Contributor User Type editing capabilities

[EmilSkj]

Hi,

Can a Contributor User type in AGOL with Data Editor role add, delete, and update both geometries and attributes through an editing widget in an Experience Builder or Instant App? I understand that only Mobile Workers can edit through field apps.

It is not fully clear to me if there are differences in editing capabilities between a Contributor and a Mobile Worker User type for data made editable and shared by e.g. a Creator in ArcGIS Online Experience Builder or Instant App based on the below.

Thanks!

[RClavero]

Hello @EmilSkj,

The 2023 and 2024 ArcGIS User Type Comparison Matrix doc will provide clarification to your questions. 

Both Contributors and Mobile Workers can view and edit data (but can't create or modify apps and items). The main differences reside in where (which apps) you can perform those actions.

As mentioned in this previous Esri Community post, "the Contributor role is for people in the office that need to make edits to data but don't need access to desktop or field application software. i.e.  they edit in Experience Builder, Instant Apps or Dashboards."

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In ArcGIS Online hosted feature layers, the kind of editing allowed (add, delete, update) is defined/enabled in the hosted feature layer itself: "On the Settings tab of the hosted feature layer's item page, layer owners or organization administrators enable editing and choose the type of editing that is allowed." (more info).

[JoeBryant1]

@RClavero Thank you for clarifying that Contributors should be able to make edits using Instant Apps. Can you verify that Contributors CANNOT use the Web Editor Instant App, and maybe explain why? What app should I build to enable my Contributors to edit features outside of just the standard web map interface?

[RClavero]

Hello @JoeBryant1, 

I see the Web Editor template has been released quite recently, and after this post and answer.

https://www.esri.com/arcgis-blog/products/instant-apps/mapping/arcgis-instant-apps-introducing-the-w...

The licensing conditions for Web Editor functionality appear to be specific to 'Web Editor', even if you will be using it from ArcGIS Instant Apps.

https://doc.arcgis.com/en/web-editor/latest/get-started/what-is-web-editor.htm

https://doc.arcgis.com/en/instant-apps/latest/create-apps/web-editor.htm

There are other Instant Apps templates where editing should be possible as per the docs (first link below). Have you checked if those allow editing with a Contributor user type?

Only the Web Editor template states that the following conditions are required: "To use this template, you must have a Creator, Professional, or Professional Plus user type".

https://doc.arcgis.com/en/instant-apps/latest/create-apps/app-templates-overview.htm

https://doc.arcgis.com/en/arcgis-online/administer/user-types-orgs.htm 

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Finally, an open ArcGIS Idea suggests enabling Web Editor functionality for Mobile Worker user types. In the Idea comments, other Esri users propose extending the functionality to Contributor user types.

https://community.esri.com/t5/arcgis-web-editor-ideas/make-web-editor-available-to-mobile-workers/id...

There, I have also seen this comment that might be of interest: https://community.esri.com/t5/arcgis-web-editor-ideas/make-web-editor-available-to-mobile-workers/id...