Create an ArcGIS Personal Account

Help / Tutorials / Personal

To save, manage, and share ArcGIS web maps, you need an ArcGIS account. In this tutorial, you'll create a personal account, which gives you access to the free parts of the ArcGIS system. (There are also subscription-based organizational accounts.)

If you already have an Esri Global Account that you use to log in to Esri websites, such as the Resource Center and Support Site, you can register this account to serve as your ArcGIS personal account. Skip ahead to the section of this tutorial called Register your Esri Global Account.

Create an ArcGIS Personal Account

Steps:
  1. Open a web browser to www.arcgis.com/home. In the upper right corner, click Sign In.
    The Sign In link is in the upper right corner of the web page
  2. On the left side of the page, click Create a Personal Account.
    The Create a Personal Account button
  3. Fill out the form. Your account may be purely for individual use or for use by a group you belong to.
    A form filled out for a group and for an individual
    CONSIDER YOUR USER NAME

    Your user name appears in search results and descriptions of your maps. It can't be changed later, so choose it carefully. If your account represents a group, such as the East Valley GIS Society, you may want the user name to reflect this.

    Your personal account also has a profile that can be made public (see the section Edit your profile). The profile heading concatenates the First Name and Last Name fields of your account. If your account represents a group, put part of the group's name in each field.

    The user name in a web map description and the profile heading
    The user name (no spaces) appears in search results. Clicking the user name opens your profile.
  4. Click the button to review the terms of use.
  5. If you agree to the terms of use, click I Accept.
  6. Click Create My Account.
    The Create My Account button

    Your account is created and registered, and you're signed in to ArcGIS Online.

    A user profile with nothing in it

  7. Skip to the Edit your profile section below.

Register your Esri Global Account

If you already have an Esri Global Account, you can register it with ArcGIS Online. Be sure this account suits your needs. For example, if the account is in your name but you plan to use it to make maps on behalf of a group, you should probably create a new personal account for the group.

Steps:
  1. Open a browser to www.arcgis.com/home. In the upper right corner, click Sign In.
    The Sign In link is in the upper right corner of the web page
  2. On the left side of the page, click Register your Esri Global Account.
    The Register your Esri Global Account button
  3. Type your user name and password, then click Register.
    The user name and password of an existing Esri Global Account
  4. If you agree to the terms of use, click I Accept.

    Your account is now registered and you are signed in to ArcGIS Online.

    A user profile with nothing in it

Edit your profile

Whether your account represents a group you belong to or you as an individual, your profile lends credibility to your maps.

Steps:
  1. Click Edit my profile.
    The Edit my profile button
  2. Type a description of your group or yourself in the text box.
  3. Click the thumbnail graphic. In the Upload Thumbnail window, browse to the location of a logo or picture on your computer, then click OK.
    The Image text box with a path to an image on a local computer
  4. Click Save.
    The completed profile of the East Valley GIS Society

    Your completed profile is shown.

  5. In the upper left corner of the page, click the ArcGIS home link.
    The ArcGIS link to the home page

    When you're signed in, your account name appears at the top of the ArcGIS Online home page. You can click it to edit your profile.

    The account name appears above the ribbon

  6. If you’re going on to the next tutorial, leave your browser open to the ArcGIS Online home page.

This is the second in a series of online mapping tutorials.