Create FGDC CSDGM metadata

The Federal Geographic Data Committee's (FGDC) Content Standard for Digital Spatial Metadata (CSDGM) is a well-known metadata content standard that has been used in North America and around the world for many years. This guide describes the workflows for editing metadata in ArcGIS Pro to produce content that complies with the FGDC CSDGM standard.

Configure ArcGIS Pro

The first step toward creating metadata content that complies with the FGDC CSDGM metadata standard is to configure ArcGIS Pro correctly. On the Options dialog box, choose FGDC CSDGM Metadata in the metadata style drop-down list. This ensures that when you edit metadata in the metadata view, the validation errors you see are based on the CSDGM guidelines.

With this metadata style, you can view all of an item's ArcGIS metadata content in the catalog view. If the metadata style set in ArcGIS Pro doesn't match the metadata style used elsewhere by your organization, you may see inconsistencies when you view and edit metadata throughout the ArcGIS platform.

Note:

The ArcGIS platform only works with metadata in the ArcGIS metadata format. If you have metadata content stored in the FGDC CSDGM XML format, it can't be used directly in ArcGIS Pro or elsewhere in the ArcGIS platform. When you try to view this metadata content in a catalog view, a message appears indicating the metadata content must be upgraded before it can be viewed or edited. You can view this metadata content in a browser.

Create CSDGM-compliant metadata

You can create full FGDC CSDGM metadata for an item in ArcGIS Pro using both metadata editors. To help you get started, the following sections describe how to create metadata that satisfies the minimum mandatory CSDGM metadata elements. You're not limited to creating a minimally compliant metadata document. When you provide more information, other validation rules are activated. Additional content may be required to complement the extra information you provided. Follow the same techniques described below to provide additional required content.

Use the ArcGIS Pro classic metadata editor

Follow the steps below to create metadata that meets the requirements of the FGDC CSDGM metadata standard using the ArcGIS Pro classic metadata editor.

1. Edit an item's metadata in the metadata view.
   The metadata view appears, displaying the first metadata editor page. All pages available for editing metadata are listed in the Contents pane.
2. Click each page in the Contents pane where required content is identified as being missing and provide the appropriate content.

   When all required content has been provided, the page will be identified in the Contents pane as being valid .

3. Apply or save your changes as appropriate.

   It may take some time to complete an item's metadata. You can save your changes and finish the remainder at a later time, even if required information is missing. The next time you work on the project, the metadata view will be open to the page you worked on last.

4. Close the metadata view when your work is complete.

The table below describes where you can find each of the minimum mandatory CSDGM metadata elements. Each row in the table identifies a page in the ArcGIS Pro classic metadata editor. Click the page in the metadata view's Contents pane and provide the required information. In the requirements column, the metadata elements are identified by the data element names used in the CSDGM.

ArcGIS Pro classic metadata editor page	Fulfill FGDC CSDGM requirements
Overview > Item Description	Citation, Title—Type a descriptive title for the item in the Title text box. Description, Abstract—Type the abstract in the Description (Abstract) text box. Description, Purpose—Type the purpose in the Summary (Purpose) text box. Use Constraints—If there are any use constraints, click New Use Limitation and type them in the Use Limitation text box. If there are no use constraints associated with this item, don't add the Use Limitation text box to the page. Spatial Domain, Bounding Coordinates—If a bounding box hasn't been provided automatically for the item, click New Bounding Box. Provide the bounding coordinates in the appropriate text boxes.
Overview > Topics & Keywords	Keywords, Theme, Theme Keyword—Click New Theme Keywords if a Theme Keywords heading doesn't already exist. Type each keyword on a separate line in the Theme Keywords text box. Keywords, Theme, Theme Keyword Thesaurus—If the theme keywords came from a thesaurus, click Add Thesaurus Citation and type its name in the Title text box. If the keywords did not come from a specific thesaurus, don't add a Thesaurus Citation entry to the page. If there are additional theme keywords associated with a different thesaurus, click New Theme Keywords and provide them under the new heading.
Overview > Citation	Citation, Title—The title provided on the Item Description page also appears here in the Title text box. Citation, Publication Date—Click the Dates heading. Click the calendar button next to Published and select an appropriate date. Add a time if the information is significant.
Overview > Citation Contacts	Citation, Originator—Click New Contact and click Originator in the Role drop-down list. Type an appropriate value in the Name or Organization text box to identify the individual or organization that developed the item. If another individual or organization helped develop the item, click New Contact and provide their name under the new heading.
Metadata > Contacts	Metadata Contact—Click New Contact if an appropriate contact isn't listed in the drop-down list and available to be loaded onto the page. Click Point of Contact in the Role drop-down list. Click New Contact Information, and specify how to contact that person. Metadata Contact, Contact Person Primary or Contact Organization Primary—Type a name in the Name or Organization text box. If both are provided, the organization is considered the primary contact. Metadata Contact, Contact Address—Select an Address Type option from the drop-down list. Type City, State, and Postal Code text in the appropriate text boxes. Type a street address in the Address text box if appropriate. Metadata Contact, Contact Voice Telephone—Type a phone number in the Phone text box.
Resource > Details	Status, Progress—Click New Status and click an appropriate value in the Status drop-down list.
Resource > Extents	Spatial Domain, Bounding Coordinates—The bounding box provided on the Item Description page also appears here under the Extents heading. Time Period of Content, Currentness Reference—Click New Extent and type a description and any uncertainties in the Description text box. Time Period of Content, Single Date/Time or Multiple Dates/Times or Range of Dates/Times—Provide a date range or individual dates by clicking either New Temporal Period Extent or New Temporal Instant Extent under the Extent heading as many times as appropriate. Click the calendar button and select the appropriate dates. Add times if the information is significant.
Resource > Maintenance	Status, Maintenance and Update Frequency—Click the appropriate value in the Update Frequency drop-down list.
Resource > Constraints	Use Constraints—Any use constraints provided on the Item Description page also appear here under the General Constraints heading. Access Constraints—If there are any access constraints, click New Legal Constraints, click New Other Constraints, and type those restrictions in the Other Constraints text box. If there are no access constraints associated with this item, don't add the Other Constraints text box to the page.

Use the ArcGIS metadata editor

Follow the steps below to create metadata that meets the requirements of the FGDC CSDGM metadata standard using the ArcGIS metadata editor.

1. Edit an item's metadata in the metadata view.
   The metadata view appears, displaying the ArcGIS metadata editor's Essential Metadata page.
2. Make the metadata view wide enough to see all three columns.

   

3. In the metadata editor's third column, click the Required tab.
4. Click every metadata element listed on the Required tab that does not have a green check mark and provide the appropriate content.

   The metadata element gets a green check in the list when a correct value has been provided.

5. Apply or save your changes as appropriate.

   It may take some time to complete an item's metadata. You can save your changes and finish the remainder at a later time, even if required information is missing. The next time you work on the project, the metadata view will be open to the page you worked on last.

6. Close the metadata view when your work is complete.

Metadata elements that are required for the current metadata style are listed on the Required tab in the third column of the metadata editor. The name of the card on which the metadata element appears is shown below the element's name. Some elements are included on more than one card.

Each row in the table below describes one of the minimum mandatory CSDGM metadata elements. The element's name in the ArcGIS metadata editor is shown along with the metadata editor page and the card on which the element can be found. The requirements column identifies the same metadata elements by the names used in the CSDGM.

Note:

The list of elements that appears on the Required tab for the FGDC CSDGM Metadata style is incomplete in the current version of ArcGIS Pro. However, all minimum mandatory elements in the CSDGM are included in the table below. Some information must be provided by navigating to the appropriate location on the All Metadata page. If a metadata element is listed on the Required tab but is not included in the table below, it can be skipped when you use the FGDC CSDGM metadata style.

ArcGIS metadata editor Required elements list	Fulfill FGDC CSDGM requirements
Title—Essential Metadata page Item Description card or Citation Title card	Citation, Title—Type a descriptive title for the item in the Title text box.
Summary (Purpose)—Essential Metadata page Item Description card	Description, Purpose—Type the purpose in the Summary (Purpose) text box.
Description (Abstract)—Essential Metadata page Item Description card	Description, Abstract—Type the abstract in the Description (Abstract) text box.
Terms of Use (Use Limitation)—Essential Metadata page Item Description card	Use Constraints—Describe any use constraints in the Terms of Use (Use Limitation) text box. If there are no use constraints associated with this item, don't add any information to this text box.
Theme Keywords—Essential Metadata page Theme Keywords card	Keywords, Theme, Theme Keyword—Type a keyword in the Theme Keywords control and press Tab. Repeat until all keywords have been provided.
Theme Keyword Thesaurus—All Metadata page Overview > Keywords > Theme Keywords > Keyword Thesaurus section, Thesaurus Title card	Keywords, Theme, Theme Keyword Thesaurus—If the theme keywords provided above came from a thesaurus, click the Theme Keywords link at the bottom of the Theme Keywords card. The All Metadata page is selected in the Contents pane and is opened to the Theme Keywords card. Under the Overview > Keywords > Theme Keywords section in the first column of the metadata editor, click the Keyword Thesaurus section. Click Add section at the top to add the Thesaurus Title card. Type the thesaurus name in the Title text box. If the keywords were not derived from a thesaurus, don't add keyword thesaurus information. If there are additional theme keywords associated with a different thesaurus, click the Overview > Keywords > Theme Keywords section in the first column. Click Add another section at the top. A new Theme Keywords (2) section is added with its own Theme Keywords card. Provide the appropriate set of keywords and specify the thesaurus in which they are defined following the above instructions.
Published—Essential Metadata page Citation Dates card	Citation, Publication Date—Click the Calendar button for the Published date control and select an appropriate date. Add a time if the information is significant. Click the Current button next to the date and time control to insert the current date and time.
Individual Name / Organization / Position—Essential Metadata page Citation Contacts card	Citation, Originator—A citation contact is automatically added by the metadata editor. The Originator role is preselected in the Role drop-down list for this contact. Type an appropriate value in the Individual Name or Organization text box to identify the individual or organization that developed the item. In FGDC CSDGM metadata, you don't have to provide detailed contact information for the originator of the item. If another individual or organization helped develop the item, click the Citation Contacts link at the bottom of the card. The All Metadata page is selected in the Contents pane and is opened to the Citation Contacts card. Click Add another section at the top. A new Citation Contacts (2) section is added with its own Citation Contacts card. Provide an individual or organization name and click Originator in the Role drop-down list.
Update Frequency—Essential Metadata page Maintenance card	Status, Maintenance and Update Frequency—Click the appropriate value in the Update Frequency drop-down list.
Individual Name / Organization / Position—Essential Metadata page Metadata Contact card	Metadata Contact—Type an appropriate value in the Individual Name or Organization text box to identify the individual or organization who is the primary contact for the item. Once an individual or organization name is provided, the other text box, either Individual Name or Organization, no longer appears on the Essential Metadata page's Metadata Contact card. To provide names for the individual and their organization, click the Metadata Contact link at the bottom of the card. The All Metadata page is selected in the Contents pane, and is opened to the Metadata Contact card. Type the other name into the Individual Name or Organization text box. Contact Information Primary Person or Organization—If only an individual or an organization are provided, the individual or the organization are considered the primary contact. When both an individual and an organization are provided, the organization is considered the primary contact.
Role—Essential Metadata page Metadata Contact card	Metadata Contact—Click Point of Contact in the Role drop-down list.
Address Type—Essential Metadata page Metadata Contact card	Metadata Contact, Contact Address, Address Type—Select an Address Type from the drop-down list for the metadata contact's address.
City—Essential Metadata page Metadata Contact card	Metadata Contact, Contact Address, City—Type a city for the metadata contact's address in the City text box.
State/Province—Essential Metadata page Metadata Contact card	Metadata Contact, Contact Address, State or Province—Type the state or province for the metadata contact's address in the State text box.
Postal Code (Zip)—Essential Metadata page Metadata Contact card	Metadata Contact, Contact Address, Postal Code—Type a postal or zip code for the metadata contact's address in the Postal Code text box. Note: Metadata Contact, Contact Address, Address—A street address or delivery point isn't required by the CSDGM because mail can be delivered in some communities without one. Because it isn't required, the Street element does not appear on the Essential Metadata page's Metadata Contact card for this metadata style. To provide this information, click the Metadata Contact link at the bottom of the card. The All Metadata page is selected in the Contents pane and is opened to the Metadata Contact card. Scroll down to the Contact Address card. Under the Street heading, click the Add button. Type the appropriate information into the Street text box. If necessary, click the Add button again to add another Street text box.
Phone—All Metadata page, Metadata Info > Metadata Contact section, Contact Information card	Metadata Contact, Contact Voice Telephone—Click the Metadata Contact link at the bottom of the Metadata Contact card on the Essential Metadata page. The All Metadata page is selected in the Contents pane and is opened to the Metadata Contact card. Scroll down to the Contact Information card. Type a phone number in the Phone text box.
Status—All Metadata page, Quality > Status section, Status card	Status, Progress—Click the All Metadata page in the Contents pane. Expand the Quality section in the first column of the metadata editor and click the Status section. Click Add section at the top to add the Status card. Click an appropriate value in the Status drop-down list.
Geographic Extent—All Metadata page, Overview > Extents > Extents section, Geographic Extent card	Spatial Domain, Bounding Coordinates—Click the All Metadata page in the Contents pane. Expand the Overview > Extents section in the first column of the metadata editor and click the Extents section that it contains. A preliminary Extents card is added automatically and the Add section card menu is open by default. Click Geographic Extent on the Add section card menu. Define a spatial extent that include the item's content by typing coordinates in the West, East, South, and North text boxes. Or, click the Select extent button, draw a bounding rectangle on the map, and click Save.
Temporal Extent—All Metadata page, Overview > Extents > Extents (2) section, Extent card	Time Period of Content, Currentness Reference—Click the All Metadata page in the Contents pane. Expand the Overview > Extents section in the first column of the metadata editor and click the Extents section that it contains. Click Add another section at the top above the existing Extent card, if a geographic extent has already been defined following the instructions in the row above. A new Extents (2) section is added with its own Extents card. Type a description of the currentness reference for this item's time period information and any uncertainties with respect to it in the Extent Description text box.
Temporal Extent—All Metadata page, Overview > Extents > Extents (2) section, Extent card	Time Period of Content, Single Date/Time or Multiple Dates/Times or Range of Dates/Times—On the Extents card where the Currentness Reference was provided, at the top of the card, click Add section card. On the Add section card menu, click Temporal Extent to define a date range or click Temporal Instant to provide an individual date. For a date range, click the calendar button for Begin Date/Time or End Date/Time and select a date. For an individual time, click the calendar button for the Instant Date and select a date. Add times to the date range or the individual date if the information is significant. Click the Current button next to the date and time control to insert the current date and time. To provide another date range or individual date, click Add another extent type below the existing date range or individual time and click Temporal Extent or Temporal Instant as appropriate.
Geographic Extent—All Metadata page, Overview > Constraints section, Geographic Extent card	Access Constraints—If there are access constraints associated with this item, they must be specified. Click the All Metadata page in the Contents pane. Expand the Overview section in the first column of the metadata editor and click the Constraints section. Under the existing General Constraints card, click Add another section card and click Legal Constraints. If a General Constraints card is not present, click Add section card at the top and click Legal Constraints. On the Legal Constraints card, under the Other Constraint heading, click the Add button. Describe any access restrictions in the Other Constraints text box. If there are no access constraints associated with this item, don't add the Other Constraints text box to the page.

Best practices for authoring CSDGM content in ArcGIS

ArcGIS allows you to create a full CSDGM-compliant metadata record to describe an item. However, there are a few differences between the CSDGM instructions and how you should provide the corresponding information in ArcGIS. By following some best practices, the metadata you create in ArcGIS will be accurate and easier to maintain, and will transition seamlessly to other metadata styles and formats in the future.

Inapplicable or unknown values

The CSDGM instructs you to provide the text None in mandatory elements where the information associated with that element is either unknown or inapplicable. For example, when keywords are provided, a thesaurus must be specified even if one wasn't used. The same practice is used when there are no access and use constraints associated with the item. Text such as unknown or unpublished material is also allowed for dates and times.

When a metadata element's value is unknown or inapplicable, leave its value blank. Don't provide the value None in a metadata element's text box when you edit metadata in ArcGIS.

When metadata is exported to an FGDC CSDGM-formatted XML file using other applications in the ArcGIS platform, these elements are automatically added with the value None or Unknown at that time. Other metadata standards have similar requirements, but different elements are considered mandatory and the manner in which the uncertainty or absence of a value is indicated in the exported XML file is different. Exporters for each style handle the situation in an appropriate manner.

Content defined by the metadata style

A metadata style configures ArcGIS to support a specific metadata standard or profile. Each metadata standard typically has metadata elements to record the name and version of the standard that was followed, how the metadata content was recorded, and so on. Exporters for each style handle the situation in an appropriate manner. When metadata is exported to an FGDC CSDGM-formatted XML file using other applications in the ArcGIS platform, the mandatory Metadata Standard Name and Metadata Standard Version elements are added at that time, along with the Metadata Time Convention element.

Dates and times

The CSDGM allows partial dates and times to be provided, and text to be used to describe a time period. However, ArcGIS metadata requires all dates to consist of a year, month, and day, and all times must include hours, minutes, and seconds. When the day and time are uncertain, one alternative is to provide a date range, such as from the beginning to the end of a year. Another alternative is to specify the first day of the month when the actual day is unknown, or January 1 if only the year is known. Date ranges are preferable when they are allowed.

Code list values

The CSDGM was originally designed for writing textual metadata documents. Many metadata elements have a domain where the value can be one of a specified set or free-form text. In existing CSDGM-format metadata, these elements often contain different phrases that express the same meaning. The equivalent metadata elements in other standards are typically associated with code lists—a set of coded values that communicate a specific concept unambiguously. Free-form text is not available in a code list.

In ArcGIS, the associated metadata elements use code lists. When FGDC CSDGM metadata is upgraded or imported using another ArcGIS application, the text provided is matched to a coded value if possible. If a suggested phrase is misspelled, an alternate phrase was used, or suggested values are combined, a match is unlikely even though the original text had the same meaning as a coded value. When editing an item's metadata, choose the appropriate value from the editor's drop-down list.

Content that can't or shouldn't be edited

For most items, ArcGIS automatically records the item's intrinsic properties in its metadata as appropriate. For example, if an item's spatial reference is set, full details of that spatial reference are recorded in its metadata. Detailed spatial reference properties can't be edited manually in the metadata view. This ensures the metadata reflects the item's actual spatial reference. With other metadata styles, you can manually provide information about an item's spatial reference for items that don't support synchronization, but you can only do so by providing the spatial reference identifier. The properties of the spatial reference are fixed for that identifier, and they can be examined in the appropriate registry where they're defined; individual spatial reference parameters are not manually typed into an item's metadata.

For other properties, such as an item's feature count, raster size, or attribute labels, it's possible to change the information derived from the item when editing metadata in ArcGIS. However, these values should be left unaltered. As long as these values aren't edited in the metadata view, ArcGIS will continue to update them as the item's properties change and they'll remain accurate. For example, if attributes are provided in an item's metadata but their names don't match field names in the item's attribute table, they'll be removed from the item's metadata the next time it's synchronized with the item's intrinsic properties.

The ArcGIS metadata editor automatically provides the current date as the date when the metadata was last updated. This value typically should not be modified, but if you're transcribing metadata that describes an archived item, for example, you may want to change the metadata date to reflect the date when the metadata content was originally authored.

Describe how to get an item

Some information is organized differently in ArcGIS metadata than in the CSDGM to better support multiple metadata standards. The CSDGM provides various options when describing all the methods and formats for getting an item, and organizations can arrange this information differently. The data formats and versions in which an item is provided, the software required to use it, the media on which it will be delivered, and so on, tend to change more frequently than an item's metadata is typically updated. In most cases, the organization has web pages from which items can be directly used, downloaded, or ordered. Provide links to these pages as much as possible. Over time, metadata created in this manner will be easier to read and maintain, and the distribution information can be maintained in only one place.

If an item is shared with your organization's portal or can be directly used from another online location, provide a URL that takes you directly to the item. The CSDGM Citation Online Linkage for the item corresponds with the Distribution, Digital Transfer Options, Online Resource, Linkage element in the item's ArcGIS metadata. Additional distribution information should not be required, particularly for items shared with a portal; the item details page provides legal information, supports downloading the item, and so on. If the manner in which the physical media is distributed must be described in the item's metadata, this corresponds with the Digital Transfer Options, Offline Media, Media Format element in the item's ArcGIS metadata. Add a separate Digital Transfer Options section to describe each supported type of media. Follow the instructions below for the metadata editor you are using to add this information.

• In the ArcGIS Pro classic metadata editor, on the Distribution page, click New Digital Transfer Options, click New Online Resource, and type the URL in the Linkage text box. To describe how to obtain the resource through offline media, click New Digital Transfer Options and click the Offline Media heading. Click the Media Format drop-down list and click the appropriate digital or hard-copy media code.
• In the ArcGIS metadata editor, expand the Distribution section in the first column of the metadata editor and click the Digital Transfer Options section. Click Add section at the top. A new Online Distribution section is added. Click the Online Distribution section in the first column and click Add section at the top to add an Online Distribution card. Type the URL in the Access Link/URL text box. To describe how to obtain the resource through offline media, click the Digital Transfer Options section in the first column of the metadata editor. Click the Media Name drop-down list and click the appropriate digital or hard-copy media code.

If detailed distribution information must be provided in the item's metadata, it should be straightforward and succinct. Each distributor should have one process for ordering the item. Indicate how to contact the distributor and add information to describe their ordering process. If possible, provide a link to an online location where any remaining information can be found. Follow the instructions below for the metadata editor you are using to add this information.

• In the ArcGIS Pro classic metadata editor, on the Distribution page, click New Distributor. Load an existing contact or click New Contact and indicate how to contact the organization. Load an existing contact or click New Contact and indicate how to contact the organization. Click New Ordering Process and indicate how to place an order with this distributor.
• In the ArcGIS metadata editor, expand the Distribution section in the first column of the metadata editor and click the Distributor section. Click Add section at the top to add a Distributor card. Indicate how to contact the organization on the Distributor card. Scroll down to the Ordering Process heading and click the Add button to add the Ordering Process card. Add information to the Ordering Process card indicating how to place an order with this distributor.

When a distributor is provided, the CSDGM Distribution Liability element is required to describe legal information with regard to sharing the item. In ArcGIS metadata, this content is provided using the use limitation element in the item's Legal Constraints section. Follow the instructions below for the metadata editor you are using to add this information.

• In the ArcGIS Pro classic metadata editor, click the Resource > Constraints page. Click New Legal Constraints or an existing Legal Constraints heading if one is available. Click New Use Limitation and type the appropriate information in the Use Limitation text box.
• In the ArcGIS metadata editor, expand the Overview section in the first column of the metadata editor and click the Constraints section. On an existing Legal Constraints card, click the Add button under the Use Limitations heading. Type the appropriate information into the Use Limitation text box.

Export metadata to the FGDC CSDGM XML format

To provide information about an item to people or organizations outside the ArcGIS platform, you can export the item's metadata to a stand-alone metadata file in the FGDC CSDGM XML format. When ArcGIS Pro is set to use the FGDC CSDGM metadata style, the item's metadata will be exported by default to the CSDGM XML format. If you're using another metadata style, you can still choose to export your metadata in this format by selecting it in the drop-down list.

1. On the Catalog tab on the ribbon, in the Metadata group, click Export .

   The Export Metadata dialog box appears.

2. Click The metadata content to export drop-down list and click the amount of content to filter out of the item's metadata during the export process.
   • All Supported Content—The item's metadata is not filtered.
   • Without Machine Names—The item's metadata content is filtered to remove any machine names that may exist. Appropriate actions are taken depending on the context in which the machine name is found. The metadata element will be removed if it doesn't cause the document to be invalid, the machine name will be removed from the beginning of a UNC path, or the value will be changed to identify the location as being withheld.
   • Without Sensitive Information—Machine names are filtered as described above. Additionally, local and network file paths, and internet locations other than http or https addresses are removed in the same manner. Operating system information, database information, and geoprocessing history are also removed.
3. If the FGDC CSDGM format is not already selected, click the The type of metadata to export drop-down list and click FGDC CSDGM.
4. Browse to or type the location and name of the XML file that will be created in the Export metadata to text box.
5. Click OK.

   The filtered ArcGIS metadata elements are matched to the appropriate FGDC CSDGM metadata elements, and their content is transferred to an FGDC CSDGM-format XML file. ArcGIS metadata includes content that's not included in the FGDC CSDGM standard, such as thumbnails; this content can't be included in an FGDC CSDGM-format XML file.