Frequently asked questions

How can I tell which license of ArcGIS Hub I have?

To determine which license of ArcGIS Hub you're using, check your Hub Overview page. Sign in to ArcGIS Hub at hub.arcgis.com with your ArcGIS Online organizational account. If the Sites option is available on the Overview page, you are using ArcGIS Hub Basic. If the Initiatives option is available on the Overview page, you're using ArcGIS Hub Premium.

For more information, see What is the difference between a site and an initiative?

How will upgrading to ArcGIS Hub Premium affect my existing content (sites, pages, data, and so on)?

When an organization upgrades to an ArcGIS Hub Premium license, existing content is not impacted. The only change is that existing sites become initiatives which provide access to premium features, including templates and events.

Is ArcGIS Hub available for ArcGIS Enterprise?

Yes. ArcGIS Hub Basic is available for ArcGIS Enterprise as ArcGIS Enterprise Sites. With ArcGIS Enterprise, you can manage your data, mapping and visualization, and location analytics on-premises with infrastructure that you control. ArcGIS Enterprise Sites is the equivalent to ArcGIS Hub Basic and allows you to create unlimited sites and pages as part of your organization's Enterprise portal. With ArcGIS Hub, you can leverage ArcGIS Online infrastructure, and use the latest features in a tool optimized for the web. Enterprise Sites is suitable if your policies prohibit use of ArcGIS Online and/or you want to create sites for internal audiences. ArcGIS Enterprise Sites does not include the ability to upgrade to ArcGIS Hub Premium features (such as templates, events management, integrated support for Survey123, and community accounts).

What is the difference between a site and an initiative?

An initiative requires a subscription to ArcGIS Hub Premium and allows members to bundle content around a project, topic, or goal. Every initiative includes a site, a core team, and the ability to send emails and content to specific audiences, including the public. Core team members can also create a template of the initiative (including its site, apps, and pages) so that others within the organization or community can configure standardized content as their own. A site, in comparison, is one element of an initiative that provides internal and public audiences with a place to sign in, search for and download content, and find events and surveys. Each site can include multiple pages, so you can build out a comprehensive, branded experience for the initiative. For more information, see What is ArcGIS Hub? and Feature glossary.

How do sites and pages appear as search results when using Google?

Google displays a site in the following format:

  • {site name}
  • {text from the site layout that Google finds relevant for the given query}

A site and its linked page are displayed in the following format:

  • {page name} - {site name}
  • {text from the page layout that google thinks is relevant for the given query}

Can I share open data with ArcGIS Hub?

Yes. You can use ArcGIS Hub to share open data. ArcGIS Hub was initially called ArcGIS Open Data. As the product evolved to support additional data sharing and collaboration features, ArcGIS Open Data was rebranded as ArcGIS Hub. Using ArcGIS Hub, you can use sites and initiatives to share open data as well as other types of content.

Note:

Supported items that you add to your site's or initiative's content library are automatically made available for download if you share them publicly. Administrators do not need to enable any settings related to data or downloads to share open data. The open data capability is only necessary if you want to make your content discoverable in searches on hub.arcgis.com. For more information, see Make public content more discoverable.

How do I create an open data site?

To create an open data site, create a new site or use the Share Open Data template (available with ArcGIS Hub Premium and ArcGIS Hub Basic). If you or an administrator have already organized your data into public groups, you can use the Groups Manager to add this data to your site in bulk. Once you add content, you can use category cards, gallery cards, and the search card to display the content on your site.

Does ArcGIS Hub provide support for data federation?

After you create an open data site, you can optionally federate its data with external data catalogs such as CKAN or Data.gov using the DCAT Configuration editor. For more information, see Federate data and manage feeds.

Do I need an account to download data?

No, you do not need an account to download open (publicly-shared) data. If your organization supports community accounts, community members can also mark datasets as favorites and store their downloads for up to 48 hours using their user profile.

Note:

You can also share private data using ArcGIS Hub. This means that any item shared internally with a group member or the organization is only accessible through the site's search results when the member is signed in.

Where does a source on an item come from?

When returning the source for a given item of public content, ArcGIS Hub follows a hierarchy. First, if an organization name is set in the formal metadata editor, ArcGIS Hub uses that value. If not, ArcGIS Hub checks in ArcGIS Online. The hierarchy is as follows:

  1. Overview > Citation > Citation Contacts > Organization
  2. Overview > Resource Info > Resource Contact > Organization Name
  3. Organization name in ArcGIS Online