ArcMap Desktop and ArcGIS Pro can export GeoPDFs but they are not supported in Esri mobile apps i.e. ArcGIS Field Maps. This makes no sense given that GeoPDFs are widely accepted in non-Esri GIS mapping mobile apps.
There are limitations with PDFs because spatial information is simplified to an image with a fixed resolution and cant be queried etc. However, GeoPDFs are small in file size, easy to generate and circulate to non-technical users that require a simple locality map for offline navigation.
Esri equivalents or workarounds are difficult to implement: i.e. TPK files (Tile Packages) are to too time consuming to generate. https://support.esri.com/en/technical-article/000021054 - This technical article explains the process of converting a PDF to GeoTiff, then generating a tile package. The problem with this process is that you end up with a file which is significantly larger than the original PDF file.
Another alternative is to use a MMPK (Mobile Map Package) but these files can end up being extremely large in size and are difficult to share via email. You can share MMPK files via Portal but this requires user training, download instructions and Portal access (Unless you tick the 'Enable anonymous use' during mmpk file generation, but this requires the Publisher extension $).
Please vote for this idea if you would like to help expand GeoPDF support across ArcGIS Field Maps and the Esri ArcGIS technology stack.
ArcGIS Fields Maps 26.1.0 now supports geospatial PDFs. Please see What's new in ArcGIS Field Maps (March 2026) for more information.
@JeffShaner dunno why this is now "Closed" instead of "Implemented".
| Implemented | Congratulations! The idea made its way into the software. Implemented ideas cannot receive further votes. |
| Closed | Unfortunately, not all ideas are a good fit. These are not being considered at this time and will not be open to further voting. Ideas may be closed for different reasons, and we will do our best to communicate and let the community know why this idea isn’t a good match for our current plans. Thank you for your contribution! |
@LindsayRaabe_FPCWA, I've seen this time and again with BUGs and ENHs with esri technical support, as well. It makes no sense. With TS, they haven't budged on it - I guess the important thing is that it was implemented, whether or not that can be consistently logged..
You must be a registered user to add a comment. If you've already registered, sign in. Otherwise, register and sign in.