{"id":772736,"date":"2026-04-16T15:19:13","date_gmt":"2026-04-16T22:19:13","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/about\/newsroom\/?post_type=arcwatch&#038;p=772736"},"modified":"2026-04-17T08:56:40","modified_gmt":"2026-04-17T15:56:40","slug":"five-tips-for-fixing-broken-data-links-in-arcgis-pro","status":"publish","type":"arcwatch","link":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/about\/newsroom\/arcwatch\/five-tips-for-fixing-broken-data-links-in-arcgis-pro","title":{"rendered":"Five Tips for Fixing Broken Data Links in ArcGIS Pro"},"content":{"rendered":"","protected":false},"author":5342,"featured_media":0,"menu_order":0,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"sync_status":"","episode_type":"","audio_file":"","podmotor_file_id":"","podmotor_episode_id":"","castos_file_data":"","cover_image":"","cover_image_id":"","duration":"","filesize":"","filesize_raw":"","date_recorded":"","explicit":"","block":"","itunes_episode_number":"","itunes_title":"","itunes_season_number":"","itunes_episode_type":"","footnotes":"","_links_to":"","_links_to_target":""},"categories":[10412],"tags":[20422,493456,483622,493457],"arcwatch_issues":[493445],"class_list":["post-772736","arcwatch","type-arcwatch","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-arcgis-pro","tag-arcgis-pro","tag-broken-layer","tag-data-source","tag-web-layer","arcwatch_issues-april-2026","arcwatch_sections-the-geospatial-report"],"acf":{"short_description":"Has your data source ever been moved, renamed, or deleted? Here\u2019s how to remedy this type of error.","pdf":{"host_remotely":false,"file":"","file_url":""},"flexible_content":[{"acf_fc_layout":"content","content":"When working in an ArcGIS Pro project that includes a map or scene, you\u2019ll sometimes hit a speed bump: A small, red exclamation point (!) appears next to a layer. This means you\u2019ve got some fixes to make before you can complete your work.\r\n\r\nHere\u2019s how to make the exclamation point(s) disappear with just a few clicks."},{"acf_fc_layout":"image","image":772739,"image_position":"center","orientation":"horizontal","hyperlink":""},{"acf_fc_layout":"content","content":"<h3><strong>Why It Happens<\/strong><\/h3>\r\nArcGIS Pro looks for the data referenced by each layer in a map or scene. When a layer\u2019s data source can\u2019t be found, that layer doesn\u2019t draw or display. This is flagged as a broken data source, and a red exclamation point pops up.\r\n\r\nA layer can be broken if its data source in a geodatabase or service has been moved, renamed, or deleted, or if it\u2019s inaccessible for another reason such as a server becoming unavailable.\r\n<h3><strong>How to Fix a Broken Layer<\/strong><\/h3>\r\nFollow these steps to find and discard or repair your broken layers and remove those exclamation points.\r\n<h3><strong>1. Show only broken layers<\/strong><\/h3>\r\nIn the <strong>Contents<\/strong> pane, click on the <strong>Filter <\/strong>button. Then, click <strong>Broken data link<\/strong> in the drop-down menu. This option filters the pane display to only layers with missing data sources.\r\n\r\n<strong>Note: <\/strong>The filter option is helpful if you have a lot of broken layers."},{"acf_fc_layout":"image","image":772741,"image_position":"center","orientation":"horizontal","hyperlink":""},{"acf_fc_layout":"content","content":"<h3><strong>2. Remove broken layers<\/strong><\/h3>\r\nIn the <strong>Contents<\/strong> pane, select the layer or layers you no longer need. Then right-click and choose <strong>Remove<\/strong>.\r\n\r\n<strong>Note:<\/strong> Removing broken layers when they aren\u2019t needed can improve the performance of your ArcGIS Pro project."},{"acf_fc_layout":"image","image":772742,"image_position":"center","orientation":"horizontal","hyperlink":""},{"acf_fc_layout":"content","content":"<h3><strong>3. Repair a single broken layer<\/strong><\/h3>\r\nIn the <strong>Contents<\/strong> pane, double-click a layer with a broken link to open its <strong>Layer<\/strong> <strong>Properties<\/strong> window. Go to the <strong>Source<\/strong> tab and click on the <strong>Set<\/strong> <strong>Data<\/strong> <strong>Source<\/strong> button to browse for the correct source.\r\n\r\n<strong>Note:<\/strong> Repairing a single layer works well when there\u2019s only one or two broken layers."},{"acf_fc_layout":"image","image":772743,"image_position":"center","orientation":"horizontal","hyperlink":""},{"acf_fc_layout":"content","content":"<h3><strong>4. Repair multiple links<\/strong> <strong>from the same data source<\/strong><\/h3>\r\nIn the <strong>Contents<\/strong> pane, click on a layer\u2019s red exclamation point to open the <strong>Change data source<\/strong> dialog box. Browse to find the correct source and then select it. When you change the source, ArcGIS Pro will find and update all layers that reference the original source.\r\n\r\n<strong>Note:<\/strong> Repairing multiple layers is helpful when a source dataset for many layers has been moved to a new location."},{"acf_fc_layout":"image","image":772762,"image_position":"center","orientation":"horizontal","hyperlink":""},{"acf_fc_layout":"content","content":"<h3><strong>5.<\/strong> <strong>Repair web layers<\/strong><\/h3>\r\nA web layer\u2019s source is a service published from a server or ArcGIS Online. Repairing one is a bit different than repairing a layer that doesn\u2019t reference a service.\r\n\r\nFollow the steps in #2 to remove the broken web layer. Then, go to the <strong>View<\/strong> tab and click on <strong>Catalog<\/strong> <strong>Pane<\/strong>. In the <strong>Catalog<\/strong> <strong>Pane<\/strong>, click the <strong>Portal<\/strong> tab to search for a replacement from your content, your organization, or another source, including ArcGIS Enterprise, ArcGIS Online, or ArcGIS Living Atlas of the World."},{"acf_fc_layout":"image","image":772745,"image_position":"center","orientation":"horizontal","hyperlink":""},{"acf_fc_layout":"content","content":"Once you find a replacement, right-click it and choose <strong>Add<\/strong> <strong>To<\/strong> <strong>Current<\/strong> <strong>Map<\/strong>.\r\n\r\nThe following example illustrates finding the web layer replacement in ArcGIS Living Atlas."},{"acf_fc_layout":"image","image":772746,"image_position":"center","orientation":"horizontal","hyperlink":""},{"acf_fc_layout":"content","content":"<h3><strong>Bonus Tip:<\/strong><strong> How to Update Data Sources <\/strong><strong>Using<\/strong> <strong>a Catalog<\/strong> <strong>View <\/strong><\/h3>\r\nYou can manage one or all the data sources referenced in a project in a catalog view.\r\n\r\nIn the <strong>Contents<\/strong> pane, right-click the map name, and choose <strong>Update Data Sources<\/strong> to open a catalog view."},{"acf_fc_layout":"image","image":772747,"image_position":"center","orientation":"horizontal","hyperlink":""},{"acf_fc_layout":"content","content":"In the view that opens, you can type in or search for new paths and use tools including <strong>Find and Replace<\/strong>. The catalog view lists all items available for source updates and provides additional management tools.\r\n\r\nFor more information about updating data sources in a catalog view, check out the documentation for <a href=\"https:\/\/pro.arcgis.com\/en\/pro-app\/latest\/help\/projects\/update-data-sources.htm\">updating data sources<\/a>."},{"acf_fc_layout":"image","image":772767,"image_position":"center","orientation":"horizontal","hyperlink":""},{"acf_fc_layout":"content","content":"By following these tips, you\u2019ll fix your broken layers quickly and be back to work in no time. For more information on working in ArcGIS Pro, visit the <a href=\"https:\/\/learn.arcgis.com\/en\/gallery\/?p=arcgispro\">documentation gallery<\/a>.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;"}],"references":null},"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO Premium plugin v25.9 (Yoast SEO v25.9) - https:\/\/yoast.com\/wordpress\/plugins\/seo\/ -->\n<title>Five Tips for Fixing Broken Data Links in ArcGIS Pro<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Has your data source ever been moved, renamed, or deleted? 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