The parcel fabric is a records-driven system that organizes parcel data based on the form in which the data was originally recorded. Parcel data is recorded on legal records such as plans, plats, deeds, and records of survey. In the parcel fabric, parcel features are associated with the legal record, and parcels are created and edited in response to changes to the legal record. By associating parcels with the legal record, parcel lineage can be tracked, and parcels can be linked with external recording systems.
Records feature class
Parcel features are associated with their legal parcel record, which is stored in the Records feature class. The Records feature class is a polygon feature class that stores the following information:
- A single record feature for every legal record added to the parcel fabric.
- A GlobalID for every record, which is referenced by all the parcel features associated with the record. The Created By Record field of the parcel features stores the GlobalID of the associated parcel record.
- The record polygon, which is the record footprint. The record polygon matches the cumulative geometry of all the parcels associated with it.
- Unique record names that allow for integration and association with external recording systems.
- A Record Type field that stores user-defined record types.
The following parcel features are associated with a record feature:
- Parcel type lines
- Parcel type polygons
- Connection lines
- Parcel points
The parcel type line, parcel type polygon, and connection line feature classes have a validation type attribute rule that requires the features to be associated with a record feature.
Create a parcel record
Parcel records are created and managed in the Manage Records pane. To open the Manage Records pane, click the Create Record drop-down arrow 
in the Records group on the Parcels ribbon and click Manage.
When you create a record, you can populate fields in the Records feature class with information from the legal document. The following table lists the system fields in the Records feature class:
| Attribute field alias | Data type | Description |
|---|---|---|
Name | Text | The name of the record, legal document, plan, plat, or deed. |
Record Type | Long | The type of record, for example, plan or deed. Add a Record Type domain for your parcel fabric. |
Recorded Date | Date | The date the legal record was recorded. This is typically stated on the record document. When building parcels from polygons, lines will be associated with the records with the most recent recorded date. |
Global ID | Global ID | Global IDs uniquely identify features or rows in a geodatabase and across geodatabases. |
- Click Create Record in the Records group on the Parcels ribbon.
Alternatively, open the Manage Records pane and click New Record.
- In the Create Record pane, type a name for the record or accept the default name.
The name should represent the legal record name, for example, Heritage Estates Subdivision No. 5.
- Choose a record type for the Record Type field.
To store and assign record types, create your own record type domain for your parcel fabric. Examples of record types are merge and split. Once the domain is created, open the Records attribute table and assign the domain to the Record Type field.
Tip:
You can open the Records attribute table from the Records sublayer under the parcel fabric layer in the Contents pane. Right-click the Records sublayer and click Attribute Table. You can also add new attribute fields to the Records attribute table, and they will appear under New Record in the Manage Records pane. - Enter a recorded date for the Recorded Date field. This is the date the record was legally recorded and is typically stated on the document.
When building parcels from polygons, lines will be associated with the records with the most recent recorded date.
- Populate the remaining fields with information about your record and click Create to create the record.
The newly created record is automatically set as the active record in the map.
The record's heads-up-display (HUD) box in the upper left corner of the map view displays the active record. New parcel features are automatically associated with the active record in the map.
Record polygons
Each parcel record has a record polygon. The record polygon is the footprint of the legal record and should match the cumulative geometry of all the parcels associated with it.
When a parcel record is created, it has no geometry. Record polygons are generated when parcels are built or created or when existing parcel features are manually assigned to a parcel record. The record polygon is updated whenever parcels are added to or removed from the record.
Note:
Record polygons are not created or updated when more than 2,000 parcels are associated with a record.
Batch create parcel records
Use the Create Parcel Records geoprocessing tool to batch create parcel records using a record name or expression. If using a record name, the field should be added to the parcel feature's attribute table and should contain record names that are matched with their associated parcel features. The tool creates parcel records and generates record geometry based on the cumulative geometry of the input parcel features.