Save your changes

There are several ways to save changes made to a project.

• Click the Save button on the Quick Access toolbar at the top of the application.
• Press Ctrl.
• Click the Project tab and click Save. Click the Back button at the top to continue working on the project.

Save the current project to a new file

If you need to create a new project that uses some of the same resources as an existing project, a quick way to start is to open the existing project and save it to a new project file with a new name at a new location. If you have been working with the existing project, be sure to save your changes first. The existing project closes and the new project opens.

The new project includes all the maps, layouts, descriptions, and settings from the original project. All data and connected items remain in their original location.

The new project uses the same default geodatabase and default toolbox as the original project. All item connections update appropriately based on the new project's location. For example, if the new project is stored on the same drive as the original project in a new location, relative paths used to access items stored on the same drive are update appropriately.

Item connections in the new project update in a manner appropriate for the computer that was used to create and save the new project. If the new project is stored on a shared network location, then opened using a different computer, any connections to locations that were specific to the original computer are broken. Remove the broken connections from the project and add those items to the project again in a manner that works for all computers.

Copy or move the current project

Save As creates a copy of the project file .aprx only in a new location with a new name. All connections in the copied project, including the project's default geodatabase and default toolbox, point to the same location as the original project's connections. For example, if you use Save As to save a copy of the project in the same home folder but with a new name, you could then delete the original project file. However, if you use Save As to save a copy of the project to a network share, the project on the network share still points back to the default geodatabase and default toolbox on your local computer. You will be able to work with the project successfully but other people who have access to the share will not.

A project accesses databases, servers, folders, and datasets in the same manner. Relative paths are used to connect to items stored on the same drive or network location as the project. Items stored on a different drive or network location are referenced by an absolute path. If you use Save As to save a copy of the project to a network share, the project on the network share accesses other items on the same network share using relative paths but it will use absolute paths such as C:\Data to access items on your local computer. This is why other people will have trouble using a project you placed on a network share using Save As; they don't have access to referenced items that are stored on your local computer.

If you copy or move only the project file to a new location, for example, using Windows Explorer, connections to all items accessed by a relative path will be broken; however, ArcGIS Pro will try to locate the item in its original location. Items accessed by UNC paths remain accessible as long as the shared location remains available. Items accessed by an absolute path will still be accessible if those paths can be resolved when the project is opened in its new location. For example, if a folder connection accesses a mapped network drive such as N: and the project is moved to another machine, this connection will be broken unless the other machine also has the same network drive mapped to the drive letter N:. To fix a broken connection, remove the broken item and add it to the project again using an appropriate path.

If you copy or move the project's home folder to a new location using Windows Explorer, relative paths used to access the default geodatabase, the default toolbox, and other items stored in the home folder along with the .aprx file will not be broken.

To save a copy of the current project that includes a copy of all the data and items referenced by the project, create a project package. This is the best way to share a project you have been working on with someone else.