Edit Your Way with the Web Editor Instant Apps Template

What’s all the buzz about the new Web Editor template? Its the perfect combination of the configurable Instant Apps interface you know and love and the ArcGIS Web Editor app that streamlines editing on the web. In this article, we’ll walk through examples that show how you can build made-to-order editing apps in ArcGIS Online.

The Web Editor Template

The Web Editor Instant Apps template lets you create focused editing apps in minutes. Start with a solid base, choose which tools to serve up, configure settings, and pick the options you need. That way editors can concentrate on what matters most – editing. In this article, we’ll highlight some key features and explore some practical examples to see how you can tailor apps to specific projects. To see the full menu of configuration options, check out this previous article.

Choose Your Entrée- Your Map

Setting up a great editing experience starts with the web map. This is where you add editable layers and configure essentials like forms and editing templates. Style layers, label features, or configure pop-ups to make the map more intuitive. All downstream apps consume this map, so setting it up for efficient editing at the start goes a long way.

Choose Your Toppings- Editing Tools

The Web Editor template lets you decide which tools to display on the Editing toolbar so you can tailor it to specific workflows. Choose from options like Split, Merge, Move, Reshape, Copy/Paste, and Undo/Redo, and hide the rest. This makes for a cleaner UI where editors can easily find the tools they use most.

Choose Your Sides- Selection and Snapping

To prime the app for editing, choose which layers are selectable in advance. If all the layers are selectable, making a selection on the map grabs everything. That means extra time to isolate the features you need. By setting selectable layers in advance, you skip those extra steps. For example, if you need to update hydrants, set the Hydrants layer as the only selectable layer so they’re the only features that get selected.

Setting snappable layers from the start allows editors to jump straight into their workflows without the need to configure snapping options themselves.

Add Ons- True Curves

With the latest update, you can now create and update true curves. Enable True curves on the Editing toolbar to reveal new drawing tools like Arc segment, Endpoint arc segment, and Bezier curve segment*. These are great for mapping features like winding roads, river banks, or streams.

*At the time of writing, Bezier curves will be densified.

The Secret Menu- Settings

Now that we’ve covered the basics, let’s dive a little deeper. The template includes a variety of settings that give you more options- choose whether to show the Select by Attributes tool, display shortcut keys, or prompt users before deleting a feature. You’ll find most of these in the Settings section of the Sidebar tab.

Others are sprinkled throughout the app in the section where they fit best, like Selection or Layers. For example, when you enable the Layer List, additional settings for layers appear. You can choose to allow editors to zoom to the layer, show the attribute table, or even add temporary layers to the map.

Finishers- Make It Yours

As with any Instant App, you can customize the look and feel to match your brand. Choose between light and dark themes, add a header and logo, and choose where to position tools in the layout.

Members Only

Keep in mind that authoring and using the Web Editor template requires the same privileges as the Web Editor app. To use the app, editors must sign in and have a Creator, Professional, or Professional Plus user type, along with a role that includes Edit privileges (such as Data Editor, User, Publisher, Facilitator, Administrator, or a custom role).

Real World Examples

Next, let’s look at some examples to see how you can configure the Web Editor template to meet specific project needs.

Example 1: Assign Hydrant Inspections

Let’s say our team needs to select hydrants and update their attributes. We’ll configure the toolbar to show only the tools they need, and set the Hydrants layer as the only selectable layer. This will allow editors to jump right in and make quick updates.

Example 2: Update a Map with External Data

Suppose our team keeps a public-facing map up to date with data from other agencies. We’ll allow editors to add temporary layers to the map and enable Copy/paste in the Editing tools so they can copy and paste data from the temporary layer into their own layers.

Example 3: Map River Corridors using True Curves

Let’s say we’re creating an app to update river corridors based on recent events like flooding or erosion. We’ll include tools like Edit Vertices and Reshape so editors can update boundaries to match the new riverbank shape using fresh imagery or field data. We’ll enable True curves so the new curve drawing tools are available, and set the River Corridor layer to be selectable to save time.

Wrap-Up

With the Web Editor Instant App template, you can quickly build made-to-order editing apps to meet your team’s needs. In this article, we explored real-world examples to show how you can build custom apps to streamline workflows. We explored key features like editing tools, selectable layers, and configurable settings that let you tailor apps for specific editing projects. We’re excited to see what you come up with. As always, stay tuned for more updates and let us know what you think over at Esri Community.