Map Search: Search by Layer, Add Locator, Remove ArcGIS Geocoding Service Locator?

[ArmstKP]

When adding a map element to a dashboard and turning on the search functionality, how does one utilize certain locators and remove the default ArcGIS Geocoding Service locator in a dashboard?  You can't add locators in the webmap settings or in the dashboard settings....

Also, if in the webmap settings I add the functionality to search by a layer, how do I only have the search in the dashboard search only search by the layer, not by other locators or the ArcGIS Geocoding Service Locator?

[jcarlson · Accepted solution]

You can adjust a map's search settings to include specific layers, but you're correct, you can't control the available locators at the map level. Near as I can tell, maps and dashboards just pull the organization's settings, so you'd have to disable the locator for the entire organization, which may not be ideal.

[jcarlson]

And just to be thorough: I opened up a web map's JSON, and there's no reference to the locator anywhere in there. It's gotta be a default coming through when the search widget is loaded.

[ArmstKP]

@jcarlson Thank you.  Yeah, the option to disable a locator for an entire organization just to have one dashboard search functionality doesn't seem wise, but it also seems like an oversight and needed improvement by ESRI.  I guess maybe I will have to explore building it in ExB and see if it is programmed differently - allowing for such search options...?

[jcarlson]

Agreed! The various app builders have had the option to add/remove/reorder locators for ages, it is odd that Dashboards wouldn't.

I don't know what locator you want to use, but is it possible to include a feature layer in the map and have it toggled off?

A map can also let you disable all locators. You could have your locator features listed under "by layer" and then disable all the built-in locators. Hacky, but it could work.

You can see in the map JSON that the "by address" setting is disablePlaceFinder. So it really is just a boolean, all-or-nothing for locators. When I adjusted the settings, the JSON suddenly appeared.

"applicationProperties": {
        "viewing": {
            "search": {
                "enabled": true,
                "disablePlaceFinder": true,
                "hintText": "Place or Address",
                "layers": [
                    {
                        "id": "Current_Cadastral_Features_294",
                        "field": {
                            "name": "pin",
                            "exactMatch": false,
                            "type": "esriFieldTypeString"
                        }
                    }
                ],
                "tables": []
            }
        }
    }

[ArmstKP]

@jcarlson My webmap and dashboard are public.  When I add a search layer and then turn off "By Address"  I still get the ArcGIS Geocoding Service in the search.

WEBMAP SETTINGS:

DASHBOARD SEARCH:

[jcarlson]

That is beyond strange! There's nothing in the dashboard settings to store any kind of override, just "can this search". I know that adding layer searching to a map carries through to a dashboard, but how can it selectively ignore other settings?

Obviously, this needs some work. If you post an Idea for "overhaul search configuration in maps / dashboards", I'll totally vote it up.