How to access the Portal Options in ArcGIS Pro
The Portal in ArcGIS Pro serves as a gateway to access and share geographic information within your organization or across the web.
It integrates with ArcGIS Online or ArcGIS Enterprise, providing users with a centralized platform to discover, use, and manage geographic content such as maps, layers, and applications. By connecting to a portal, users can collaborate on projects, access shared resources, and publish their own data and maps for broader use. This capability enhances the overall workflow, enabling seamless interaction with GIS resources and facilitating the dissemination of spatial information to a wider audience.
The Portal's integration with ArcGIS Pro ensures that users can leverage the full power of ESRI's GIS ecosystem for comprehensive spatial analysis and decision-making.
Software requirements:
- ArcGIS Pro 3.2.2
- ArcGIS Online or ArcGIS Enterprise account with sharing privileges
I - Adding a Portal or Portals using the Project Tab
1 - Open ArcGIS Pro
2 - Create a New Project or Open an existing project.
Start a new project by selecting New Project and choose a template or open an existing project from the list of recent projects.
You may not have a list of recent projects if you are new to ArcGIS Pro.
3 - Sign in into ArcGIS Online
- If you are not already signed in, click one the Sign In link at the top right corner of the ArcGIS Pro window.
- Enter your ArcGIS Online or ArcGIS Enterprise credentials to sign in.
4 - Access Portal options
Go to the Project tab on the ribbon (located in the upper-left corner of the application).
5 - Open the Portals Dialog
In the Project tab, click on Portals from the list on the left side of the screen.
6 - View and Manage Portals
The Portals Dialog box will open showing your current active portal.
Here you have several options:
- Add Portal: click this button to add a new portal. Enter the URL of the portal you wish to connect to and Click OK. The new portal will be added to your list.
- Refresh: click this button to refresh the list of portals and ensure all information is up to date.
- Sign in using browser: check this option if you want to sign into the portal using your web browser, which can be useful if you encounter issues with the in-app sign-in process.
7 - Set Active Portal
To set a portal as your active portal, select it from the list, right-click and select the Set As Active Portal. Alternatively, you can use the Overflow on your right.
Your new portal will now be accessible from the Catalog pane under the Portal tab (see part II below).
This ensures that all portal related activities in ArcGIS Pro will use this portal.
8 - Remove Portal
To remove a portal, select it from the list, right-click and select Remove Portal Connection.
9 - Once you have configured your portal settings, close the Portals window. Your changes will be automatically saved.
If you cannot set a portal as active or remove it, it is likely because it is your organization's default portal. Organizations often have a designated portal that is set as the primary source for accessing and sharing content within the organization.
Your ability to add, set as active, or remove portals can also depend on the permissions granted to your user account by your organization's administrator. Some settings might be restricted to ensure data security and consistency. In doubt, contact your organization's administrator.
II - Access your Portal or Portals through the Catalog
1 - Open ArcGIS Pro
2 - Create a New Project or Open an existing project.
Start a new project by selecting New Project and choose a template or open an existing project from the list of recent projects.
You may not have a list of recent projects if you are new to ArcGIS Pro.
3 - Sign in into ArcGIS Online
- If you are not already signed in, click on the Sign In link at the top right corner of the ArcGIS Pro window.
- Enter your ArcGIS Online or ArcGIS Enterprise credentials to sign in.
4 - Open the Catalog pane
- If the Catalog pane is not already open, go to the View tab on the ribbon. Click the Catalog pane button in the Window group to open it.
5 - In the Catalog pane, you will see several tabs such as Project, Portal, Computer, Favorites.
6 - Click on the Portal tab to access portal content.
Browse Portal Content
My Content: this option shows the content you have created and stored in your portal.
My Favorites: this option displays the content you have marked as favorites.
Groups: this option allows you to access content shared within groups you are a member of.
My organization: this option provides access to content shared across your organization.
ArcGIS Online: this option lets you browse the public content available on ArcGIS Online.
Living Atlas: this option gives access to a curated collection of global geographic information from the Living Atlas of the World.
7 - You can click on any of these subcategories to explore the available content.
If you added a new portal, you would see the newly added portal along with any existing portals.
8 - To Add content from the portal to your project, simply drag and drop the desired item from the Catalog pane to your map or scene.
Tips and Tricks
- Use the My Favorites section to bookmark frequently accessed maps, layers, and tools for quick access.
- Utilize the Search bar within the Portal to quickly find specific content. Use keywords and filters to narrow down your search results,
- Organize your content in My Content by creating folders. This helps keep your projects and data structured and easy to navigate.
- Leverage the Groups feature to collaborate with colleagues. Share your content within groups to enable teamwork on projects.
- Regularly check the Living Atlas and ArcGIS Online sections for updated and new datasets that can enrich your projects.
- Pay attention to the metadata of the content you are accessing. This information can provide insights into the source, date of creation, and data quality.
Caution
- Be mindful of data permissions and sharing settings. Ensure that you have the right to use and share any data you access or publish.
- Verify that you are connected to the correct active portal, especially when working in environments with multiple portals. This ensures you are accessing and sharing the right content.
- When adding content from the portal to your project, be aware of any synchronization requirements. Some data might need to be synced periodically to stay up to date.
- Keep an eye on your storage limits, especially when working with large datasets. Portals often have storage quotas that, if exceeded, could hinder your ability to add new content.
- Ensure that you have a stable internet connection when accessing online portals. Interruptions can cause issues with data access and synchronization.
- Validate and verify any third-party content before using it in critical analyses. Ensure the data is accurate, up-to-date, and suitable for your project needs.
We hope that this article has been helpful! If you have any feedback or questions, please feel free to send us an email or connect with us for a chat. The NTGISC team is here to assist you further!