What is a feature service?
A feature service is a data service that provides access to features. A feature is a single record in a dataset that typically represents a real-world geographic entity. A feature can contain attributes and/or a geometry such as a point, polyline, or polygon with attributes. Collections of features with the same geometry type and attributes are stored in the service as datasets. The datasets can be feature layers, feature layer views, or tables. To request data from a feature service, you use a SQL and/or spatial query to return features from a specific dataset. Features can be output in different formats such as JSON, GeoJSON, and PBF.
Feature services are typically used to access, edit, update, export, and display records of geographic data in mapping applications.
What can you do with a feature service?
You use feature services when you want to:
- Import files such as CSV, XLS, Google Sheets or other files that contain coordinate information.
- Access feature data in JSON, GeoJSON, or PBF format.
- Securely store collections of geometry and attribute data as features.
- Access and display features in maps and scenes.
- Display features with data-driven visualization.
- Securely share data with applications and users.
- Optimize accessing and displaying large amounts of feature data.
- Perform SQL or spatial queries.
- Edit and synchronize data edits.
- Replicate data.
- Analyze features or feature layers.
- Store and manage attachments to features.
- Update feature data frequently.
- Export the data.
- Use features in offline applications.
What does a service URL look like?
When you publish a new feature layer in a feature service, the URL is created by the system. To find the URL, you can use the hosted feature layer item in the portal associated with your ArcGIS account.
The service URL format to access a feature service is:
https://{host}/{organizationID}/ArcGIS/rest/services/{serviceName}/FeatureServerExample: https://services3.arcgis.com/GVgbJbqm8hXASVYi/ArcGIS/rest/services/Trailheads/FeatureServer?f=pjson
Tutorials
Add a feature layer
Access and display point, line, and polygon features from a feature service.
Add a vector tile layer
Access and display a vector tile layer in a map.
Add a map tile layer
Style a feature layer
Use symbols and renderers to style feature layers.
Query a feature layer (spatial)
Execute a spatial query to get features from a feature layer.
Query a feature layer (SQL)
Execute a SQL query to access polygon features from a feature layer.
Edit feature data
Display a popup
Format a popup to show attributes in a feature layer.
Workflows
Create a feature service for an app
Learn how to import parcel data, create and style a feature layer, and then access the features in an app.
Create a feature layer view for an editor app
Learn how to import parcel data, create and style a feature layer view, and then access the features in an editing app.
Create a vector tile service for an app
Learn how to import parcel data, style a feature layer, and then create a vector tile service for an app.
Create a map tile service for an app
Learn how to import contour data, style a feature layer, and create a map tile service for an app.
Services
Feature service
Add, update, delete, and query feature data.
Vector tile service
Store and access vector tile data.
Map tile service
Store and access map tile data.
Image service
Store and access imagery and raster data.
API support
Use data management tools or Client APIs to create, manage, and access data services. The table below outlines the level of support for each API.
- 1. Use portal class and direct REST API requests
- 2. Access via ArcGIS REST JS
- 3. Requires manually setting styles for renderers