Opening content

Open maps, layers, apps, tools, and files you find in the website by clicking the Open link under the item's thumbnail or by clicking the thumbnail itself. By default, the item opens in the most appropriate application—web apps open in a web browser, web maps open in the ArcGIS.com map viewer, and layer packages open in ArcGIS for Desktop. If you want, you can override the default. To select where an item opens, click the Open arrow under the item and click where you want to open the item. For example, you could choose to open a web map in ArcGIS for Desktop instead of the ArcGIS.com map viewer.

Some items can be opened in ArcGIS desktop applications. Desktop applications include ArcGIS for Desktop, ArcGIS Explorer Desktop, Operations Dashboard for ArcGIS, and Esri CityEngine. If you have ArcGIS for Desktop and ArcGIS Explorer Desktop installed on your machine, by default, the item is sent to the application that is currently running. So, if ArcGIS Explorer Desktop is running, it will be sent to ArcGIS Explorer Desktop, and so on. If no application is running when you open an item, ArcGIS for Desktop will start automatically and the item will be added to it.

Note:

By default, search results include web content only. To include ArcGIS desktop files such as layer packages, check the box next to Show ArcGIS Desktop Content. For more information, see Finding content for ArcGIS desktop products.

The sections below list where you open the maps, layers, apps, tools, and files you find in search results. For a comprehensive list of supported items, see What can you add to ArcGIS Online?

Open in ArcGIS.com map viewer

Web Map

Add to map

• Features (ArcGIS Server feature service, ArcGIS Online hosted feature service)
• Imagery (ArcGIS Server image service)
• KML
• Map Images (ArcGIS Server map service)
• Tiles (ArcGIS Online hosted tiled map service)
• WMS

Open in Explorer Online

• Features (ArcGIS Server feature service, ArcGIS Online hosted feature service)
• Imagery (ArcGIS Server image service)
• Map Images (ArcGIS Server map service)
• Tiles (ArcGIS Online hosted tiled map service)
• Web Map
• WMS

View application

• Application
• CityEngine Web Scene
• Web Mapping Application

Get application

Mobile Application

Open

• Document Link
• PDF

Open in ArcGIS for Desktop

The following items can be opened in ArcGIS Desktop 9.3.1 and later.

• Globe Document (.3dd)
• Globe Service
• Imagery (ArcGIS Server image service)
• Layer (.lyr)
• Layer Package (.lpk)
• Map Document (.mxd, .msd)
• Map Images (ArcGIS Server map service)
• Published Map (.pmf)
• Scene Document (.sxd)

Open in ArcGIS 10 for Desktop

The following items can be opened in ArcGIS 10 for Desktop and later.

• Desktop Add In (.esriaddin)
• Map Package (.mpk)
• Web Map

Open in ArcGIS 10.1 for Desktop

The following items can be opened in ArcGIS 10.1 for Desktop and later.

• Geoprocessing Package (.gpk)
• Features (ArcGIS Server feature service, ArcGIS Online hosted feature service)
• KML (.kml, .kmz, .zip)
• Locator Package (.gpk)
• Tile Package (.tpk)
• Tiles (ArcGIS Online hosted tiled map service)
• WMS

Open in Explorer Desktop

• Explorer Add In (.eaz)
• Explorer Layer (.nmc)
• Explorer Map (.ncfg, .nmf)

Open in Operations Dashboard

Operations View

Download

• ArcPad Package (.zip)
• CityEngine Web Scene (.3ws)
• Code sample (.zip)
• CSV (.csv, .zip)
• Desktop Application (.zip)
• Desktop Application Template (.zip)
• File Geodatabase (.zip)
• Geoprocessing Package (.gpk)
• Geoprocessing Sample (.zip)
• Image (.jpg, .jpeg, .png, .tif, .tiff)
• KML (.kml, .kmz, .zip)
• Layer Package (.lpk)
• Locator Package (.gcpk)
• Map Package (.mpk)
• Map Template (.zip)
• Microsoft Excel (.xls, .xslx)
• Microsoft PowerPoint (.ppt, .pptx)
• Microsoft Word (.doc, .docx)
• PDF (.pdf)
• Rule Package (.rpk)
• Service Definition (.sd)
• Shapefile (.zip)
• Tile Package (.tpk)
• Visio Document (.vsd)
• Workflow Manager Package (.wpk)
• Windows Mobile Package (.wmpk)

No open options

The following tools contain details only. Details often contain information on how to access the tool through APIs. There is no open option.

• Geodata Service
• Geocoding Service
• Geometry Service
• Geoprocessing Service
• Network Analysis Service
• Operations Dashboard Add In (.opdashboardaddin)