In ArcGIS Pro, you can access items stored in an ArcGIS Online or ArcGIS Enterprise portal in the following ways:
- Add or import items directly to an open project.
- Download items from the portal and add or import them to an open project from a local folder.
- Open an item from the portal as a portal item file (.pitemx). This starts a new instance of ArcGIS Pro.
Depending on the item's sharing properties and how you access it, you may need to be signed in to a specific active portal in ArcGIS Pro. For example, to add an item shared to your ArcGIS Online organization to a project, the active portal must be ArcGIS Online and you must be signed in to the organization.
Many portal items can be accessed from ArcGIS Pro in more than one way. When choices are available, you may be guided by your current working environment (ArcGIS Pro or your portal application) and by whether you want to add the item to an existing project or a new project.
Steps for accessing portal items from an open project or from a folder on your computer are available in help topics specific to the item type. Use the following table for reference. Steps to open a portal item file are provided below.
| Item type to access | Help topic |
|---|---|
Web maps, web scenes, ArcGIS Pro map packages (.mpkx), mobile map packages (.mmpk), mobile scene packages (.mspk), map files (.mapx), layout files (.pagx), ArcMap documents (.mxd), and ArcGIS Desktop map packages (.mpk) | |
Web layers, layer packages (.lpkx), layer files (.lyrx), tile packages (.tpkx), vector tile packages (.vtpk), and scene layer packages (.slpk) | |
Project packages (.ppkx) | |
Project templates (.aptx) | |
Styles | |
Geoprocessing packages (.gpkx) |
Access portal items from an open project
The types of portal items you can add or import directly to an open project include web maps, web scenes, and web layers; most types of packages; map, layer, layout, and report files; and styles. If you are currently working in ArcGIS Pro, this is the most convenient way to access these items.
Project packages and project templates stored on a portal can also be accessed from an open project.
When you access a portal item from an open project, the item behavior varies according to its type. The following are common patterns:
- Web maps and web scenes are added to an open project. The map or scene in the project is a copy that is linked to the portal item. The link allows either item to update the other.
- Web layers are added to a map or scene in the project and reference a source item on the portal.
- Project packages are downloaded to the default folder for packages and the project is opened. The same default folder is used for other types of packages and for map, layer, layout, and task (.esriTask) files. These items are imported or added to an open project.
- Project templates are downloaded to the default folder for templates. You are prompted to create a project based on the template.
- Desktop styles are downloaded to the default location for styles and added to the project. Web styles reference a source item on the portal.
- Notebooks can be browsed to in the Catalog pane or a catalog view in an open project; however, they cannot be added directly to the project. They are downloaded to a specified folder and added to the project in a separate step.
Download portal items
Not all portal items that can be used in ArcGIS Pro can be added directly to a project. Many file-based items must be downloaded from the portal site and added from your computer. The following are common examples:
- Shapefiles and file geodatabases—These are downloaded as compressed files (.zip), which must first be extracted.
- Images and raster datasets
- Microsoft Excel files
- PDFs
- CSVs
Some file-based items, including desktop styles and most types of packages, can either be added directly to an open project or downloaded to your computer. It may be convenient to download an item if you are currently working in your portal application and don't need to use the item immediately in ArcGIS Pro.
To download a portal item, go to its ArcGIS Online or ArcGIS Enterprise item details page in a web browser and click Download. Downloaded items are stored in the default downloads folder on your computer, such as C:\users\<username>\Downloads. From this folder, you can add items to a project in the same way you add other file-based items.
The Download button does not appear if the item can't be downloaded. Items that can't be downloaded include web maps, web scenes, and web layers.
Use portal item files
A portal item file (.pitemx) opens a portal item in a new instance of ArcGIS Pro. If ArcGIS Pro is already running, a second instance opens. Portal item files can be used to open web maps, web scenes, web layers, packages, map files, and layer files. They are convenient if you are currently working in your portal application and decide to open a project package in ArcGIS Pro or add a portal item to a new untitled project.
A portal item file is accessed from an item details page on an ArcGIS Online or ArcGIS Enterprise portal. It is saved to your default downloads folder as a file named item.pitemx. (This is the literal name of the portal item file.) If you download multiple portal item files, they are named item (1).pitemx, item (2).pitemx, and so on.
The file is a JSON that can be read in a text editor. It references an item through the item's unique portal ID—it does not contain the item in the file.
Double-clicking the portal item file in your downloads folder starts ArcGIS Pro and opens the item. Depending on the item type, ArcGIS Pro opens according to the following patterns:
- For web maps and web layers, an untitled project opens that contains the web map or layer.
- For map and layer packages, an untitled project opens that contains the package contents.
- For map or layer files, an untitled project opens that contains the map or layer. (Layers referencing local data sources may be broken.)
- For project packages, the project opens.
- For project templates, you are prompted to create a project in ArcGIS Pro; the new project opens with the customizations specified by the template.
Many file-based items, such as project, map, and layer packages, can be opened from portal item files, downloaded to your computer, or opened directly from a project.
Note:
To open a portal item file, your active portal in ArcGIS Pro must be the portal on which the item is stored and you must be signed in to that portal. However, ArcGIS Pro does not need to be open.
To open a portal item file, complete the following steps:
- In a web browser, browse to a portal item in ArcGIS Online or ArcGIS Enterprise.
- On the item details page, on the Overview tab, click Open in ArcGIS Pro or Open in ArcGIS Desktop > Open in ArcGIS Pro.
The Open in ArcGIS Pro button appears if the portal item can be opened in ArcGIS Pro but not in ArcMap. The Open in ArcGIS Desktop > Open in ArcGIS Pro button appears if the item can be opened in either application. If neither button appears, the item cannot be opened as a portal item file.
- Browse to the download location on your computer and double-click the item.pitemx file. Alternatively, open the file from your web browser’s list of available downloads.
A new instance of ArcGIS Pro opens containing the portal item. If another instance of ArcGIS Pro is already open, you can copy items such as maps and layers to that project.