Preview, test, and publish

After exploring the templates and deciding which one to use, you're ready to create and publish an app. Opening Instant Apps from a specific map allows you to preview and test the app before creating it. If the default settings and app capabilities are acceptable, you can create the app and publish it as is. To modify the settings or select or change the data to display in the app, open the configuration window when you create your app, and publish changes from there.

To publish an app, complete the following steps:

  1. On the Browse All tab, click Preview to test an app with your data.
  2. To create the app from the preview window, click Choose.
  3. In the Create App window that opens, provide a title and tags, choose a folder in which to save your app, and click Publish or Configure App.
    • Click Publish to use the template defaults with the selected map. When the app's item page opens, edit the item details and change the share status. The content used by your app needs to be shared in the same way as your app, so click Update in the Update sharing window, if applicable.
    • Click Configure App to open the configuration window, modify settings and tools, and publish a customized app.
      Note:

      As you make changes in the configuration window, a draft is saved automatically and the app preview refreshes so you can test the app before publishing. You can also preview how the app will appear on a tablet or mobile device by using the Views menu.

  4. If you've already created apps with Instant Apps, you can also preview and create apps from the My Apps tab.
    • Click Choose to create an app with the same template and settings used by your existing app.
    • If you've preselected a map, click Preview first to try it out before creating the app.

For apps that use premium content, you'll be prompted when you publish to authorize access so that anonymous users won't need to sign in if you share the app publicly.