What are the Types of AGOL Content?
AGOL offers the ability to share and edit a variety of spatial data thru creation of AGOL content, services, and applications.
The following is a list describing the most common types of AGOL content the average user will come across:
- Feature Layer (hosted): Used to utilize vector data (point, line, or polygon spatial information) for display, editing, and query overlaid on a basemap. Support interactive highlighting, queries, and pop-ups.
- Tile Layer (hosted): Basemaps that give a map a geographic context. Support fast map visualization using a collection of predawn map images or tile.
- Web Maps: A 2D map that can be created, stylized, and shared between applications. Web maps can consist of Feature Layers (hosted) and Tile Layer (hosted).
- Feature Layer (hosted, view): Reference the same data as the Feature Layer (hosted) to create the view, but you can apply different editing, sharing, and other settings to the view.
- Service Definitions: A file that contains information about Feature Layers (hosted) and Tile Layers (hosted) such as properties, capabilities, and service type. Files are automatically published when any hosted service is published.
What are Groups?
Groups provide extra security for content, helps to organize content items, and fosters collaboration. A group consists of a collection of features, maps, and apps usually related to a specific department or project. Group owners decide who can find the group, who can join, and who can contribute content
An individual user can be members of multiple groups.
What are Sharing Levels?
Sharing Levels define the level at which content is accessible for viewing and editing.
The following is a list describing the sharing levels available for all AGOL content:
Private: Only the content owner and the organization administrators can see private content. Private is an appropriate level of sharing if you are still developing a piece of content and are not ready for others to use it.
Group: Groups are collections of content related to a particular theme or area of interest. Group members can collaborate on content shared to the group. Membership can be open or restricted, depending on your needs. Groups themselves can be shared publicly or within an organization.
Organization: All members of an organization can see this content. Note that you can share content with both an organization and with select groups. This setup allows everyone in an organization to access content, while still providing a content depot for teams of colleagues.
Public: Public content can be accessed by anyone and used freely across the internet. This option is ideal for government and open data, as well as public publications. Again, publicly shared content can also be included in groups.
What are Roles?
Roles define the set of privileges assigned to a member.
The following is a list describing capabilities and limitations of the roles available to AGOL users:
Viewer: Capabilities include viewing content that have been shared with the member and joining groups owned by the organization. Limitations include not being able to create, share, or edit content and do not have the ability to perform analysis or data enrichment.
User: Capabilities include all Viewer privileges plus create maps and apps, edit features, add items, share content, and create groups. Limitations include not being able to publish features and map tiles as hosted web layers to AGOL.
Publisher: Capabilities include all Viewer and User privileges plus the ability to publish features and map tiles as hosted web layers. Members assigned the Publisher role can also perform analysis on layers in maps.
All new AGOL users are either given the role of Viewer or User depending on the original Access Request email sent by the users supervisor.
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AGOL Frequently Asked Questions
The first step to AGOL is accessing and logging into the site. Below is the step by step to accessing AGOL.
The following are a list of common questions about AGOL concepts.
For more information on AGOL TRecs LIS recommends this free ESRI Web Course which is included in the Portal_User_Basics Learning Plan that is recommended for all users.