ArcGIS Hub Blog

Exploring and downloading data is a key function of ArcGIS Hub sites. Many people do this through the standard user interface by discovering a site, searching for data, or finding a dataset on the ArcGIS Hub homepage. In Hub, you can explore spatial data by filtering, styling, and downloading datasets in a variety of formats. Learn more about recommendations, settings, and file formats available for data downloads.

Downloads API v1 versus Legacy Downloads API

Many Hub site visitors and customers also use the Downloads API to dig into data. Hub supports the Downloads API v1, which is the newer version. The Downloads API v1 allows you to programmatically filter and download public data from service-backed items in a public catalog. You can download a single layer or download multiple layers from the same service-backed item.

If you have enabled workspaces (beta) of ArcGIS Hub, then you have a new experience for managing your site’s pages.

As an organization administrator or site editor, you can specify the basemap used across your ArcGIS Hub sites. Basemaps are a big part of how we create, share, and understand geographic information. A basemap is a background map for other data layers, all anchored by location to the surface of the earth. Consult the newly republished Esri GIS dictionary for a full definition.

Mid-century map

As a basis for geographic analysis and visualization, basemaps provide spatial context, place names, a lot of style, and so much more. ArcGIS Online, ArcGIS Pro, and other applications offer basemaps featuring satellite imagery, streets, topography, and oceans, just to name a few.

With the ArcGIS Online February 2025 update, all existing Creator user type community accounts in Hub community organizations have been automatically updated to the Hub Community Member user type.

In June 2024, user types were updated across Esri technology to streamline licensing and better align with customers’ needs. Accordingly, to more closely match user types with the needs of Hub community members, an updated Hub Community Member user type will go into effect with the ArcGIS Online update in February 2025. This update will happen automatically, and user types will continue to facilitate workflows and productivity. 

The ArcGIS Hub AI Assistant is a new capability  that transforms how people interact with open data. This innovative tool harnesses the power of generative AI to make open data more accessible, understandable, and actionable for everyone. It's intended to help users find answers to their questions and limited to the curated open data sets available on your Hub sites.

Metrics matter for project tracking 
Metrics play a key role in tracking project efficacy by offering transparent, data-driven insights. ArcGIS Hub Premium customers can configure metrics to track and share progress toward meeting project goals.  

Whether you are managing spatial analysis projects, monitoring workflows, or communicating progress to stakeholders, having clear, structured metrics helps ensure everyone is on the same page. Metrics allow teams to track progress against objectives, make data-informed decisions, and support improved project outcomes. 

Join our research community and gain exclusive access to preview and test new features and an opportunity to meet with the team to provide feedback on future developments.

UPDATE 9/27/2024

Today's release brings you some highly useful updates to the ArcGIS Hub downloads system. These enhancements mean that Hub will always serve cached files if they exist. If a cached file is not available, one will be generated with a version cached for every available format.

For best practices on settings and workflows, available formats based on configuration, and details on cached files, please see the recently revised Hub web help on data downloads.

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Originally published 9-23-2024: Downloading data is an important part of ArcGIS Hub. With recent updates to the Hub downloads feature, customers have provided feedback. We have listened and we are making key improvements based on this feedback.   

In a previous blog (https://community.esri.com/t5/arcgis-hub-blog/cloning-a-site-within-hub/ba-p/1539091), I shared steps to clone a site within an organization. Here’s another important use case we often get asked about: how to clone an Enterprise site to Hub and vice-versa. Here are the steps and actions to clone the site item along with associated site pages and groups.