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Esri Story Maps

Now in extended support

After years of creating stories with the classic Esri Story Maps, the time has come to use ArcGIS StoryMaps for creating all new stories.

The classic templates are no longer in active development. They will not gain new features and only critical updates will be made. In contrast, new capabilities will be regularly added to ArcGIS StoryMaps.

Stories you have created with the classic templates will continue to exist, and you can continue to edit them in ArcGIS Online and on ArcGIS Enterprise 10 and below. You can even make new ones, but we don’t recommend doing this unless it’s for short-term projects. Please be aware that as technologies (such as web browsers) advance, the performance and behavior of classic stories may be affected.

It’s time to move to ArcGIS StoryMaps

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Milestones built for a smooth transition

2011: Esri’s storytelling journey begins

It started with a question: In the digital age, how could maps and multimedia content be woven together to create rich, interactive experiences?

Then, it grew into a mission: to enable anyone to create visual stories, powered by place, regardless of their technical expertise. The lessons learned—and the feedback received—over the eight years that followed built a critical foundation for the creation of ArcGIS StoryMaps.

Read the full history
A screen displaying a slider map in pink and blue displaying diabetes and obesity rates alongside charts and data

2019: ArcGIS StoryMaps arrives

ArcGIS StoryMaps made its debut at the Esri User Conference in July. Jennifer Bell, the product manager for ArcGIS StoryMaps, transported attendees to Nepal and Tibet as she rebuilt the Mapping Mount Everest story by Alex Tait, a geographer for the National Geographic Society, live. 

Immediately after, customers around the world began creating immersive stories and collections with the new product. Their feedback helped transform ArcGIS StoryMaps into a powerful storytelling app for GIS professionals to share their work with the world.

Play the launch video
A person in a pale blue suit wearing a headset speaking onstage against a deep blue background overlaid with geometric green and gold shapes and text stating “2019 Esri User Conference- ArcGIS StoryMaps”

2021: ArcGIS StoryMaps grows

Thanks to continual product development, the most familiar classic storytelling patterns are made available in ArcGIS StoryMaps, and organizations of all sizes successfully transition to it. With thousands of stories published daily, storytellers worldwide embrace ArcGIS StoryMaps.

It is also the end of an era, as the classic Esri Story Maps templates are removed from the ArcGIS Online Configurable Apps Gallery. Esri Story Maps enters extended support, meaning stories can be created but only critical maintenance updates are made to the product.

Explore the transition
A graphic displaying three stages of story map creation, each with a screen displaying story maps with toolbars and large colorful imagery

2023: Mature support begins

ArcGIS StoryMaps will continue to receive continual improvement in line with customers' needs to ensure storytelling thrives in line with the changing digital experience expectations of content creators and readers.

In October, Esri Story Maps will move into the mature support phase. Products in mature support should not be in active use. Any published stories will continue to be available, but no further updates will be made to the software.

A photo of a winding path through a natural rock formation of smooth, flowing striated stone in shades of deep aqua and black

Feature comparison

 

ArcGIS StoryMaps

Esri StoryMaps

One, unified builder 
Mobile-friendly design 
Advanced mapping capabilities (map actions, express maps, etc.) 
Advanced content block options (embeds, timeline, gallery, etc.) 
Advanced theme editor 
Allows unpublished changes 
Integrated with Google Analytics 
WCAG 2.0 and FedRAMP certified 
Easily integrate ArcGIS content (web maps, scenes, etc.)
Available in ArcGIS Enterprise 10.8.1 and newer 
Available in ArcGIS Enterprise 10 and below* 
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Read the latest ArcGIS StoryMaps enhancements

Browse the Weekly Waypoint