11.1 Web Maps & Web Layers
Key Takeaways
- The Share tab in ArcGIS Pro centralizes publishing Web Maps, Web Layers, and Web Scenes directly to active ArcGIS Online or Enterprise portal connections.
- Web Maps orchestrate layers, basemaps, pop-ups, and extents into interactive displays, whereas Web Layers represent individual spatial datasets or map services.
- Web Feature Layers offer editable vector data access, Web Tile Layers provide fast pre-rendered raster basemaps, and Map Image Layers deliver dynamic server-rendered enterprise layers.
- Vector Tile Layers package geometry into protocol buffer format (PBF), enabling fast client-side GPU rendering, crisp high-DPI resolution, and dynamic custom styling.
- The ArcGIS Pro Analyzer validates web configurations prior to publishing, flagging critical Errors that block publication and Warnings that suggest optimization.
11.1 Web Maps & Web Layers
In modern enterprise GIS, desktop workflows are seamlessly integrated with web-based GIS ecosystems. The ability to share spatial information efficiently from ArcGIS Pro to cloud or on-premises portals is a fundamental competency tested on the Esri ArcGIS Pro Foundation exam. Sharing allows geographic assets—such as vector features, raster basemaps, and complex cartographic compositions—to be accessed across web browsers, mobile applications, and field operations.
The ArcGIS Pro Share Tab & Portal Integration
ArcGIS Pro centralizes all publishing, packaging, and exporting capabilities within the Share tab on the ribbon interface. Before initiating any sharing workflow, ArcGIS Pro must be connected and signed into an active portal. A portal represents either ArcGIS Online (Esri's cloud-based Software-as-a-Service platform) or ArcGIS Enterprise (an organization's self-hosted, on-premises or cloud infrastructure deployment).
The active portal connection determines the publishing options, licensing privileges, and storage destinations available. Users verify their active portal via the top-right corner of the ArcGIS Pro application interface or through the Project > Portals manager. Publishing web content requires an organizational account assigned a role with specific publishing privileges (such as Publisher or Administrator).
+-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------+
| ARCGIS PRO SHARE TAB |
+----------------------------+----------------------------+-------------------------+
| SHARE AS | SAVE AS | EXPORT / PACK |
| - Web Map | - Map File (.mapx) | - Project Package |
| - Web Layer | - Layout File (.pagx) | - Map Package |
| - Web Scene (3D) | - Layer File (.lyrx) | - Layer Package |
| - Web Tool / Service | - Task File (.esriTasks) | - Geoprocessing Package |
+----------------------------+----------------------------+-------------------------+
Distinguishing Web Maps vs. Web Layers
A critical distinction on the EAPF exam is the structural and conceptual difference between a Web Map and a Web Layer:
- Web Map: A Web Map is an interactive, web-based display of geographic information. It serves as an organizational container that references one or more Web Layers alongside a basemap. Web Maps store cartographic configuration metadata, including layer display order, visible scale ranges, symbology overrides, pop-up definitions, bookmark extents, and filter queries. A Web Map does not store raw spatial data directly; instead, it orchestrates referenced web services.
- Web Layer: A Web Layer is an individual web-published spatial dataset or service. Web Layers expose feature geometries, attributes, pre-rendered tiles, or dynamic map images to web applications, Web Maps, desktop GIS clients, and mobile apps. When publishing a complete map from ArcGIS Pro as a Web Map, ArcGIS Pro automatically publishes each non-web layer in the map as a supporting Web Layer.
Core Web Layer Types & Architectural Differences
ArcGIS Pro supports publishing several distinct types of Web Layers, each tailored to specific data structures, performance requirements, and editing capabilities:
| Web Layer Type | Primary Data Type | Rendering Location | Key Capabilities & Use Cases |
|---|---|---|---|
| Web Feature Layer | Vector (Points, Lines, Polygons) | Client-side (Browser/App) | Supports full vector attribute querying, interactive client-side symbology, attachments, spatial queries, and real-time editing. Can be published as a Hosted Feature Layer or backed by enterprise database data. |
| Web Tile Layer | Raster (Images / Pre-rendered Cache) | Server/CDN to Client Tiles | Delivers fast-drawing pre-rendered image tile pyramids. Ideal for static background basemaps, aerial imagery, and continuous elevation surfaces where feature editing is not required. |
| Map Image Layer | Vector/Raster (Dynamic Server Render) | Server-side (ArcGIS Enterprise) | Renders map images dynamically on the server from registered Enterprise Geodatabases. Supports dynamic sublayer visibility, server-side render overrides, and advanced database SQL connection pooling. |
| Vector Tile Layer | Vector (Protocol Buffer Tiles - PBF) | Client-side GPU Rendering | Stores vector geometries inside compact tile structures. Renders crisply on high-DPI displays, supports dynamic client-side restyling without re-downloading tiles, and dramatically reduces server storage footprints. |
1. Web Feature Layers (Hosted Feature Services)
When published to ArcGIS Online or as hosted layers in ArcGIS Enterprise, vector data becomes a Hosted Feature Layer. Hosted Feature Layers store their spatial tables in the portal's relational datastore. They support editing capabilities (Create, Update, Delete features), tracking fields (Editor Tracking), sync capabilities for offline field workflows in ArcGIS Field Maps, and attribute domain enforcement.
2. Map Image Layers (ArcGIS Enterprise Dynamic Services)
Unique to ArcGIS Enterprise federated servers, Map Image Layers allow GIS professionals to publish maps that maintain direct dynamic connections to registered Enterprise Geodatabase data sources (e.g., PostgreSQL, SQL Server, Oracle). Because data is rendered on the server dynamically upon each pan/zoom request, any underlying database update is immediately reflected without re-publishing.
3. Vector Tile Layers vs. Raster Tile Layers
While traditional Raster Tile Layers store pixel grids (PNG/JPEG) pre-rendered at fixed scale levels, Vector Tile Layers package vector geometries into vector tile pyramids. Vector tiles allow clients to adapt rendering styles on the fly (e.g., switching a map from night mode to day mode) and maintain razor-sharp boundary lines regardless of screen DPI resolution.
Portal Integration: ArcGIS Online vs. ArcGIS Enterprise
Understanding the architectural environment helps determine how content is published and hosted:
- ArcGIS Online: Esri's cloud SaaS portal. Data published as hosted layers consumes organizational storage units (credits). ArcGIS Online automatically handles hardware scaling, spatial indexing, and high availability without requiring local database administration.
- ArcGIS Enterprise: An in-house or cloud-hosted enterprise deployment comprising Portal for ArcGIS, a federated ArcGIS Server hosting server, and ArcGIS Data Stores (Relational, Tile Cache, Spatiotemporal). Enterprise supports registered data stores, allowing users to publish layers that reference existing database infrastructure directly without copying data to the cloud.
Managing Sharing Access & Visibility Settings
When sharing a Web Map or Web Layer from ArcGIS Pro, the publisher must define the item's initial access level. Access levels control security and visibility across the portal ecosystem:
- Owner (Private): The item is accessible only by the creator and portal administrators. This is the default setting when sharing new content.
- Organization: The item is visible to all authenticated users signed into the organization's portal.
- Everyone (Public): The item is publicly accessible on the internet without requiring portal authentication. Crucial note for security: Publicly shared Web Feature Layers with editing enabled allow anonymous internet users to modify database content unless editing privileges are strictly restricted.
- Groups: Access is granted exclusively to members of designated portal groups. Groups enable targeted collaboration among specific project teams, departments, or cross-organizational partner collaborations.
The Pre-Publishing Analysis Process: Errors vs. Warnings
Before publishing a Web Map or Web Layer, ArcGIS Pro executes an automated validation step via the Analyzer pane inside the Share pane. The Analyzer scans layer properties, cartographic elements, projection systems, and data source configurations to identify potential compatibility or performance issues.
+------------------------------+
| SHARE PANE: ANALYZER |
+--------------+---------------+
|
+------------------------+------------------------+
| |
v v
[RED ICON] ERRORS [YELLOW ICON] WARNINGS
- Completely BLOCK publishing - Do NOT block publishing
- Must be resolved before proceeding - Advise performance optimization
- Example: Layer uses unsupported data source - Example: Layer lacks spatial index
- Example: Unique layer IDs not assigned - Example: Scale dependency missing
- Errors (Red Icon): Critical issues that completely block publication. The Share button remains disabled until all errors are resolved. Common errors include: attempting to publish a layer with an unsupported data source (e.g., in-memory layers, local CAD files without conversion), missing required unique numeric layer IDs, or utilizing unsupported complex symbology renderers.
- Warnings (Yellow Icon): Non-critical notifications that advise the author of potential performance bottlenecks or minor cartographic degradation (e.g., missing spatial indexes, uncompressed textures, or layers drawing at all scale levels without scale dependencies). Publications can proceed with active warnings, though addressing them optimizes web performance.
What is the key functional difference between publishing a Web Feature Layer and a Web Tile Layer from ArcGIS Pro?
During the Share Web Layer process in ArcGIS Pro, the Analyzer tool flags a red error icon next to an operational layer. What does this indicate to the GIS professional?
An enterprise GIS administrator needs to share a complex map containing millions of parcel boundaries. The map must draw extremely fast across mobile devices while permitting client-side custom styling and remaining crisp at any screen resolution. Which Web Layer type should be published?