topic Re: ApplySymbologyFromLayer not working in Python Questions

ApplySymbologyFromLayer not working

Katie_Clark — Tue, 25 Oct 2022 00:01:19 GMT

Hello,

I am attempting to write a map automation script for ArcGIS Pro. Taking things one step at a time, and so far the script successfully creates some layers, adds them to a specified geodatabase, and then adds them to the current map in the Pro project. I then need to apply symbology to the layers, which I am trying to do using arcpy.ApplySymbologyFromLayer_management. Here is a snippet from my code:

aprx = arcpy.mp.ArcGISProject("CURRENT") m = aprx.listMaps("Primary Map Frame")[0] m.addDataFromPath(f"{out_gdb}\BackgroundPointsFiltered_{dateTag}") m.addDataFromPath(f"{out_gdb}\CompliancePointsFiltered_{dateTag}") m.addDataFromPath(f"{out_gdb}\WorkLocationPointsFiltered_{dateTag}") in_layer = m.listLayers()[2] # The background points layer that was just added to the map frame in_symbology_layer = r"R:\gis\.....BackgroundPointsFiltered.lyrx" arcpy.ApplySymbologyFromLayer_management(in_layer, in_symbology_layer)

I've tried many other variations that I've seen from hints on stackexchange and geonet, but none have seemed to work for me. The script doesn't fail, but the symbology doesn't update.

What am I doing wrong here? Or is this somehow still related to a bug that I've seen mentioned related to this tool?

I'm using ArcGIS Pro v3.0.2

Re: ApplySymbologyFromLayer not working

DanPatterson — Tue, 25 Oct 2022 00:29:51 GMT

This bug

BUG-000116527: ApplySymbologyFromLayer in a Python script in ArcGIS.. (esri.com)

BUG-000108497: Running the Apply Layer Symbology tool as a script i.. (esri.com)

The latter has the clever solution

Close and re-open the project.

In either event, subscribe to the bugs so they get elevated and addressed since there are number of issues with this for not only vector geometry but raster symbology

Re: ApplySymbologyFromLayer not working

Katie_Clark — Tue, 25 Oct 2022 00:35:13 GMT

Thanks for the response, Dan. I subscribed to both of those bugs.

However, I tried the workaround of closing and reopening the project and the symbology still hadn't been applied to the layer. Any ideas of what else could be causing it?

Re: ApplySymbologyFromLayer not working

DanPatterson — Tue, 25 Oct 2022 00:40:21 GMT

Not sure, but checking to see if it does it manually through the interface would be my first check.

Often when "one would expect" the symbology to be updated for the same geometry type, I have often been surprised by expectations

Re: ApplySymbologyFromLayer not working

DonMorrison1 — Tue, 25 Oct 2022 13:40:11 GMT

I have some old code where ApplySymbologyFromLayer did work (not used anymore so I can't test it). You can see the the layer was created differently, I used a .lyr file, and I specify the layer title as the first parameter.

arcpy.MakeFeatureLayer_management(in_features, layer_title, where_clause) symbology_fn = r"xxxxxx.lyr" arcpy.ApplySymbologyFromLayer_management (layer_title, symbology_fn)

Re: ApplySymbologyFromLayer not working

Jeff-Reinhart — Thu, 11 Dec 2025 17:27:51 GMT

These bugs are from 2017/2018 and they still are not fixed. Close/open the project is not an option in my stack (Azure Remote App served Pro project). Disappointed.

Re: ApplySymbologyFromLayer not working

Sveouu — Wed, 14 Jan 2026 15:50:09 GMT

Very surprised to find this BUG from 2018 is still not resolved; Using ArcGIS Pro 3.4 in 2026.