idea View Metadata in ArcMAP Layer Properties in ArcGIS Pro Ideas

Easily view Metadata in ArcMap

DavidHaines — Tue, 09 Jul 2024 23:01:57 GMT

There's no easy way to Metadata in ArcMap. You have to go to Catalog and click on the metadata tab. Should be easier than that for the casual user.

Re: Easily view Metadata in ArcMap

Robert_LeClair — Mon, 01 Nov 2010 21:38:13 GMT

This can be done in ArcMap 10. In the TOC, right click on the layer of interest and select Data -> View Item Description. With "core" (i.e. before SP 1 for ArcGIS 10), there's a bug NIM059008 that caused the launch of the Item Description to fail. The workaround can be accessed at: http://forums.arcgis.com/threads/9171-bug-viewing-metadata-in-ag-10 Once you install the workaround, you can access metadata in ArcMap without the need of Catalog if you wish.

Regards,

Robert LeClair
Esri-Denver

Re: Easily view Metadata in ArcMap

JurajKrumpolec — Tue, 11 Jan 2011 10:36:52 GMT

Metadata information could be right in Layer Properties.

View Metadata in ArcMAP Layer Properties

MarkVolz — Wed, 10 Jul 2024 17:47:25 GMT

Hello,

It might be useful if we could view the metadata under the layer properties-->general tab in ArcMap. Right now the general tab includes the layer name, description, and credits. I think it would be usful if there was a button for "View Full Metadata"

Re: View Metadata in ArcMAP Layer Properties

ToddJorgensen — Mon, 26 Oct 2015 14:52:40 GMT

At least show the "Description of Values" from meta data in the "Layer Properties" view:

Re: View Metadata in ArcMAP Layer Properties

TomShindler — Fri, 26 Apr 2019 21:33:24 GMT

Todd,

There are two issues here: The layer properties are disconnected from the source data's metadata, so they are not a "view" into the metadata, only a one-time import when the data is added. I have added an "idea" to create a script tool that would update the layer properties for all layers in an MXD from their source data metadata. You can view and upvote it at https://community.esri.com/ideas/16585-script-to-update-arcmap-layer-description-and-credits-from-source-dataset-metadata

There actually IS a way to view the source data's metadata, but it's not in layer properties. Right click the layer in the TOC, and select "Data", then the option to "View Item Description". There you will see the actual source data metadata as it shows on the layer itself.

Re: View Metadata in ArcMAP Layer Properties - Status changed to: Already Offered

NaicongLi — Tue, 17 Jun 2025 04:53:32 GMT

Hello @MarieMarz ,

This functionality is already offered in ArcGIS Pro. In ArcGIS Pro, you can right click a map layer and click Properties in its context menu, and then, in the Layer Properties dialog box on the Metadata tab, you can see the brief version of an item's metadata :

The layer's context menu also offers a View Metadata option that will open the layer's full metadata in the Catalog view - if the layer is set to have its own metadata:

This behavior is described here in more details: https://pro.arcgis.com/en/pro-app/latest/help/metadata/view-and-edit-metadata.htm#ESRI_SECTION1_87CC40114EA3451FA44F4326D9BF62B9.

If the layer is instead set to use the data source's metadata, you can copy the location of the data source from the Layer Properties dialog box and paste it into the Catalog view to select the data source and see its metadata. There is another user idea that you can subscribe to about making it easier to get to a layer's data source in the Catalog view: https://community.esri.com/t5/arcgis-pro-ideas/link-from-layer-properties-source-to-catalog-view/idi-p/1113661.

Thank you very much for your feedback.