Allow overwriting a hosted feature layer in ArcGIS Online when a joined view is present or a view with an area of interest is defined.

SuzyBrunzell34

The City of Seattle GIS team would like to request an enhancement by Esri to address the impacts of not able to overwrite a hosted feature layer or hosted view when the underlying hosted feature layer has an area of interest defined.

This is in reference of Esri BUG-000115592.

Here are steps to reproduce the issue:

Create a hosted feature layer. Then create a view layer with area of interest defined.

Overwrite the feature layer from ArcGIS Pro or Python script.

If an error does not occur, check the view for incomplete drawing or random missing features which does not return any error messages. This typically leads up to the Python script and/or ArcPro aprx publishing returning errors in subsequent publishing.

Exact error trigger is unknown but eventually during the Python script Append process it will bail out with an unkown error 500. Then when publishing the source aprx for the same map service that failed in the Python script it will return "Error code: 400 Description: Bad syntax in request. Message: Unable to delete item. This service item has a related Service item".

If the view layer does not have an area of interest defined, then the overwrite would be successful.

There is no documentation specifying this; and the error message does not provide enough information.

ESRI Technical Support document - https://support.esri.com/en-us/knowledge-base/error-arcgis-pro-error-code-400-unable-to-delete-item-... does not mention the View Area of Interest setting as a cause for this error.

We do not think this behavior is the proper behavior. Area of interest defined for a hosted feature layer or hosted view should not prevent anyone from overwriting during publishing. The work around of removing Area of Interest before overwriting can happen creates unnecessary burden for groups where frequent publishing needs to be performed. We want Esri to enhance ArcGIS Online to correct this behavior.

AndreaB_ · ‎01-23-2026

Exactly! Well said. I just ran into this "expected" behavior and I can't believe it. I am running a .py script nightly to overwrite my feature layer with new data and it will not work now because I am using and sharing a View Layer with an AOI with a group of outside AGO members.

Links from my Esri tech support case:

Expected Behavior: Overwriting a hosted feature layer with a related view layer (including AOI-defined view layers) is currently a limitation in ArcGIS Online. This is documented in the following support article: Error: ArcGIS Pro ERROR Code 400, Unable to Delete Item
Community Discussion: Similar behavior is discussed in the Esri Community: Unable to overwrite a web layer – Error 400 "Joined View" layers will cause this error, as well as any view layers with Areas of Interest defined within them.
Current Bug: There is a bug in ArcGIS Online for this limitation: BUG-000172493.
Additional Documentation:

Attempting to overwrite feature layer with related... - Esri Community

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This issue is not documented anywhere despite the above info from Esri tech support. Thank you for sharing that bug number: BUG-000115592.

This BUG-000172493. says to “Add a limitation to the documentation stating that overwriting a hosted feature layer in ArcGIS Online fails if the layer has a joined view or a view with an area of interest defined.” And the Status says “Fixed”. Where is the documentation stating that overwriting a hosted feature layer in ArcGIS Online fails if the layer has an area of interest defined?

The support documentation https://support.esri.com/en-us/knowledge-base/error-arcgis-pro-error-code-400-unable-to-delete-item-... does not mention area of interest. If it should – then please tell the people to update this document.

This BUG-000115592 says "After review by the development team, it has been determined that this issue is related to a known limitation with the software that lies outside of Esri's control. The issue's Additional Information section may contain further explanation." Outside of Esri's control? Can we get more info on this?

Please fix this.

For additional information - I can't use truncate and append because of this BUG-000171689. 😰

NairiSevajian · ‎01-27-2026

Since the bug was recognized as a known limitation, an Idea serves well here. Sharing use cases like the ones above helps support this feature request for review. This Idea is open to voting and commenting. We appreciate your feedback!

@AndreaB_ To address your question regarding fixed BUG-000172493

Where is the documentation stating that overwriting a hosted feature layer in ArcGIS Online fails if the layer has an area of interest defined?

The note in the Overwrite Hosted Feature Layers section states the limitation.

Best,

Nairi

AndreaB_ · ‎01-29-2026

Hi all,

I have had my tech support case added to ENH-000179977 "Allow overwriting a hosted feature layer in ArcGIS Online when a joined view is present or a view with an area of interest is defined". It's In Review. And Esri support added my case to the related BUG-000115592 , even though it is a Known Limitation.

@NairiSevajian thank you for the response here. That part of the documentation is talking about "...from the item page." I'm doing it from ArcGIS Pro. And

Unfortunately, the documentation currently specifically states the opposite: area of interest defined does not stop you from overwriting a hosted feature layer from ArcGIS Pro . This is wrong. I will be providing feedback on the documentation page to request clearer clarification about this known limitation.

Please do the same by clicking on

on the bottom of the page.

Thanks everyone. I hope we see this Idea implemented someday.