Add a layer from ArcGIS

Note:

Some workflows may require specific privileges. For more information about user types, roles, and privileges, see the Accounts topic.

Adding a layer from ArcGIS is a quick way to add context to your data. See Reference layers to learn more about adding content from ArcGIS to a map.

When you are signed in to your ArcGIS account, you can add content from ArcGIS Online, ArcGIS Living Atlas of the World, and your organizational account and groups. If you are not signed in, only publicly available content appears in the search results.

Note:

To make a layer available to add, see Add a custom reference layer to ArcGIS.

Note:

Shared content availability depends on settings established by the item owner, your ArcGIS organizational user type and role, and organization settings. For information about shared content, see Share items in the ArcGIS Online help.

To add content from ArcGIS, complete the following steps:

  1. From the map tools, click Layers Layers to open the Layers pane.
  2. If your map already contains a layer, click ArcGIS data. Otherwise, proceed to step 3.
  3. Click ArcGIS.
  4. To search for and add a layer from ArcGIS to the map, do any of the following:
    • On the first drop-down menu, My content appears by default. Use the drop-down menu to narrow the search results by ArcGIS Online, Living Atlas, My content, My favorites, My groups, My folders, My organization, or My organization's groups.

      Living Atlas filtered search results

      The items filter as you make selections.

      Tip:

      To learn more about searching for ArcGIS content, see Browse and search content in the ArcGIS Online help.

    • Optionally, if you selected Living Atlas, use the Filter by category check boxes to filter the search results by the following categories and related subcategories: Boundaries & Places, Demographics, Landscape, and Transportation.
    • Type one or more keywords in the search text box, such as wildlife.
    • Click the Details view button Details view to change the tab view to a list that contains thumbnail images previewing the layer's default styling.
    • Click the List view button List view to change the tab view to a compact list.
    • Click the Filter button Filter and do any of the following:

      • Turn on the Search within map area toggle button to see only results that contain data for the current extent of the map.
      • Use the check boxes to filter the search results by the following item types: Feature layers, Map image layers, Web maps, Imagery layers, Vector tile layers, or WFS.
        Note:

        ArcGIS for Power BI typically filters out unsupported item types. If you are a guest user, the only available types are feature layers consisting of a single layer.

      • Choose a Date modified option from the drop-down menu to filter results by All time, Today, Yesterday, Last 7 days, or Last 30 days, or click Custom range and use the calendar to select a start date and end date.
      • Click Clear filters to remove all filters.

    • Click the Sort button Sort to sort the results list by Relevance, Title, Owner, Date Modified, or View count.
    • Hover over a search result to activate the item's information button Information.
      • Click the information button Information to open an item details pane containing descriptive information about the selected layer, such as the item type, keywords, the author or attribution, the created date, most recently updated date, the item's terms of use, and privacy details.
      • Click the Show layer details button Show layer details in the item details pane to open the item details in a browser window.
  5. Check the check box next to an item in the list to select it and click Done.

    The selected layer is added to the map and is also added to the Layers list. The map view zooms to display the extent of the added layer.

    Note:

    Adding some types of data consumes ArcGIS credits.

  6. To remove an ArcGIS layer from the map, click More options More options next to the layer in the Layers list Layers and click Remove Remove on the context menu.

    The layer is removed from the map and the Layers list.

    Note:

    Optionally, to remove multiple layers, press Ctrl while clicking , select the layers to remove, and click Delete Delete at the top of the list.

  7. When you are finished, click Close Close to close the Layers pane.

    Note:
    Once you've added a layer from ArcGIS to a map, you can create a join between the layer and Power BI data attributes or use the feature information pane to interact with feature layer attributes.