Move Labels to the desired location in the map without having to convert them to annotation

[KarinaM]

I would like to have the choice to move labels around on a map without having to convert them to annotation. When there are many features in a map, the labels get crowded and sometimes are not shown. Annotations have many limitations when working with Arcade expressions for example.

[Marie_Ducharme]

I convert my labels to graphics.

[WendyHarrison]

A good place to start when working with text is the Add text on a map topic.  Part way down is a chart that will take you through different tasks and how to do them with labels, graphic text on a map and geodatabase annotation.

If you’re not interested in the overhead of geodatabase annotation you can convert your labels to graphic text and then edit as needed. To have the text elements scale like labels you will need to remove the reference scale from the graphics layer.

Convert labels to annotation main topic

Convert labels to graphics tool topic

To just create a handful of text by pulling the strings from features you can use a graphics layer and the auto text tool.  

what limitations are you running into using arcade expressions?

[KarinaM]

Hi @WendyHarrison,

I wanted the labels to be linked to the feature class and when I update the attribute table, then automatically be updated in the labels/annotations (converting to graphics I can't do this, right?). The problem I had with Arcade expressions is that I generated a big expressions for my labels and if I wanted to edit the expression, the annotation was not taking the change and I had to re-do everything again and redistribute the labels around the map again (there were around 50 labels)

Another issue I found was that the annotation to be linked, it has to be to a local feature class geodatabase. The company works mainly in AGOL and the updates are added on the web layers. So if my map in ArcGIS Pro is based on my web layer, the updates are automatically included on my labels, otherwise  I have to duplicate information every time I want a print out of my updated map. 

If this could be done with the original labels without having to convert them, it would be much easier and faster this work.

Hope this explain better my idea

Thank you very much

Karina