Express mode in ArcGIS Experience Builder is an app editing mode that focuses on configuring the most essential features. It is a simpler version of the builder interface. You can use express mode to efficiently make engaging apps.
When you open Experience Builder, the Go to express mode button appears at the top right of the Recent experiences gallery.
Click Create new to start building an app in express mode.
Templates
When you click Create new, the Template window appears. You can start with any of the following templates:
- Foldable—A template with a basic, open interface that focuses on the map, featuring a header and a controller widget.
- Plateau—A basic modern app template that features a flat toolbar and widget container at the top of the page.
- Tab—A map-centric template with tabs on the left for opening sidebar content.
- Launchpad—A template designed with emphasis on the map and a controller widget at the bottom of the page.
- Dart—A template that focuses on the map. The widgets are placed inside a fixed panel positioned at the bottom of the map.
- JewelryBox—A template that includes a placeholder and a map.
- Pocket—A template with a map and a semi-transparent placeholder widget. This template is appropriate for creating apps that feature one main widget that interacts with the map.
- Billboard—A template created with simplicity in mind. This template contains a map and a controller widget.
- Dashboard—A template with a map at the upper right corner surrounded by five placeholders.
Each template has an interactive preview and is optimized for medium- and small-screen devices. You can use the three device mode buttons to preview the templates on different screen sizes.
Once you select a template, click Create new app to open the express mode builder.
Builder
The express mode builder is designed to allow you to efficiently build an app by focusing on the most essential features.
The left toolbar includes two tabs—Theme and General. These two tabs include all the same settings as they do in full mode. The toolbar does not include the Insert widget, Page, Data, or Utility tabs like it does in full mode. The following sections explain how you add those things to an app in express mode.
Widgets
Widgets are the building blocks of apps in express mode just as they are in full mode. In express mode, widgets have most of the settings that they do in full mode. They do not have style settings or layout settings.
You can interact with the widgets on the canvas like you can with Live view in full mode. To select a widget and open its settings panel on the right of the builder, click the widget on the canvas.
Tools that would appear in the widget toolbar in full mode appear at the top of the builder in express mode when you select a widget. For example, the widget controller widget has the Manage widgets and Add widget tools. For most widgets, the Delete button also appears here, but some widgets, like the Map widget, cannot be deleted. Some templates include widgets outside of the Widget Controller widget.
You can only add widgets in certain places, including in the Widget Controller widget and any in layout widgets in the template, such as Placeholder or Grid widgets.
Actions
Instead of an Action tab, applicable widgets have a Message action section in their settings. This section includes a list of triggers that the widget supports. If you turn on a trigger, possible targets appear in a list, and you can turn on actions in a drop-down menu.
Data actions add buttons to a widget's user interface for performing data processing tasks such as exporting or viewing data in a table. Data actions are automatically included in the interfaces of every widget that supports them. However, you must add the necessary target widgets for some data actions to appear. For example, the Map widget will have the View in table data action if you add a Table widget to your app.
The following table lists the combinations of message actions, targets, and triggers that are supported in express mode:
| Target | Action | Trigger Data added | Trigger: Data filtering changes | Trigger: Record selection changes | Trigger: Extent changes | Trigger: Records created | Trigger: Button click | Trigger: View change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Framework | Filter data records |  | ||||||
| Framework | Select data records | |||||||
| Business Analyst widget | Select features | | ||||||
| Elevation Profile widget | Select line | | ||||||
| Map widget | Add to map | | ||||||
| Map widget | Pan to | | | | | |||
| Map widget | Zoom to | | | | | |||
| Map widget | Flash | | ||||||
| Map widget | Filter | |||||||
| Map widget | Show on map | | ||||||
| Near Me widget | Set location | | ||||||
| Sidebar widget | Toggle sidebar | | ||||||
| Sidebar widget | Open sidebar | | | |||||
| Widget Controller widget | Open widget | |
Page and window
All apps made with express mode have one page and, optionally, one splash window.
The page has the following settings:
- Label and icon—Change the label and icon of the page.
- Animation—Add an animation for when the page first loads.
- Body—Choose a fill color for the body of the page.
- Header—Turn on the page header. You can change the height of the header in pixels and choose a fill color.
- Footer—Turn on the page footer. You can change the height of the footer in pixels and choose a fill color.
You can use the device mode and screen size switchers at the top of the builder to preview the app for different screen sizes, but you can only edit the app for large screen devices. Each express mode app template includes a responsive layout for medium- and small-screen devices.
To switch between editing the page and editing the window, click Page or Window at the top left of the builder. A drop-down menu appears, and you can switch between editing the two.
Windows have all the same settings in express mode as they do in full mode, except you cannot anchor or fix a window because you can only include the window in the app as a splash window, which is a window that opens when the experience first loads. To do this, point to the window in the drop-down menu and click Set as splash
You can start with the default window template or use the Choose a window template button to choose a template.
Data
The only way to add data to an app in express mode is by connecting web maps or web scenes to the Map widget. Once you do, you can make other widgets interact with the Map widget or connect to individual layers in the maps or scenes. Widgets other than the Map widget do not support adding external data sources. However, you can include an Add Data widget in an app to allow users to add new data sources at run time.
Utility services
You can add utility services in the settings of individual widgets that use utility services, such as the Search widget and Print widget.
Switch to full mode
If you want to access all of the Experience Builder app editing features, you can move an app from express mode to full mode. However, if you do, you cannot go back to editing the same app in express mode.
To switch to full mode, click More at the top of the builder, and click Switch to full mode.