Permanently reorder fields in an existing feature class without exporting it

Question

In ArcGIS Pro, I added a new field to an existing feature class, moved it to a specific position in the Fields view, and saved. However, when I reopen the data, the field appears at the end again.

Is there a supported way to permanently change the field order in the existing feature class, so it is retained when the data is added to another map or project?

I’m aware of the Export Features workflow and saving field display order in a project or layer file. However, exporting and recreating feature classes is not practical when managing many layers and adding fields throughout a project.

Is there an in-place method or an ArcPy solution that changes the stored field order while preserving the existing feature class, its data, subtypes, and domains?

If this is currently unsupported, could permanent field reordering be considered as an enhancement?

DanPatterson · Answer

I suspect it isn't easy to implement, or it would available by now.  Ignoring it, without updates, seems to be

MohammedSubair · Answer

@DanPatterson Thanks for sharing the link! The idea may be old, but the issue feels new every time we add a field 😄

It’s surprising that this is still under consideration after so many years. Recreating a feature class just to reposition a field becomes impractical when managing multiple layers with subtypes and domains.

DanPatterson · Answer

There is already a really old idea to permanently reorder fields

reorder fields

it is still under consideration