Project favorites

Project favorites is a collection of frequently used connections to folders, databases, toolboxes, servers, custom styles, and statistical data collections. When you add an item to your favorites, such as a folder connection, it always appears in your favorites collection. You can access your favorite items and the items they contain from the favorites collection in the catalog view or Catalog pane without adding them to a project first.

A favorite is a shortcut. It allows you to an add an item to your project directly from the favorites collection instead of adding a folder connection first, browsing to the item in the catalog, and adding the item to the project. Any item that you use in multiple projects is a good candidate to be a project favorite. If you use a resource, such as an enterprise geodatabase or GIS server, in all your projects, you can designate it as a favorite that is added to all new projects automatically.

Favorites are stored in a file in your roaming user profile at this location: C:\Users\<username>\AppData\Roaming\Esri\ArcGISPro\Favorites\Favorites.json. In this file, each favorite stores a path to the item. For example, if you add the default geodatabase to your favorites in a project named MyProject, the path stored by the favorite could be C:\Users\<username>\Documents\ArcGIS\Projects\MyProject\MyProject.gdb.

While the favorite is stored in the Favorites.json file, the item itself is usually located somewhere else on your computer or on a network drive. However, if you add a new item to your favorites, such as a new geodatabase or new style, the item is saved by default directly in the Favorites folder.

If your network profile supports roaming, your favorites are accessible anywhere on the network, regardless of which computer you use. Items stored directly in the Favorites folder in your roaming profile also roam with you on the network. For example, if you store a new database connection in your Favorites folder and later change its connection properties, the updated connection information is available on any computer you use.

Favorites that store paths to items located on your computer or a network drive become invalid if the item's location changes or the drive is not accessible. If you use a single computer, it's acceptable for favorites to store a path that includes a drive letter, such as C:\Redlands\Zoning. However, if you use multiple machines that have different drive letters for network connections, you should favorite items that use UNC paths, such as \\<computername>\Redlands\Zoning or \\<computername>\c$\Redlands\Zoning.

Note:

Your roaming profile is designed to be available on any network computer to which you sign in with the same credentials. This user-based access is why favorites are stored in your roaming profile. However, roaming profiles are subject to control by your network administrator. It may be that your roaming profile is restricted to one machine and not allowed to roam with you to different machines.

Add an existing item to your favorites

The following workflows describe how to add an existing item to your favorites from the catalog view. You can also use the Catalog pane.

Add an item available from the current project to your favorites

You can add an item to your favorites that has been added to your project. Alternatively, you can browse to an item, such as a geodatabase in a folder connection, and make the item a favorite without adding it to your current project.

1. Open the catalog view
2. Browse to a folder, database, server, or other supported item that has been added to the project or is located in a folder accessible from the project.
3. Click the item to select it.
4. On the Catalog tab on the ribbon, in the Organize group, click Add To Favorites .

   The item is added to the project favorites collection.

Add another existing item to your favorites

Another way to add an item to your favorites is to use the Add Item command on the Insert tab of the ribbon.

1. Make sure the catalog view is active. On the ribbon, click the Insert tab. In the Favorites group, click Add Item .
2. Click the type of item you want to add. It can be any of the following:
   • Add Folder
   • Add Database
   • Add Toolbox
   • Add Server
   • Add Style
   • Add Statistical Data Collection
3. Browse to the item and click to select it.
4. Click OK.

   The item is added to the project favorites collection.

Add a new item to your favorites

If you manage your own database, toolbox, server, and style connections, you can create items and add them to your favorites immediately. New items that you add to your favorites are stored by default in the Favorites folder in your roaming profile. These items and their contents are available on any network computer on which you use ArcGIS Pro.

Even if your profile is restricted from roaming, creating favorite items in this location is useful. It protects your Favorites file—and the projects that use your favorites—from broken paths if projects are moved or folders are renamed or reorganized. For example, suppose you add a project's default geodatabase to your favorites. If you later move (or delete) the project's home folder, the path to the geodatabase stored in your favorites collection becomes invalid. The favorite item is unavailable to new projects and is broken in any projects to which it was previously added.

The following workflow describes how to add a new item to your favorites from the catalog view. You can do the same thing on the Favorites tab of the Catalog pane.

1. Open the catalog view
2. On the ribbon, click the Insert tab. In the Favorites group, click Add Item .
3. Click a new item type:
   • New File Geodatabase
   • New Database Connection
   • New Toolbox
   • New ArcGIS Server (or other new server type)
   • New Style
4. Provide the information required to create the item.
5. Click OK or Save, as appropriate.

   The new item is created in the Favorites folder in your roaming profile.

Use favorites

The following workflows describe how to view, add, and remove favorites from the catalog view. You can do the same things from the Favorites tab in the Catalog pane. Learn more about how to manage project favorites.

View favorites

Use the following steps to view your favorites:

1. Open the catalog view

   The Contents pane reflects the contents of the catalog.

2. In the Contents pane, expand Favorites to see your favorites collection.

Add a favorite to a project

Use the following steps to add a favorite to a project:

1. Open the catalog view
2. In the Contents pane, expand Favorites .
3. Click a favorite to select it, right-click, and click Add To Project .

   The item is added to the project contents in the appropriate category. For example, a folder connection is added to the project under Folders.

Remove a favorite

Use the following steps to remove a favorite:

1. Open the catalog view
2. In the Contents pane, expand Favorites .
3. Click a favorite to select it, right-click, and click Remove .

Add an item to all new projects

If your organization has an enterprise geodatabase, a GIS server, or a folder containing data used by all projects, you can add these items to your favorites and set them to be added automatically to all new projects you create. When you create a project, these items are added along with the default geodatabase and default toolbox. If you create a project from a project template, these items are added along with the new project's default geodatabase, default toolbox, and any maps, layouts, tasks, or other resources specified by the template.

The Add To New Projects option simultaneously makes an item a favorite and designates it to be added automatically to all new projects. You can also make an item a favorite and later designate it to be added to all new projects.

The following workflows describe how to use the catalog view to add items to all new projects. You can use the Catalog pane to do the same thing.

Designate an item available from the current project

Use the following steps to add an item from a current project to new projects:

1. Open the catalog view
2. Browse to a folder, database, server, or other supported item that was added to the project or is in a folder accessible from the project.
3. Click the item to select it.
4. On the Catalog tab on the ribbon, in the Organize group, click Add To New Projects .

   The item is added to the project favorites collection. In the favorites collection, it is marked with a pin indicating it will be added to new projects.

Designate an existing favorite

Use the following steps to add an existing favorite to new projects:

1. Open the catalog view

   In the Contents pane, you can switch between the items in your project, the items in the active portal, and your favorite items.

2. In the Contents pane, click Favorites .
3. Click an item in the contents list to select it.
4. On the Catalog tab on the ribbon, in the Organize group, click Add To New Projects .

   A pin appears on the item's icon, indicating it will be added to new projects.

Note:

Custom styles are supported as project favorites. For example, if you work for a county that uses a custom style called FloodControl.stylx for hydrologic maps, you can add this style to your favorites collection. This action has nothing to do with adding style items to your default Favorites style .

The Favorites style is used to organize individual style items, such as symbols and color schemes, that you use often. If you double-click an existing project style, such as ArcGIS 2D, in the catalog view, you can right-click an individual style item and click Add To Favorites . This adds the item to the Favorites style. You cannot add individual style items to your project favorites collection.