Work with attachments

Note:

The Collector for ArcGIS (Classic) help site is retired and no longer being updated. To learn about Collector retirement and to find the latest information on data collection, see Collector retirement.

Attachments provide additional information for features. Using Collector, you can add, rename, and delete attachments as part of editing features. You can also view attachments.

Add an attachment

Photos can be added to features to provide additional information. For example, if you are reporting on the status of a building after an earthquake, you can include photos showing new damages.

Note:

Not all data supports attachments. If you do not see Add Attachment , you can't add attachments to the feature. To enable them, work with the author of the map and see How do I enable inclusion of photos during collection? in the map creation FAQ.

Note:

The following steps assume you are already editing the feature to which you want to add an attachment. To begin editing a feature, see Select a feature and begin editing in the Update a feature topic.

1. Select Add Attachment .

   The Add attachment from panel opens.

2. Select the attachment type to add, and create or select the item to add.
   • Select Camera to add a new item using the device's camera. When the camera starts, use it to create a new item. On the preview page of the item, select Save to attach the created item, or select Discard if you need to retake the photo. To cancel adding the attachment, press the device's back button to return to the camera, and press the device's back button again to stop collecting a photo.

     Note:

     Depending on the camera app you are using, you might see different options as you take a photo.

   • Select Gallery to add an existing item from the device. On the Select photo page that opens, browse to the item to attach, and select it to attach it to your feature. Select Cancel or press the device's back button to cancel adding the attachment.

   The Map or Attributes tab reappears, and the attachments are ready to be added to the feature.

3. Select Done to save your edits.

Note:

If you added an attachment in error, see the Delete an attachment section.

Rename an attachment

Attachments are added using the name they had on the device. Often, this is a default name with little meaning to the image. Rename the attachment to clarify what it is. For example, if taking photos of the north side of a valve, you could name the photo north-valve.

Note:

The following steps assume you are already editing the feature of which you want to rename an attachment, that you have already attached it, and that the attachment is already downloaded. To begin editing a feature, see Select a feature and begin editing in the Update a feature topic. To add an attachment, see Add an attachment. To download the attachment, select it.

1. Go to the Attributes tab.

   If you are on the map, select Collect Attributes .

2. Scroll to the bottom of the attributes to see the Attachments section.
3. Select the arrow in the lower right corner of the attachment you want to rename.

   The actions that can be taken on the attachment display.

4. Select Rename.

   Tip:

   If there isn't a Rename option, make sure you are editing the feature and the attachment has been downloaded. For downloaded photos, you should see a thumbnail of it.

   The Rename Attachment panel opens, showing the item's name.

5. Type a new name for your attachment.
6. Select OK.

   The panel is dismissed and the attachment thumbnail updates to show the new name.

7. Select Done to save your edits.

Delete an attachment

Take the following steps to delete an attachment from a feature:

Note:

The following steps assume you are already editing the feature from which you want to delete an attachment. To begin editing a feature, see Select a feature and begin editing in the Update a feature topic.

1. Go to the Attributes tab.

   If you are on the map, select Collect Attributes .

2. Scroll to the bottom of the attributes to see the Attachments section.
3. Select the arrow in the lower right corner of the attachment you want to remove.

   The actions that can be taken on the attachment display.

4. Select Delete.

   The attachment is deleted.

5. Select Done to save your edits.

View an attachment

Attachments are often added to features to provide additional context or visual information about the feature. You can view attachments while browsing a map and while editing a feature.

View an attachment while browsing a map

Take the following steps to view an attachment while browsing a map:

1. Select the feature.

   Results display along the bottom of the map. The first feature in the results list is highlighted on the map.

   Tip:

   The selection results are indicated by the Pin icon .

   

2. In the results list, locate the feature of interest. To show the actions you can take with the result, select the arrow to the right of it .

   

   Tip:

   To flip through the results, scroll through them by flicking the currently displayed result to move to the next or previous result. When there are next or previous results available, you see the edge of that result beside your current one. The active result is highlighted on the map. If it is outside the map extent, the map pans to include the active result.

   To view all of the results as a list, select List .

3. Select Show details.
4. Scroll to the bottom of the details. If there are any attachments, they show here.
5. Select the attachment you want to view.

   The attachment is downloaded and the thumbnail displays.

6. Select the thumbnail.

   Select a program for viewing the attachment if prompted to do so. The attachment displays.

View an attachment while editing a feature

Take the following steps to view an attachment while editing a feature:

1. Scroll to the bottom of the attributes. If there are any attachments, they show here.
2. Select the attachment you want to view.

   The attachment is downloaded and the thumbnail displays.

3. Select the thumbnail, and select a program for viewing the attachment if prompted to do so.

   The attachment displays.