Contributing to Living Atlas of the World
Best practices for nominating content to Living Atlas.
Nominating to Living Atlas of the World
ArcGIS Living Atlas of the World is the location for ArcGIS users looking to find high quality, ready-to-use layers, maps, and apps to support their GIS workflows. Living Atlas includes content from Esri, Esri Partners, and the GIS user community.
Do you have a story map, web app, web map or data layer that you would like to contribute to Living Atlas?
By sharing your layers and maps, you’re helping to build a global GIS, allowing people from around the world to have easy access to data and information, and accelerate the progress of mapping, analysis, and decision making.
Nominating your content to Living Atlas can be done in a few simple clicks. We've created this Storymap to give an overview of some requirements and considerations to make the process all the more seamless!
Item Types
A variety of ArcGIS Online item types can be contributed to Living Atlas:
Item types for nominating to Living Atlas
Explore this Storymap to learn more about the requirements and best practices when nominating your content to Living Atlas.
Check out the rest of the Storymap Collection for Living Atlas contribution considerations for specific item types alongside some examples - including data layers, web maps and web apps.
Nomination Requirements
There are a few things to consider when putting your item forward for nomination to ArcGIS Living Atlas of the World.
It's useful to thinking about the potential use case, purpose, scope and completion of your data when contributing to Living Atlas.
Nominations should be:
- From an authoritative provider.
- Accurate and complete.
- Of national interest.
- Suitable for real-world use with informational, contextual or application purpose.
- Covering the entire geographic extent of the dataset.
- From the latest iteration of the content available - unless historical in nature.
- Upload a clear Thumbnail of your map, app or data layer. Images can be added from the 'Edit Thumbnails' option on the Contributor app or directly from the Item Description page. We recommend you upload a great-looking thumbnail that shows the layer, map or app at its best. Zoom to a scale at which your item looks great and take a screen capture. Then trim or resize it to the standard thumbnail image size, 600 x 400 pixel dimension.
- Ensure that your item's Summary and Description are fully complete with key information for potential users of the content. Consider things like layers and fields descriptors, potential uses of the content, data currency and suggested update frequency! Ensure your item has a clear and easy to read title.
- Ensure that editing for your nominated content is turned off.
- Items must also have complete and detailed Metadata.
- Items should be shared via your organisation's ArcGIS Online or Portal account - or alternatively a compatible and reliable REST service.
- Make sure that items are shared publicly and that the ArcGIS account sharing the item is also set to public. This will ensure that your item is searchable by users!
- Lastly, secure your maps, apps or layers with HTTPS as opposed to a HTTP in their URL. The Contribution app will notify you if your content is secure when you put your item forward for nomination. This setting can also be configured for your ArcGIS organisation.
Nomination Best Practices
Now you've been given an overview of the requirements when nominating your content to Living Atlas, there are some additional best practices worth keeping in mind to ensure that your submission is as accurate, detailed and accessible as possible.
- Use at least 3 Tags to help others find the item when searching the Living Atlas. Keep the list of tags to the most relevant keywords for your content.
- Communicate any Access and Use Constraints required by your organisation or data provider, and add appropriate Credits. Hyperlinks explaining constraints and data sources are encouraged!
- Complete your ArcGIS Online user profile so that others will know who created the item. This can be managed from your ArcGIS Online profile page. For best practice on setting up your ArcGIS User profile, see this blog.
- Turn on delete protection for your nominated ArcGIS item to prevent it from being accidently deleted. This can be configured via your item's Settings tab.
- Use clear and simple Field Alias names for your attributes and pop-ups.
- Configure pop-ups rather than the default list of attributes. Only include the information you think will be of most relevance to your users.
Tip: Charts, images and text can also be configured within pop-ups!
- Make adjustments to the visible range of layers to ensure that the layer is being displayed at the appropriate scale.
- Configure the symbology of layers beyond the default settings to ease understanding and accessibility of your nominated content. Emphasise what is most important for the future users of your content!
- Select an appropriate basemap that compliments your content's subject matter and your layers' symbology.
- Optimise the performance of your content through the likes of generalised boundaries, simplifying geographies, setting visible ranges and scales and removing unnecessary layers. Also consider which layers require attribute information access, while which layers are used for background reference only, and make configuration adjustments accordingly.
Nominate your Content
Once you have run through the above checklist and deem your content ready for submission, items can be nominated via the Living Atlas website.
Select the 'My Contributions' tab and sign in with your organisational ArcGIS account.
Use the link below to nominate your content, keep track of active nominations by seeing how your items are scored, make edits and view suggestions for additional guidance!