topic Re: ArcGIS API for Python Append Does not Maintain Attachments in Python Questions

ArcGIS API for Python Append Does not Maintain Attachments

ZacharyNeumannQK — Fri, 06 Jan 2023 20:00:03 GMT

The ArcGIS API for Python Append method does not maintain attachments when appending a hosted geodatabase to a hosted feature layer. I followed the steps from this tutorial:

https://www.esri.com/arcgis-blog/products/arcgis-online/data-management/keeping-layers-updated-by-appending-features-using-the-arcgis-api-for-python/

My feature has no attachments. I double checked that when I downloaded the hosted filegeodatabase that the attachments were in there.

I do not see an option in Append method to maintain attachments.

Re: ArcGIS API for Python Append Does not Maintain Attachments

David_Brooks — Sun, 08 Jan 2023 15:47:04 GMT

@ZacharyNeumannQK It's an environmental variable on the tool

Re: ArcGIS API for Python Append Does not Maintain Attachments

ZacharyNeumannQK — Tue, 10 Jan 2023 17:30:33 GMT

No it's not. This is for the ArcGIS API for Python. This is not a "tool" in ArcGIS Pro. This is a python method used to append data to a hosted feature layer.

See reference here:

https://developers.arcgis.com/python/api-reference/arcgis.features.html#arcgis.features.FeatureLayer.append

Re: ArcGIS API for Python Append Does not Maintain Attachments

RhettZufelt — Tue, 10 Jan 2023 21:07:07 GMT

But, the tool has an arcpy option, and will work to append to hosted feature layers on AGOL using Pro/Python.

However it will NOT maintain Global ID's, so be carefull if these are needed.

When appending to Hosted Feature Layer(s) in AGOL, from what I can tell, the python API append will preserve the Global ID's just fine, but does not support maintaining attachments.

The arcpy append maintains attachements just fine, but not Global ID's.

So, as important as both of these are, it appears there is no built in way to maintain both attachments and Global ID's without overwriting the HFL itself.

Would hope this gets "fixed" in the future, but since ESRI lists this as a "Known Limitation", most likely will not get addressed. Especially since this limitation was 'known' versions ago.

Re: ArcGIS API for Python Append Does not Maintain Attachments

ZacharyNeumannQK — Tue, 04 Apr 2023 18:28:28 GMT

Thanks for the advice. I didn't know arcpy append worked on hosted feature layers but that makes sesne. I ended up using the API for Python and just manually appended the attachments using a table and the add attachments method. Seems to work fine.

Re: ArcGIS API for Python Append Does not Maintain Attachments

SFM_TravisBott — Mon, 07 Jul 2025 23:31:42 GMT

@ZacharyNeumannQK can you elaborate on what you did? I found myself here because I'm in the same pickle...records went up fine but attachments have not.