Find answers to common questions about ArcGIS Pro.
Installation
- What are the system requirements for ArcGIS Pro?
- How do I get ArcGIS Pro?
- Is it necessary to install ArcGIS Pro on a computer where ArcGIS Desktop is installed?
- Can I install multiple versions of ArcGIS Pro on the same computer?
- Can ArcGIS Pro be installed on a computer with a localized operating system?
- How do I update ArcGIS Pro?
- Do I need to uninstall the current version of ArcGIS Pro before updating to a new version?
- As a software administrator, can I block update notifications to prevent users from updating ArcGIS Pro on their own?
- As a software administrator, is there a way for me to control ArcGIS Pro application settings to ensure they are the same for everyone?
- Is ArcGIS Pro supported in virtualized environments?
Licensing
- Can I get ArcGIS Pro if I don't have a license for ArcGIS Desktop?
- Can I use ArcGIS Pro on more than one computer?
- How do I know which type of license I have?
- As an ArcGIS organization administrator, how do I assign ArcGIS Pro Named User licenses?
- As an administrator, can I move ArcGIS Pro licenses from an ArcGIS Online organization to an ArcGIS Enterprise organization?
- As an administrator, can I convert ArcGIS Pro licenses from Named User to a different license type?
- If our maintenance program lapses, and our ArcGIS Online subscription expires, am I able to convert Named User licenses to Single Use or Concurrent Use?
- If I convert ArcGIS Pro licenses to Concurrent Use or Single Use, can I later convert them back to Named User licenses?
- Can Named User licenses be converted to Concurrent Use or Single Use licenses if they are checked out for offline use?
- As a user, how do I change my license type?
- What is a licensing portal?
- As an administrator, can I assign an existing ArcGIS Pro license to a different user?
- Can I transfer an ArcGIS Pro Single Use license from one computer to another?
- Does ArcGIS Pro use the same licenses as ArcMap?
- Can I use my ArcGIS Desktop extensions in ArcGIS Pro?
- If I have a Concurrent Use or Single Use license, can I access web maps, layers, and other content from a portal?
- How do I start my first ArcGIS Pro session?
- Can I take my ArcGIS Pro license offline?
- How do I return a license that I have taken offline?
- How do I see my ArcGIS Pro license level and which extensions I have?
Functionality
- What is an ArcGIS Pro project?
- Do I need to create a project every time I start ArcGIS Pro?
- Can I change the default ArcGIS Pro settings?
- Can I save my ArcGIS Pro project to ArcGIS Online?
- How do I add and remove portal connections in ArcGIS Pro?
- How do I change the location for creating and storing projects in ArcGIS Pro?
- How do I get help for ArcGIS Pro?
- How can I quickly find the tools and commands I need in the ArcGIS Pro user interface?
- Can I use the help system if I work offline?
- Can I customize the ArcGIS Pro user interface?
- How do I remove recent projects from the start page?
- Can I make folder and database connections permanently available so I don't need to re-create them in new projects?
- I added a map to my project and now I can't find it. Where did it go?
- Why is the Add Data button unavailable in my project?
- Can I use personal geodatabases (.mdb) as data sources for ArcGIS Pro?
- Can I publish map services to a stand-alone ArcGIS Server from ArcGIS Pro?
- Is the 3D Analyst extension required to work with 3D maps in ArcGIS Pro?
- Is it possible to add Bing basemaps to ArcGIS Pro?
- Can I create a map without a basemap?
- I moved some datasets on my computer and now the map layers in my project are broken. What should I do?
- If ArcGIS Pro shuts down unexpectedly, can I recover my work?
For ArcMap users
- What is the difference between ArcGIS Desktop, ArcMap, and ArcGIS Pro?
- Will an ArcObjects application built for ArcMap work in ArcGIS Pro?
- Will Python scripts and toolboxes written for ArcMap work in ArcGIS Pro?
- Are the geoprocessing tools in ArcMap available in ArcGIS Pro?
- Do geoprocessing models built in ArcMap work in ArcGIS Pro?
- Can I run models built in ArcGIS Pro in ArcMap?
- Can I use maps authored in ArcMap in ArcGIS Pro?
- Can I use maps authored in ArcGIS Pro in ArcMap?
- Can I run ArcGIS Desktop and ArcGIS Pro on the same computer?
- Can I open an ArcGIS Pro project in ArcMap?
- I imported a map document with multiple data frames. Why do I see only one map in ArcGIS Pro?
- Can I use ArcMap styles in ArcGIS Pro?
- How do I start an edit session in ArcGIS Pro?
- Can I create or use geometric networks in ArcGIS Pro?
Additional resources
- Are there resources available to help me learn ArcGIS Pro?
- What are some good resources for troubleshooting ArcGIS Pro performance?
- How do I connect with the ArcGIS Pro community?
- How do I submit enhancement ideas or report bugs?
- As an ArcGIS organization administrator, who do I contact with questions about ArcGIS Pro?
- As the primary maintenance contact for my organization, who do I contact with questions about ArcGIS Pro?
- Where can I find information on ArcGIS Pro releases?
Installation
The system requirements depend on your ArcGIS Pro version.
There are several ways to get ArcGIS Pro:
- If you have ArcGIS Desktop, and your maintenance program is current, you can download ArcGIS Pro from My Esri or ArcGIS Online.
- You can buy a GIS Professional User Type. This includes ArcGIS Pro, an ArcGIS Online subscription, and additional apps.
- You may qualify to buy ArcGIS for Personal Use or ArcGIS for Student Use, both of which include ArcGIS Pro.
- You can get an ArcGIS Pro free trial.
No. You can install ArcGIS Pro on a computer with or without ArcGIS Desktop (or other Esri products). If you install ArcGIS Pro and ArcGIS Desktop on the same computer, it is not necessary to maintain parity between product versions. For example, you can have the current version of ArcGIS Pro and an older version of ArcGIS Desktop.
Yes. It is strongly recommended that you accept the default installation location and not install to a path that includes Unicode characters. If you receive the message Error 1324, The path ???????? contains an invalid character when installing or uninstalling ArcGIS Pro, contact Esri Technical Support.
If a new version is available, an update notification appears when you start ArcGIS Pro. Click the notification to begin the update process.
No, you do not need to uninstall ArcGIS Pro before updating to a new version. However, if you have ArcGIS Pro language packs installed, it is recommended that you uninstall them before updating the software.
As a software administrator, can I block update notifications to prevent users from updating ArcGIS Pro on their own?
Yes, you can block update notifications by making changes to the Windows registry.
As a software administrator, is there a way for me to control ArcGIS Pro application settings to ensure they are the same for everyone?
Yes, you can manage application settings in a number of areas, including help, indexing, metadata, display, and color.
Yes, you can run ArcGIS Pro in a virtualized environment.
Licensing
Yes, there are several ways to get ArcGIS Pro.
It depends on your license type:
- With a Named User license (the default), you can use ArcGIS Pro on up to three computers at the same time.
- With a Single Use license, you can use ArcGIS Pro on one authorized computer.
- With a Concurrent Use license, you can use ArcGIS Pro on one authorized computer at a time, drawing your license from a pool of shared licenses.
Note:
If you have a Named User license and you authorize ArcGIS Pro to work offline, you can use the application on a single computer that you authorize for offline use.
You can view your license information on the ArcGIS Pro Settings page.
Depending on the type of ArcGIS organization you administer, see Assign ArcGIS Pro licenses in ArcGIS Online or Configure ArcGIS Pro licenses for ArcGIS Enterprise.
Note:
To use ArcGIS Pro, organization members must have the Creator or GIS Professional user type. As an administrator, you only assign ArcGIS Pro licenses to the Creator user type. ArcGIS Pro licenses included with the GIS Professional user type are automatically assigned to the user.
As an administrator, can I move ArcGIS Pro licenses from an ArcGIS Online organization to an ArcGIS Enterprise organization?
If ArcGIS Pro is received as an entitlement through an ArcGIS Desktop license, it is delivered by default as a Named User license to ArcGIS Online. You can move this ArcGIS Pro license to ArcGIS Enterprise by contacting Esri Customer Service or your distributor.
If an ArcGIS Pro license is purchased specifically for ArcGIS Online, it must stay as a Named User license in its current environment.
Note:
When moving ArcGIS Pro licenses from ArcGIS Online to ArcGIS Enterprise, the corresponding Creator user types move to ArcGIS Enterprise as well.
ArcGIS Pro licenses that are purchased specifically for ArcGIS Online or ArcGIS Enterprise must stay as Named User licenses in their current environment.
ArcGIS Pro licenses that are received as an entitlement through an ArcGIS Desktop license can be converted to Single Use or converted to Concurrent Use licenses through My Esri as long as you have permission to take licensing actions in My Esri.
The conversion steps are the same whether the ArcGIS Pro licenses are managed in an ArcGIS Online organization or an ArcGIS Enterprise organization.
Note:
The ArcGIS Pro Named User license must be converted to a license type (Single Use or Concurrent Use) that matches the corresponding ArcGIS Desktop license. For example, an ArcGIS Pro entitlement based on an ArcGIS Desktop Advanced Single Use license must be converted to an ArcGIS Pro Advanced Single Use license.
If our maintenance program lapses, and our ArcGIS Online subscription expires, am I able to convert Named User licenses to Single Use or Concurrent Use?
Yes. You can convert the licenses and continue to use ArcGIS Pro. However, you will no longer receive software updates, nor will you be able to access web maps and layers from ArcGIS Online. You can renew your maintenance at any time.
If I convert ArcGIS Pro licenses to Concurrent Use or Single Use, can I later convert them back to Named User licenses?
Reverse conversion is not available through My Esri. Esri Customer Service or your distributor can help you do this.
If your software administrator converts your license from Named User to Single Use or Concurrent Use, you can configure ArcGIS Pro to start with a Single Use license or to start with a Concurrent Use license. If your Named User license is moved from an ArcGIS Online organization to an ArcGIS Enterprise organization, you can change your licensing portal.
.Yes. If your ArcGIS Pro licenses are Named User licenses, you can manage license assignments through your ArcGIS organization. Removing a license from one organization member makes it available for another member. Licenses for ArcGIS Pro extensions and other apps are managed in the same way. You can also change a member's user type, which may affect their ArcGIS Pro license.
Note:
Licenses can only be assigned to organization members whose user type is compatible with an ArcGIS Pro license.
Yes. You can transfer a Single Use license by deauthorizing ArcGIS Pro on the machine where it is installed, installing ArcGIS Pro on another machine, and reauthorizing the software using the same authorization number or license file. See How To: Deauthorize single use licenses in ArcGIS Pro and Authorize and start ArcGIS Pro with a Single Use license for more information.
No. ArcGIS Pro and ArcMap licenses are authorized separately. If you use Concurrent Use licensing for ArcMap and ArcGIS Pro, you can manage both sets of licenses with the same License Manager.
If you have an ArcGIS Desktop license for an extension product, you also have a license for the same extension in ArcGIS Pro if it is available. See ArcGIS Pro extensions for a list of available extensions. Extension licenses in ArcGIS Pro are managed with the same license type, such as Named User, as your ArcGIS Pro license.
If I have a Concurrent Use or Single Use license, can I access web maps, layers, and other content from a portal?
Yes. Your ArcGIS Desktop license includes access to ArcGIS Online regardless of how your license is managed. To access online content, you need to add a portal connection and sign in to ArcGIS Pro.
To start ArcGIS Pro with a Named User license, sign in to the application with your ArcGIS Online or ArcGIS Enterprise credentials. To start with a Concurrent Use license, specify a license manager. (Contact your administrator for the license manager name, if necessary.) To start with a Single Use license, complete the authorization process. (Contact your administrator for an authorization number, if necessary.)
Yes, you can take a Named User license offline or take a Concurrent Use license offline. Single Use licenses are enabled for offline use by default, because they are authorized on each computer individually.
On the ArcGIS Pro start page, click Settings and click the Licensing tab to return an offline Named User license or to return an offline Concurrent Use license.
On the ArcGIS Pro start page, click Settings and click the Licensing tab to view your license information.
Functionality
An ArcGIS Pro project is a single file, with the extension .aprx, that contains a related collection of maps, scenes, layouts, reports, and other items. The project file is associated with a toolbox and geodatabase that are typically specific to the project and stored in a system folder with the project file.
No. For tasks such as file management that don't require creating and saving a project, you can start without a project template. Any items you create during your session will be deleted when you close ArcGIS Pro. You have the option to save your work as a project at any time during the session.
Yes. You can change default settings by selecting the project and application options that suit your needs.
You can share maps, scenes, and layers from ArcGIS Pro to your active ArcGIS Online or ArcGIS Enterprise portal. You can share a complete project as a project package that can be downloaded and opened by other users. However, you cannot save a project directly to a portal.
On the ArcGIS Pro start page, click Settings and click the Portals tab to manage your portal connections.
On the ArcGIS Pro Settings page, open the General options and expand the Create projects options.
To open the help system, you can click the Help button 
on the ArcGIS Pro page or the View Help button 
that is always present at the top of the application window. You can also use Command Search to open help topics related to specific keywords.
In an open project, you can find tools and commands—including geoprocessing tools—by searching in the Command Search box at the top of the application window. From the list of search results, you can directly execute commands or open tools for further configuration.
Yes. ArcGIS Pro has both an online help system (the default) and an offline help system. To use the offline help system, download and install it if you have not done so. On the ArcGIS Pro Settings page, open the General options. Under Help source, choose Offline help from your computer.
Yes. You can customize the ribbon and the Quick Access Toolbar to adapt the user interface to your needs. You can also choose between light and dark application themes.
Can I make folder and database connections permanently available so I don't need to re-create them in new projects?
Yes, you can add frequently used folder and database connections to your project favorites. Alternatively, you can add them to a project template and create projects from the template.
You may have accidentally closed the map. Closed maps and scenes can be opened from the Catalog pane:
- Make the Catalog pane active. At the top of the pane, click the Project tab, if necessary.
- Expand the Maps collection to see maps and scenes contained in the project.
- Right-click a map and click Open, or right-click a scene and click Open Global View or Open Local View.
The Add Data button 
is available on the Map tab on the ribbon as long as a map or scene is open in the project. You may need to add a map or scene to your project or open a closed map or scene.
Personal geodatabases can only be viewed in ArcGIS Pro. Personal geodatabase datasets can't be used as inputs to geoprocessing tools. Similarly, output datasets can't be stored in personal geodatabases. ArcGIS Pro supports the following types of geodatabases: file geodatabases, mobile geodatabases, and enterprise geodatabases.
Yes. You can publish services, including map services, geocode services, geoprocessing services, and image services, to a stand-alone ArcGIS Server. Your ArcGIS Pro project must contain a publisher or administrator connection to a stand-alone ArcGIS Server 10.6 or later.
No. You can navigate, author, edit, and share 3D maps, called scenes in ArcGIS Pro, without the 3D Analyst extension. However, the extension is required to perform 3D analysis and to run geoprocessing tools in the 3D Analyst toolbox.
Yes. Bing Maps can be used in all ArcGIS products.
Yes. On the ArcGIS Pro Settings page, click Options and open the Map and Scene options. Under Basemap, you can specify that new maps use the default basemap of your ArcGIS organization, a custom basemap, or no basemap.
Note:
To share a map to the web, a basemap layer is required.
I moved some datasets on my computer and now the map layers in my project are broken. What should I do?
There are several ways to update the data sources for the map layers in your project.
Yes. ArcGIS Pro automatically backs up your work by default and allows you to recover your project.
For ArcMap users
ArcGIS Desktop is a suite of five applications: ArcMap, ArcCatalog, ArcScene, ArcGlobe, and ArcGIS Pro. The first four are designed to work together, while ArcGIS Pro is designed to work independently and is approximately equivalent in functionality to the other four combined. ArcGIS Desktop also includes a subscription to ArcGIS Online.
ArcGIS Pro is the only one of these applications that can be purchased separately from ArcGIS Desktop.
No. ArcGIS Pro has a new .NET API with functionality and workflows that are different from ArcMap. The new API was built using ArcObjects; however, ArcObjects is not exposed directly.
Yes, in most cases. ArcGIS Pro uses Python 3.x; other ArcGIS Desktop and ArcGIS Server applications use Python 2.x. In spite of differences between these two Python versions, many geoprocessing scripts can be used without modification in either ArcMap or ArcGIS Pro. In some cases, it is necessary to migrate Python scripts to ArcGIS Pro. Use the Analyze Tools For Pro geoprocessing tool to analyze a script or toolbox for necessary changes.
Most of the geoprocessing tools in ArcMap are available in ArcGIS Pro. Some tools that are not available may be available in a future release. Tools that work with data formats that are not supported in ArcGIS Pro, such as coverages, will not be available in the future. Each release of ArcGIS Pro includes new geoprocessing tools that are not available in ArcMap.
Yes, in most cases. However, if a model uses a tool that is not available in ArcGIS Pro, the model will not work. You may be able to remove the tool and use an alternate workflow. A model built in ArcMap may include a tool that has slightly different functionality in ArcGIS Pro. For example, in ArcGIS Pro, the Calculate Field tool does not support Visual Basic (VB) expressions. Refer to a tool's help topic to determine what changes may be required for the tool to run successfully in an ArcGIS Pro model.
Tip:
Before saving a model that was built in ArcMap in ArcGIS Pro, make a backup copy of the toolbox that contains the ArcMap model. Once a model is saved in ArcGIS Pro, it can't be used in other ArcGIS applications. Learn about migrating ModelBuilder workflows to ArcGIS Pro.
No. Models that are built, or opened and saved, in ArcGIS Pro cannot be used directly in ArcMap. However, it is possible to save a toolbox from ArcGIS Pro to a 10.x version of ArcMap. A model stored in that toolbox can then be run in ArcMap.
Note:
If the model includes tools or data types that are not available in ArcMap, the model will not run even if the toolbox is saved to an ArcMap-compatible version.
Yes. You can import map documents (.mxd) and map packages (.mpk) into ArcGIS Pro. You can also import scene (.sxd) and globe (.3DD) documents. The same file geodatabase and shapefile datasets can be used by both applications.
Yes. You cannot export a map from ArcGIS Pro as a map document (.mxd). However, after you share an ArcGIS Pro map as a web map, you can open it in ArcMap:
- In a new ArcMap document, click the File menu and click ArcGIS Online.
- In the ArcGIS Online window, sign in with your ArcGIS account credentials.
- Search ArcGIS Online or browse a category such as My Maps and Data.
- Click a web map to select it and click Open.
Note:
Alternatively, you can sign in to ArcGIS Online through a web browser, search for a web map, and open its item page. On the item page, click Open in ArcGIS Desktop > Open in ArcMap. Double-click the downloaded item.pkinfo file.
When you import a map document (.mxd), each data frame becomes a separate map in your ArcGIS Pro project; however, only one of the maps opens. You can open the other maps from the Catalog pane.
Note:
The layout from your map document is also imported. If the map document was saved in Layout View in ArcMap, ArcGIS Pro will open with a layout view instead of a map view. You can open the imported map or maps from the Catalog pane.
Many ArcMap styles have been retired and are not included as system styles in ArcGIS Pro. However, you can import ArcGIS Desktop styles into ArcGIS Pro. A number of styles have been converted to the ArcGIS Pro *.stylx format and can be downloaded from ArcGIS Online at Esri Styles. Many new creative styles are also available.
By default, ArcGIS Pro automatically starts an edit session when you modify existing data or create data. Optionally, you can configure the application to enable and disable editing explicitly, as in ArcMap.
Geometric networks are a read-only dataset in ArcGIS Pro. In ArcGIS Pro, trace networks are used to manage, model, and analyze simple networks such as hydrology networks. Utility networks are used to manage, model, and analyze complex networks such as water, gas, electric, telecom, sewer, and storm water networks.
Additional resources
Yes. The ArcGIS Pro start page offers links to many learning resources, including help system tutorials, guided lessons on the Learn ArcGIS website, and training courses offered by Esri Academy. You can see what's new in the current software release, and read the latest ArcGIS Pro articles by Esri product engineers.
You can connect with other users and ask questions in the ArcGIS Pro space in Esri Community.
Submit ideas for enhancements through ArcGIS Ideas. To report a software bug, contact Esri Technical Support and request a case. To report a problem with an ArcGIS Pro help topic, click the Feedback on this topic link at the bottom of the topic's web page.
Contact Esri Customer Service or your account manager for licensing questions. Contact Esri Technical Support for technical assistance.
As the primary maintenance contact for my organization, who do I contact with questions about ArcGIS Pro?
Contact your account manager or inside sales representative for licensing questions. Contact Esri Technical Support for help with software downloads, installation, and other technical questions.
The product life cycle chart lists all release and retirement dates, and other related information, for ArcGIS Pro 2.9 and earlier versions.