A variety of GIS capabilities are available as web services online. Connecting ArcGIS Pro to a GIS server gives you access to maps, editable features, geoprocessing analysis, and other useful services. The steps in this topic show you how to connect to ArcGIS Online servers, ArcGIS for Server, and Open Geospatial Consortium, Inc. (OGC), servers.
Connect to ArcGIS for Server
When you connect to an ArcGIS for Server site, there are different connection levels allowed: user, publisher, or administrator. A connection's level determines the capabilities allowed on the server when that connection is used. ArcGIS Pro only creates user-level connections to the server.
When you connect, you see a list of the items you have permission to access as a user. If you provide a user name and password, you may have permission to see additional items only available to specific users.
Create a new connection
- On the Insert tab, in the Project group, click the Connections drop-down list and click New ArcGIS Server.
The Add ArcGIS Server User Connection dialog box appears.
- Type the URL of the ArcGIS for Server site you want to connect to in the Server URL text box. The URL varies depending on the site configuration.
- Type your User Name and Password, if appropriate.
- If you want to save your user name and password information to avoid entering it each time you connect, check the Save Username / Password check box.
- Click OK.
An ArcGIS Server connection file (.ags) is created and saved in the project's home folder. An item referencing this connection file is added to the project, and the connection appears in the Project pane and the Project view.
Add an existing connection
You may already have an ArcGIS Server connection file (.ags), for example, one that was created using ArcMap. You can add these connections to a project.
- Connect to a folder that contains the connection file you want to use.
- In the Project pane or Project view, browse to the folder that contains the connection file.
- Right-click the connection file and click Add To Project.
A new connection file is created in the project's home folder, and a connection to this file is added to the project. The new file has the same connection properties as the original file; however, it will be a connection with user-level privileges using the same credentials.
Connect to ArcGIS Online ready-to-use services
Signing in to an account on ArcGIS Online or Portal for ArcGIS enables access to Portal items, web maps, hosted feature services, and so on. Connecting to specific ArcGIS Online servers provides access to additional services that allow you to analyze your data and reference high-quality data curated by Esri.
Create a new connection
- On the Insert tab, in the Project group, click the Connections drop-down list and click New ArcGIS Server.
The Add ArcGIS Server User Connection dialog box appears.
- Type the URL of the ArcGIS Online server you want to connect to in the Server URL text box.
- http://elevation.arcgis.com/arcgis—Calculate viewsheds, elevation profiles, and elevation summaries.
- http://hydro.arcgis.com/arcgis—Create watersheds and trace point locations downstream.
- http://traffic.arcgis.com/arcgis—Visualize traffic incidents as well as live and typical traffic conditions.
- http://logistics.arcgis.com/arcgis—Perform routing, fleet routing, and other analyses on roads and walkways.
- http://geocode.arcgis.com/arcgis—Convert addresses and place names into longitude and latitude. If you signed in to ArcGIS Pro through ArcGIS Online, the Online World Geocoding Service is added to your project automatically and is available in your in your project's Locators folder, in the Locate pane, in What's here?, and in relevant geocoding geoprocessing tools. If you are signed in to ArcGIS Pro through Portal for ArcGIS, you will need to connect to this GIS server to use the World Geocoding Service.
- In the User Name and Password text boxes, type valid ArcGIS Online credentials. Check the Save Username / Password check box to save your credentials. If you are already signed in to an ArcGIS Online organization, you can skip this step.
- Click OK.
An ArcGIS Server connection file (.ags) is created and saved in the project's home folder. An item referencing this connection file is added to the project, and the connection appears in the Project pane and the Project view.
Add an existing connection
The services on ArcGIS Online are built on ArcGIS for Server. To add an existing connection to an ArcGIS Online server, follow the same steps outlined in the Connect to ArcGIS for Server section above.
Connect to an OGC web service
If a server provides OGC WMS or WMTS services, you can connect to the service and add either the entire service or individual layers in the service to a map.
Create a new connection
- On the Insert tab, in the Project group, click the Connections drop-down list and click either New WMS Server or New WMTS Server.
The Add WMS Server Connection or Add WMTS Server Connection dialog box appears.
- Type the URL of the server you want to connect to in the Server URL text box.
- Type your User Name and Password, if appropriate.
- If you want to save your user name and password information to avoid entering it each time you connect, check the Save Username / Password check box.
- Click OK.
A WMS Server connection file (.wms) or a WMTS Server connection file (.wmts) is created and saved in the project's home folder. An item referencing this connection file is added to the project, and the connection appears in the Project pane and the Project view.
Add an existing connection
You may already have a WMS Server connection file (.wms) or WMTS Server connection file (.wmts), for example, one that was created using ArcCatalog. You can add these connections to a project.
- Connect to a folder that contains the connection file you want to use.
- In the Project pane or Project view, browse to the folder that contains the connection file.
- Right-click the connection file and click Add To Project.
A new connection file is created in the project's home folder, and a connection to this file is added to the project. The new file will use the same credentials as the original file.