idea Truncate and Append Hosted Layer in ArcGIS Online Ideas

Truncate and Append Hosted Layer

GaryBilotta — Fri, 12 Jul 2024 21:17:59 GMT

It would be very nice if, within the Update Data screen in ArcGIS Online, there was an option to truncate your layer and append features to it.

There is the Overwrite Entire Feature Layer option, but after speaking with ESRI support, using this too often can lead to dataset corruption (which seems to have happened to me). Then, there is the add and update features option, but what happens if you have fewer features in the newer dataset? You will have all the latest data attributes and features that have matching IDs, but will also have records that are no longer relevant. This also happens in my workflows.

Having the option to truncate the feature layer and append it with the latest features would be super helpful. I realize there are Python ways of doing so, but having it built into ArcGIS Online would be super helpful.

Thank you!

Re: Truncate and Append Hosted Layer

DuncanHornby — Thu, 08 Aug 2024 16:08:17 GMT

This can be done very easily in ArcPro. Simply access your Portal through the Catalog Pane, add the layer you want to truncate to a map then run the Truncate table tool on it. As you are referencing the online version inside ArcPro you truncate the table in AGOL.

No code required.

Re: Truncate and Append Hosted Layer

JohnFannon — Tue, 06 Jan 2026 16:23:53 GMT

Yes - this option is definitely needed. Requiring Pro for doing a simple truncate and reload of data seems overkill, given the other options available via the "Update data" option in ArcGIS Online.

It's a pretty common requirement to re-load a new set of data without republishing (overwriting) the service.

The dialog just needs an additional "Truncate and add" option (see below example).

Or perhaps a check box after selecting the "Add" option to specify a truncate prior to the add.

Currently you either have to resort to using Pro or I have created a Notebook to do the Truncate part, which then allows new data to be re-loaded using the "Add" option.