About map notes

You can create features on your map by adding a map notes layer. You use features to symbolize something you want to show on your map, such as public access points, hiking trails, or fire perimeters. You can also add descriptive information that appears in pop-up windows when somebody clicks on the feature.

The features are saved with the map so that only you, the map author, can edit them. These types of feature layers are useful for displaying information, such as events happening within a community or inventory of oil production facilities. This is a simple way to add a small number of features to a map, for example, the swimming pools managed by your city's parks and recreation department. It's also a way to create feature service layers if you don't have access to ArcGIS for Server. For information about adding features that can be edited by anybody viewing the layer, see About editing features.