Share hosted feature layers

In a collaboration, you can share hosted feature layers and other feature layer data as copies.

Note:

Some services, such as location tracking hosted services, use the spatiotemporal data store. Replication is not supported on spatiotemporal data stores; only relational data store-based feature services can be shared through distributed collaboration.

The following sections summarize how to publish and prepare a hosted feature layer so you can share it as a copy in a collaboration.

Publish a hosted feature layer

First, publish the hosted feature layer you want to share in a collaboration. You can publish from an ArcGIS Pro map or files in an ArcGIS Enterprise portal. See Publish hosted feature layers for instructions.

Note:

For collaborations that want to utilize the two-way sharing of edits functionality, introduced at ArcGIS Enterprise 10.9, there are a few key considerations to keep in mind. Collaboration participants must be using an ArcGIS Enterprise version of 10.9 or later. As well, the collaboration workspace must be created at 10.9 or later to enable two-way sharing of feature service edits to eligible participants. For more information on workspace and feature layer requirements, see Share content with collaboration groups.

Enable sync on the hosted feature layer

To share hosted feature layers as copies, they must have sync enabled. To support one-way sharing of edits, from the owner to the recipient, the hosted feature layer must have the sync capability enabled.

If you publish the hosted feature layer from ArcGIS Pro, you can enable the sync capability as part of the publishing process. If you didn't enable sync when you published, or you published from a file in your ArcGIS Enterprise or ArcGIS Online organization, enable sync from the Settings tab of the hosted feature layer's item page.

Starting at ArcGIS Enterprise 10.9, there is support for two-way sharing of edits. A collaboration workspace can be configured to allow edits to be shared two-way when feature layers are shared as copies. Types of edits supported include adding new features, editing features, or deleting existing features. Shared hosted feature layers must have the sync capability enabled and support replica tracking and bi-directional sync.

At 10.9, if the hosted feature layer is published via the ArcGIS Enterprise portal, or within ArcGIS Online, and sync enabled from Item Details under Settings, the feature layer will have the sync capability enabled and support replica tracking and bi-directional sync automatically. If the hosted feature layer is published from ArcGIS Pro 2.7 or later to a version of ArcGIS Enterprise that is at version 10.9 or higher with enable sync selected, the feature layer will have both the sync capability enabled and support replica tracking and bi-directional sync.

The sections below describe the workflow for enabling sync, replica tracking, and bi-directional sync of a hosted feature layer.

Scenario: The hosted feature layer was published prior to 10.9 and does not have sync enabled, support replica tracking, or support bi-directional sync.

1. In the ArcGIS Enterprise portal, browse to the Content tab and select the hosted feature layer item to open its detail page.
2. On item's detail page, click the Setting tab.
3. Scroll to the Feature Layer (Hosted) Settings or Feature Layer (Hosted, View) Settings section.
4. Uncheck Enable Sync and click Save.
5. Check Enable Sync and click Save.

Scenario: The hosted feature layer was published prior to 10.9 with sync enabled. However, it does not support replica tracking or bi-directional sync.

1. In the ArcGIS Enterprise portal, browse to the Content tab and select the hosted feature layer item to open its detail page.
2. On the item's detail page, click the Setting tab.
3. Scroll to the Feature Layer (Hosted) Settings or Feature Layer (Hosted, View) Settings section.
4. Uncheck Enable Sync and click Save.
5. Check Enable Sync and click Save.