How to use the analysis tools

Below you'll find information about accessing and using the analysis tools. This information applies to all tools.

Accessing and using the analysis tools

Accessing the tools

To access analysis tools and perform an analysis, follow the steps below.

Note:

In order to perform analysis, you must be logged in with a publisher or administrator role for your account. If you are logged in with a user role, you will not see the Perform Analysis option as described below.

1. Open a web map containing the feature layer or layers you want to analyze in the ArcGIS.com map viewer.
2. Click the Contents button in the Details panel.
3. Click the arrow to the right of the layer name and click Perform Analysis. The Perform Analysis panel appears as illustrated below.

Exploring categories and their tools

The Perform Analysis panel is illustrated below. This panel contains a number of categories, and each category contains tools. To view the tools within a category, click the expand/collapse button on the left side of the category.

Beta:

Some tools, such as Find Existing Locations, are disabled. These tools will become available in future releases. You can click their help button to read about the tool's function and purpose, but you cannot view the tool's dialog box.

Working with a tool dialog box

To open an analysis tool dialog box, click the tool icon. This will open the tool's dialog box as illustrated below with the Aggregate Points tool dialog box.

Note:

The layer you clicked to open the Perform Analysis panel is called the analysis layer. Tools are aware of the analysis layer on which you are performing an analysis, and some tools only work on certain kinds of feature types. For example, Aggregate Points requires an analysis layer containing point features. If the tool cannot operate on the analysis layer you've chosen, the dialog box will not open. If you chose Perform Analysis on an analysis layer containing area or line features, then clicked the Aggregate Points tool, a message box displays the following: You need to select a point feature layer to run this tool.

Each tool has a different set of parameters. You can always view help for a parameter by clicking the help icon next to the parameter as illustrated above. All tools have a Result layer name parameter where the results of running the analysis are written. You can change this name or use the default value.

Use current map extent

Note:

It is recommended that you always check Use current map extent and that you zoom into the area you want analyzed. Doing so limits the number of features the tool needs to examine when performing analysis, as well as limiting the number of credits used by the tool. If you uncheck Use current map extent, all features in the analysis layer will potentially be analyzed, and credits used by the tool will be based on the number of features in the layer.

Layers and data you can analyze

You can perform analysis on the following types of layers and data:

• Feature service
• Map service
• Comma-separated values (CSV) file (.csv)
• GPS exchange format file (.gpx)
• Shapefile (.zip)
• GeoRSS web feed
• Map notes
• Route layers

For more information on these layers and data, see About geographic information.