumes credits.

        Review the location fields and click a cell to change which location field or fields are used. If you are adding a CSV file with supported coordinate fields such as MGRS or USNG, select the location fields that correspond to your coordinate fields if they are not already selected.

      • If you are adding a CSV file that does not contain location information, choose to have Map Viewer Classic add it as a table.
   2. Click Add Layer.

   Your layer is added to the map.

Drag and drop a file

In addition to importing your .csv, .txt, or .gpx file using the Map Viewer Classic Add button, you can drag it from your computer and drop it onto your map. Map Viewer Classic will handle the file as if you had used Add. Dragging and dropping a .txt, .csv, and .gpx file is supported on Google Chrome and Mozilla Firefox browsers.

You cannot drag a shapefile or GeoJSON file from your computer and drop it onto your map; you must use the Add button.

Add map notes

You can add your own data directly to a map by adding a map notes layer. These layers are useful for adding a small number of features to a map, for example, the swimming pools managed by your city's parks and recreation department. When you add a map notes layer, it is stored in the map by default.

Tip:

You can also add a map notes layer from a location you found through search.

1. Choose Add Map Notes and type a name for the layer.
2. Choose a layer template.
   Each template includes a set of related shapes and symbols. For example, the Park Planning template includes symbols for picnic areas and bicycle trails, and the Oil & Gas Infrastructure template has symbols for oil refineries and treatment facilities.

   Note:

   The Disasters, General Infrastructure, and Damage templates include humanitarian icons from the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs. Source: OCHA.

3. Click Create.

   A template appears at the left side of the map.

4. Click a shape or symbol and click the location in the map where the feature belongs. Press the Ctrl key to enable snapping.

   Snapping helps you line up the feature you are adding next to an existing feature on the map. How you add the feature depends on the geometry; for example, add points and circles by clicking on the map, and add lines and polygons by clicking on the map to start the shape and double-clicking to complete it.

5. Add the following information about the feature to the pop-up that appears:
   1. Title—The title appears as the title of the feature's pop-up.
   2. Description—The description field includes formatting options for creating rich text such as hyperlinks, color, and styles.
   3. URL to an image—The image must be accessible to the public and stored on a public website (for example, https://publicimagesite/myimages.png) and should be in a web format such as PNG, GIF, or JPEG. For best results, the image should be 200 pixels wide by 150 pixels high. Other sizes will be adjusted to fit, so the image may appear stretched or shrunk.
   4. Related link—This opens a website when somebody clicks the image in the pop-up.
6. Optionally create your own symbol by clicking Change Symbol at the bottom of the pop-up.
   1. Choose Source and click a symbol to use a predefined symbol.
   2. Choose URL and type or paste the URL of the symbol file. The image must be accessible to the public and stored on a public website. The image file should be in a web format such as PNG, GIF, or JPEG. For best results, the image should be 200 pixels wide by 150 pixels high. Other sizes will be adjusted to fit, so your image may appear stretched or shrunk.
   3. Adjust the size of the symbol using the Symbol size slider.
   4. Do any of the following to make changes to your map notes:
      • Change the size of an existing symbol by dragging the vertices that appear on the shape.
      • Remove a feature from your layer by clicking inside the feature to reopen the pop-up and clicking Delete.
      • Make edits to an existing feature by clicking inside the symbol on the map. This reopens the pop-up.
   5. Click Done and click Close.

   The information you add to your pop-up is automatically saved.

7. After adding map notes, do any of the following to change the way the layer is displayed on the map:
   • Set the visibility range to specify when your map notes layer is displayed on the map.
   • Hide all features associated with a layer by clicking Details, clicking Contents, and unchecking the box to the left of the layer name.
   • Remove a layer by clicking Details and clicking Contents. Click the layer, click More Options, and click Remove.
8. To save the map notes layer as part of the map, click the Save button , provide details for the layer, specify a folder in which to save the map, and click Save Map.

   Tip:

   You can also save the map notes layer as a feature collection item in your content. Doing so allows you to edit its item details and share it with others. To save the map or the map notes layer, you must have the privilege to create content.

Add route layers

If you are signed in with an organizational account, you can use Map Viewer Classic to get directions and create a route layer in your map. If you have privileges to create content, you can save the route layer as an item on the My Content tab of the content page, save the layer with the map, or both. If you save the route layer as an item, you can edit its item details and share it with others. Any existing route layer item can be added to a new or existing map from My Content or the layer's item page, or by using the Search for Layers option in the Map Viewer Classic Add menu. You can also add route layers that were created as output from analysis tools such as Find Nearest, Plan Routes, and Connect Origins to Destinations if these route layers were saved as items.

If you share your route layer, licensed ArcGIS Navigator users who have Navigator installed on their mobile devices can search for and open the route layer from the Routes tab in the ArcGIS Navigator app.

In Map Viewer Classic, you can configure the route layer, edit the route, and perform analysis on the route. As with any other map, maps that have one or more route layers can be configured; shared through a web app, story template, blog, and so on; and used in a map client such as an iOS device, Android phone, or ArcGIS Pro.

Create a new route layer

To create a new route layer, do the following:

1. Open Map Viewer Classic.
2. Click Directions to display the Directions pane to the left of the map. Get directions by adding an origin and one or more destinations.
3. Click the Save button , type a name for the layer, and choose a folder in which to save the route. Click Save.
   The route is saved as a route layer in the map's Contents pane and as a route layer item on the My Content tab of the content page.

   Note:

   To save the route layer, you must have privileges to create content.

4. Do any of the following:
   • Click Share the route to view and edit the item details for the route layer or share it with others.
   • Make changes to the route as needed, including adding destinations, changing the travel mode, and so on.
   • Configure the route layer as needed, including changing the transparency, renaming it, and so on. To do this, close the Directions pane, go to the Contents pane, and click the More Options button to see options for configuring the layer.
5. Save any changes you made to the route by doing either of the following:
   • From the Contents pane, click the More Options button and click Save Layer.

     Tip:

     After the route has been saved, you can make further changes to the route from the Contents pane, including adding destinations, changing the travel mode, and so on, by clicking the More Options button in the Contents pane and clicking Edit Route. This opens the Directions pane where you can edit your route.

   • From the Directions pane, click the Save button and click Save.

     Tip:

     To save the updated route as a different route layer item, change the Result layer name and folder as needed and click Save as new.

Add an existing route layer

If you have an existing route layer to configure or edit in Map Viewer Classic, do the following:

1. Do one of the following to add an existing route layer to the map:
   • Open Map Viewer Classic and add the route layer to the map using the Search for Layers option.
   • From the My Content tab of the content page, click the thumbnail for the route layer in list view or grid view.
   • From the Overview tab of the route layer's item page, click Open in Map Viewer.

   The route appears on the map and is listed in the Contents pane.

2. Do any of the following:
   • Make changes to the route as needed, including adding destinations, changing the travel mode, and so on.
   • Configure the route layer as needed, including changing the transparency, renaming it, and so on. To do this, close the Directions pane, go to the Contents pane, and click the More Options button to see options for configuring the layer.
3. To save your changes, do one of the following:

   Note:

   To save the route layer, you must have privileges to create content.

   • From the Contents pane, click the More Options button and click Save Layer.
   • From the Directions pane, click the Save button and click Save.
   • To save the updated route as a different route layer item, change the Result layer name and folder as needed and click Save as new.

     Tip:

     After the route has been saved, you can make further changes to the route from the Contents pane—including adding destinations, changing the travel mode, and so on—by clicking the Edit Route button under the layer in the Contents pane. This opens the Directions pane.

Configure the route layer

If you intend to share your route with others (and have sharing privileges), you may want to configure the route layer for your specific audience. For example, if you work for an emergency management agency and plan to share a map of evacuation routes with your police department, you may want to rename the route layer in the Contents pane and change the route name in the pop-ups to the names the police department uses.

On the route layer, you can change the transparency, rename the layer, hide it in the legend, and edit the route and save your changes to the layer. You can also move the layer up or down in the Contents pane if you have other feature layers in your map. You can access these options from the More Options button in the Contents pane.

The route layer contains the sublayers listed below. On each sublayer, you can set the visibility, configure pop-ups, change the style, view the attribute table, create labels, and hide the layer in the legend. You cannot change the name of the sublayers.

• DirectionPoints—A set of point features representing the direction maneuvers such as arriving to or departing from a stop, turning left or right, and other events along your route. This layer contains the route's turn-by-turn directions. By default, this layer is not displayed on the map. You can display it by checking the box next to the layer name in the Contents pane.
• DirectionLines—A set of line features for each segment of your route. This layer can be used to visualize the turn-by-turn directions on a map. By default, this layer is not displayed. You can display it by checking the box next to the layer name in the Contents pane.
• RouteInfo—A line feature layer of your route. This layer includes the total drive time and distance.
• Stops—A point feature layer of your origin and destination or destinations.
• Barriers—A point feature layer that contains any restriction or added cost point barriers added. This sublayer is only created when point barriers have been added and saved to the route.
• PolygonBarriers—A polygon feature layer that contains any restriction or scaled cost polygon barriers added. This sublayer is only created when polygon barriers have been added and saved to the route.
• PolylineBarriers—A line feature layer that contains any restriction line barriers added. This sublayer is only created when line barriers have been added and saved to the route.

Note:

To learn more about the types of barriers that can be added to a route, see Barriers. At this time, only restriction line barriers can be created in Map Viewer Classic. However, all types of barriers can be created and saved with routes in ArcGIS Pro and can be viewed in Map Viewer Classic.