Take a map offline

When your map includes web feature layers or web tile layers, you can take the map offline and complete your work without a network connection. The Download Map button is available if your map contains layers that are configured appropriately to support downloading content, such as the following:

• Feature layers are configured to support synchronization.
• Tile layers are configured to support exporting tiles.
• Vector tile layers are configured to support exporting tiles.
• Imagery layers have a cache and are configured to support exporting tiles from the cache.

Learn about configuring feature layers for working offline

When you take a map offline, the data for each web feature layer that supports synchronization is downloaded to a geodatabase in the project's home folder that is available for editing. Also, the tiles for each web tile layer are downloaded to packages in the project's home folder. You can change the download location in the Share and Download options.

When a network connection is not available, you can edit the downloaded feature data using information in the offline tile packages for reference. Other web layers in the map and layers that access datasets on the network will be broken when a network connection is not available. Layers that access datasets on the local machine will remain available.

Periodically, when a connection is available, you can synchronize your changes to the offline feature data. This allows you to receive updates others have made to the web feature layer and to share your changes with them.

Take feature layers offline

Once you enable synchronization on a feature layer, you can take the features it contains offline.

1. On the Map tab on the ribbon, in the Offline group, click Download Map .
2. Click Download.

   A progress bar appears while data for the web feature layers is taken offline. When the process is complete, a geodatabase containing the offline data appears in the project's home folder. The database is added to the project. Feature layers in the map are updated to access the offline data.

   Note:

   If a layer in the web feature layer cannot be taken offline, its map layer remains connected to the web feature layer even though data is downloaded for other layers. When a network connection is not available, any layers that are still connected to the web feature layer are broken in the map.

   • Layers in the web feature layer that are associated with advanced capabilities, such as utility network layers, parcel fabric layers, and trace network layers, cannot be taken offline. Layers containing simple features, annotations, and dimensions that are associated with advanced layer types may be taken offline.
   • When a web feature layer is associated with branch versioned data, the layers it contains can only be taken offline if they are derived from the Default version.

3. Save the project.

You can edit offline features with the same editing tools and workflows you use online. You can edit simple features and attributes and undo and redo editing operations. You can also edit feature relationships and file attachments.

Take tile layers offline

Each tile layer has a maximum number of tiles that can be taken offline. If your map covers a large area, the maximum tile limit will be reached at a given scale. The tiles that are downloaded will be suitable up to that scale and, when you zoom in further, more detail will not be available.

If you zoom in so the map covers a smaller area, you can take more tiles offline before reaching the maximum tile limit, and you will have more detailed reference data to use when you are offline.

At a given map scale, tile layers and vector tile layers can take a different number of tiles offline. The downloaded tile packages and vector tile packages will provide different levels of detail as you work with the offline map.

When a large number of tiles are taken offline, the tile packages and vector tile packages that are created will be larger, and it will take longer to download the package. A 1 GB tile package can take 30 minutes to download with a good network connection.

1. On the Map tab on the ribbon, in the Offline group, click Download Map .
2. Check Include basemap & tile layers to take these layers offline.

   The Include basemap & tile layers option is available only if a basemap or tile layer in the map can be taken offline.

3. Click the Max scale for vector tile layers drop-down list and choose the largest scale at which you want to download vector tile layers.
4. Click the Max scale for tile layers drop-down list and choose the largest scale at which you want to download tile layers and imagery layers.
5. Zoom in or out on the map to change the scale at which tiles can be taken offline, and choose a different scale at which to download tiles, if appropriate.
6. Click Download.

   A progress bar appears while data and tiles are taken offline. Tile layers and imagery layers are downloaded to a tile package. A .tpkx file is created if this format is supported by the service; otherwise, a .tpk file is created. Vector tile layers are downloaded to a vector tile package (.vtpk).

   When the process is complete, packages containing the offline tiles appear in the project's home folder. Layers in the map referencing the tile layers that were taken offline are turned off. New layers referencing the offline tile packages and vector tile packages are added to the map.

7. Save the project.

Share your updates

Edits you make to your offline features can be uploaded when a network connection is available.

1. Connect your machine to the network.
2. Save any edits you made to the offline data.
3. On the Map tab on the ribbon, in the Offline group, click the Sync button .

   A progress bar appears while your edits to the offline data are shared, and you receive updates from others. When the process is complete, the map display updates to show the current offline data.

Remove your local copy of the data

If you no longer need to work offline, you can upload your feature edits and remove the local geodatabase. The tile packages and vector tile packages that were downloaded remain available in the project's home folder so they can be used again.

1. Connect your machine to the network.
2. Save any edits you made to the offline data.
3. On the Map tab on the ribbon, in the Offline group, click the Remove button .

   Your edits to the offline data are shared. The database containing the offline data is removed from the project and deleted from the project's home folder. The map layers are updated to access the web feature layers again. When the process is complete, the map display updates to show the current data for the web feature layers.

Repair a project with offline data

If you did not save the project after taking a map offline, or if a map with offline layers is accidentally deleted, you can repair the project.

1. Create a map.
2. In the Catalog pane, browse to the project's home folder or to the download location specified in the Share and Download options.
3. Right-click the vector tile packages containing the offline tiles and click Add To Current Map .
4. Right-click the tile packages containing the offline tiles and click Add To Current Map .
5. Right-click the geodatabase containing the offline data and click Add To Project .
6. Browse to the database.
7. Drag the feature classes and feature datasets to the new map.
8. Save the project.