idea Set Default Select Tool in ArcGIS Pro in ArcGIS Pro Ideas

Set Default Select Tool in ArcGIS Pro

RobertAnderson3 — Fri, 31 Jan 2025 20:24:48 GMT

The select tool defaults to the rectangle select, I almost always would prefer the Lasso tool. There should be an option to set your default choice of selection in your projects.

Select By ___: set a default version

ChristineSalvadore — Tue, 04 Feb 2025 19:52:26 GMT

The Select tool always resets to "Select by Rectangle", which is not useful for my purposes. I always switch to Select by Lasso. I would like to be able to make this my default select option in Pro, or even making it defaulted to a specific project file.

Re: Set Default Select Tool in ArcGIS Pro

Markbe_utco — Tue, 11 Feb 2025 15:48:29 GMT

Agree

Re: Set Default Select Tool in ArcGIS Pro

Michele — Sun, 02 Mar 2025 13:57:20 GMT

Please at least make this an option in selection settings. It's very annoying every time I start a new ArcPro session I start to draw a selection area and need the lasso, not the rectangle.

Set a default select tool

MT_JenAmes — Tue, 04 Mar 2025 14:57:25 GMT

I would like to see the ability to set a default for the Select tool in the Selection section of Pro's settings. The rectangle is one of the least useful options in most of my use situations, so I always change to the lasso, but it would be great if that was just something I set once, and didn't have to do again (or at least until the next update).

Re: Set a default select tool

DanPatterson — Tue, 04 Mar 2025 18:05:20 GMT

you might want to jump on this idea tool

Set Default Select Tool in ArcGIS Pro - Esri Community

or perhaps the ideas can be consolidated

Re: Set a default select tool

MT_JenAmes — Tue, 04 Mar 2025 18:53:34 GMT

Ah I had searched for an existing Idea and didn't see anything! Not sure how I missed this. Thanks for the link!

Re: Set Default Select Tool in ArcGIS Pro

Head_In_The_Clouds — Thu, 06 Mar 2025 18:05:50 GMT

I like the idea. It would be cool to set the default opening tool as well. It's always Explore, but we use Select much more often.

Re: Set Default Select Tool in ArcGIS Pro - Status changed to: Under Consideration

NathanShephard — Fri, 23 May 2025 21:59:38 GMT

Thanks for submitting this idea.

Rather than yet-another backstage configuration setting, how would you feel about having the active Select tool remembered over multiple Pro sessions?

So if you close Pro with Select by Lasso active, it would be the default select tool in your next Pro session.

Thanks,

-Nathan.

Re: Set Default Select Tool in ArcGIS Pro - Status changed to: Under Consideration

Michele — Fri, 23 May 2025 23:00:07 GMT

Hi Nathan,

Maybe that’s a feature in 3.4 but my company is still on 3.3 and that doesn’t occur.

Re: Set Default Select Tool in ArcGIS Pro

NathanShephard — Fri, 23 May 2025 23:44:39 GMT

Thanks Michele! My apologies, my note wasn't clear.

Pro does NOT currently remember which Select tool you used last - it resets to Rectangle every time.

However, IF it did remember it, would that meet your need? (IE: rather than requiring a setting).

Thanks! Nathan.

Re: Set Default Select Tool in ArcGIS Pro

Michele — Sat, 24 May 2025 03:48:12 GMT

Yes!!

Re: Set Default Select Tool in ArcGIS Pro

ChristineSalvadore — Tue, 27 May 2025 14:10:51 GMT

@NathanShephard That's an ideal scenario for me

Re: Set Default Select Tool in ArcGIS Pro

NathanShephard — Tue, 27 May 2025 14:59:33 GMT

Thanks both! Will see what we can do. 🙂

Re: Set Default Select Tool in ArcGIS Pro

RobertAnderson3 — Tue, 27 May 2025 18:27:09 GMT

Hi @NathanShephard yes having Pro remember which select tool I was using last would also be effective. It would basically do the same thing for me as if there was a setting because I find I almost exclusively use the lasso Select.

Thank you for taking a look at this and seeing what you can do!

Re: Set Default Select Tool in ArcGIS Pro

Michele — Sun, 08 Jun 2025 15:12:46 GMT

Thanks @NathanShephard. Appreciate you looking into this. So many people I work with complain about it. 🙂

Re: Set Default Select Tool in ArcGIS Pro - Status changed to: In Product Plan

NathanShephard — Fri, 19 Sep 2025 16:49:18 GMT

Working on this for Pro 3.6 (as per discussed above -- "remember the last mode of the Select tool").

Thanks again for the input and discussion!

-Nathan.

Re: Set Default Select Tool in ArcGIS Pro - Status changed to: Implemented

NathanShephard — Wed, 03 Dec 2025 03:40:27 GMT

Included in ArcGIS Pro 3.6!

The last active Select tool is now remembered and honored when closing/re-opening Pro.

Thanks all - really appreciate the discussion and openness to a creative solution.

Hope this helps!

-Nathan.

Re: Set Default Select Tool in ArcGIS Pro - Status changed to: Implemented

Michele — Wed, 03 Dec 2025 04:23:19 GMT

Thanks Nathan!! Looking forward to this feature in 3.6!!

Re: Set Default Select Tool in ArcGIS Pro

ChristineSalvadore — Wed, 03 Dec 2025 14:11:59 GMT

Thank you!