{"id":1858482,"date":"2023-03-31T05:03:05","date_gmt":"2023-03-31T12:03:05","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/arcgis-blog\/?post_type=blog&p=1858482"},"modified":"2025-06-26T12:27:49","modified_gmt":"2025-06-26T19:27:49","slug":"updating-your-hosted-imagery-layer-with-arcgis-image-for-arcgis-online","status":"publish","type":"blog","link":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/arcgis-blog\/products\/arcgis-online\/imagery\/updating-your-hosted-imagery-layer-with-arcgis-image-for-arcgis-online","title":{"rendered":"Updating your hosted imagery layer in ArcGIS Online with ArcGIS API for Python"},"author":108651,"featured_media":0,"parent":0,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_searchwp_excluded":""},"categories":[22931],"tags":[387782,760312,43101,769182],"industry":[],"product":[36581,36551],"class_list":["post-1858482","blog","type-blog","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-imagery","tag-arcgis-api-for-python","tag-arcgis-image-for-arcgis-online","tag-arcgis-living-atlas-of-the-world","tag-updating-imagery","product-arcgis-living-atlas","product-arcgis-online"],"acf":{"authors":[{"ID":108651,"user_firstname":"Jeffrey","user_lastname":"Swain","nickname":"Jeff Swain","user_nicename":"jswain","display_name":"Jeff Swain","user_email":"JSwain@esri.com","user_url":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/arcgis-blog\/?s=#&author=jswain","user_registered":"2020-10-05 20:10:08","user_description":"A Product Engineer on the Raster Team, who has been with Esri in various capacities since 2009, including as an Esri Support Analyst, and an Author for Esri Training Services. \r\n\r\nI find joy in solving problems through imagery and shared understanding, always driven by a passion to make things work better. I'm grateful for the creative minds I've met along the way\u2014collaboration has shown me that the best solutions are often born from many voices working together.","user_avatar":""}],"short_description":"How to update your imagery layer once it has been published in ArcGIS Online with ArcGIS API for Python. ","flexible_content":[{"acf_fc_layout":"content","content":"

ArcGIS Online imagery layers can be updated through the ArcGIS API for Python. Imagery can be hosted in ArcGIS Online<\/a> can host imagery layers that can be updated through the ArcGIS API for Python<\/a>. For most users, having the most current relevant imagery for their organization is the reason that they are hosting their own imagery. Providing a common operating picture across the organization allows the best decisions to be made and improves coordination.\u00a0 Imagery layers from the ArcGIS Living Atlas of the World<\/a> are updated and maintained by Esri, which gives the user confidence that the layers they add today in their map will have the most current information even if they open those maps in the future, since the imagery layers referenced will be updated.<\/p>\n

So how can organizations host and maintain their imagery<\/a> like the ArcGIS Living Atlas?<\/p>\n"},{"acf_fc_layout":"image","image":{"ID":1890242,"id":1890242,"title":"Selected Image","filename":"SelectedImage.jpg","filesize":102268,"url":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/arcgis-blog\/app\/uploads\/2023\/03\/SelectedImage.jpg","link":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/arcgis-blog\/products\/arcgis-online\/imagery\/updating-your-hosted-imagery-layer-with-arcgis-image-for-arcgis-online\/selectedimage","alt":"Selected input image in an image collection","author":"108651","description":"","caption":"Individual images can be selected in dynamic imagery layers with the image collection configuration.","name":"selectedimage","status":"inherit","uploaded_to":1858482,"date":"2023-03-29 18:34:57","modified":"2023-03-30 19:17:55","menu_order":0,"mime_type":"image\/jpeg","type":"image","subtype":"jpeg","icon":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/arcgis-blog\/wp-includes\/images\/media\/default.png","width":809,"height":512,"sizes":{"thumbnail":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/arcgis-blog\/app\/uploads\/2023\/03\/SelectedImage-213x200.jpg","thumbnail-width":213,"thumbnail-height":200,"medium":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/arcgis-blog\/app\/uploads\/2023\/03\/SelectedImage.jpg","medium-width":412,"medium-height":261,"medium_large":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/arcgis-blog\/app\/uploads\/2023\/03\/SelectedImage.jpg","medium_large-width":768,"medium_large-height":486,"large":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/arcgis-blog\/app\/uploads\/2023\/03\/SelectedImage.jpg","large-width":809,"large-height":512,"1536x1536":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/arcgis-blog\/app\/uploads\/2023\/03\/SelectedImage.jpg","1536x1536-width":809,"1536x1536-height":512,"2048x2048":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/arcgis-blog\/app\/uploads\/2023\/03\/SelectedImage.jpg","2048x2048-width":809,"2048x2048-height":512,"card_image":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/arcgis-blog\/app\/uploads\/2023\/03\/SelectedImage-735x465.jpg","card_image-width":735,"card_image-height":465,"wide_image":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/arcgis-blog\/app\/uploads\/2023\/03\/SelectedImage.jpg","wide_image-width":809,"wide_image-height":512}},"image_position":"center","orientation":"horizontal","hyperlink":""},{"acf_fc_layout":"content","content":"

For ArcGIS Enterprise<\/a> users, image services through ArcGIS Image Server<\/a> can be updated regularly. Within each image service, the input images can be replaced, and new imagery can be added to maintain the currency of the imagery.<\/p>\n

But what about ArcGIS Online users? What options do they have to host imagery layers that can be updated? Can users update all\u00a0 imagery layers hosted through ArcGIS Online? Are there any considerations when hosting updatable imagery layers? How can I update imagery layers?<\/p>\n

In this blog, I will answer the questions in order. However, if you would rather see an example notebook yourself, then please check this notebook out to see an example of the code<\/a>.<\/p>\n"},{"acf_fc_layout":"content","content":"

What options do users have to host imagery layers that can be updated?<\/h3>\n

Dynamic imagery layers with the image collection layer configuration<\/a> can be updated once they are hosted.\u00a0 That configuration creates an imagery layer similar to an image service from ArcGIS Image Server. Information about the input images is maintained, which allows you to remove the images when they need to be replaced and provides the flexibility to add new ones in a similar manner. Once they are created, dynamic imagery layers provide additional options to display the images. Dynamic imagery layers allow the user to define the display order, determine whether the images will be visible at all, or define which raster function template<\/a> (RFT) is used to visualize them. For more information on dynamic imagery layers, please see this blog that discusses how they can be used within your organization<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Can users update all imagery layers hosted through ArcGIS Online?<\/h3>\n

No, not all the imagery layers hosted through ArcGIS Online can be updated. Only dynamic imagery layers with the image collection layer configuration can be updated. These imagery layers are similar to image services created by ArcGIS Image Server and have attribute tables that allow for new images to be added and current images to be deleted. Currently, tiled imagery layers are fused during creation and are optimized for display, so the only way to update them is to delete and replace them. However, the ability to update tiled imagery layers is coming in a future release. For more information about tiled imagery layers, please see this blog about how tiled imagery layers are useful for your organization<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Are there any considerations when hosting dynamic image collection layers?<\/h3>\n

There are a couple of considerations with hosting updateable dynamic imagery layers, including the sharing level, update process, and update plan considerations.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n"},{"acf_fc_layout":"image","image":{"ID":1886852,"id":1886852,"title":"Considerations4","filename":"Considerations4.jpg","filesize":34576,"url":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/arcgis-blog\/app\/uploads\/2023\/03\/Considerations4.jpg","link":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/arcgis-blog\/products\/arcgis-online\/imagery\/updating-your-hosted-imagery-layer-with-arcgis-image-for-arcgis-online\/considerations4","alt":"Considerations for dynamic image collection","author":"108651","description":"","caption":"Considerations for hosting dynamic imagery layers that will be updated.","name":"considerations4","status":"inherit","uploaded_to":1858482,"date":"2023-03-27 16:10:57","modified":"2023-03-27 19:26:06","menu_order":0,"mime_type":"image\/jpeg","type":"image","subtype":"jpeg","icon":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/arcgis-blog\/wp-includes\/images\/media\/default.png","width":537,"height":431,"sizes":{"thumbnail":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/arcgis-blog\/app\/uploads\/2023\/03\/Considerations4-213x200.jpg","thumbnail-width":213,"thumbnail-height":200,"medium":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/arcgis-blog\/app\/uploads\/2023\/03\/Considerations4.jpg","medium-width":325,"medium-height":261,"medium_large":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/arcgis-blog\/app\/uploads\/2023\/03\/Considerations4.jpg","medium_large-width":537,"medium_large-height":431,"large":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/arcgis-blog\/app\/uploads\/2023\/03\/Considerations4.jpg","large-width":537,"large-height":431,"1536x1536":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/arcgis-blog\/app\/uploads\/2023\/03\/Considerations4.jpg","1536x1536-width":537,"1536x1536-height":431,"2048x2048":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/arcgis-blog\/app\/uploads\/2023\/03\/Considerations4.jpg","2048x2048-width":537,"2048x2048-height":431,"card_image":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/arcgis-blog\/app\/uploads\/2023\/03\/Considerations4.jpg","card_image-width":537,"card_image-height":431,"wide_image":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/arcgis-blog\/app\/uploads\/2023\/03\/Considerations4.jpg","wide_image-width":537,"wide_image-height":431}},"image_position":"center","orientation":"horizontal","hyperlink":""},{"acf_fc_layout":"content","content":"

Sharing level\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n

Currently dynamic imagery layers can only be shared in ArcGIS Online within an organization. This means you can’t share dynamic imagery layers publicly. But you can share tiled imagery layers can be shared with everyone (using the Everyone<\/strong> sharing level). So, if you want to share an updated imagery layer with the public, you may have to consider using tiled imagery layers from ArcGIS Image or use an image service from ArcGIS Image Server. Keep in mind that dynamic imagery layers are currently the only imagery layer type in ArcGIS Image that can be updated. This means that you will have to manually delete and replace your tiled imagery layer each time you need to update it.<\/p>\n

Update process<\/strong><\/p>\n

At this time, dynamic imagery layers can only be updated through the ArcGIS API for Python<\/a>. In this blog, a collection of Jupyter notebooks<\/a> has been provided to show examples of how it can be accomplished. So, a certain level of Python coding experience is required to update these imagery layers.<\/p>\n

Update plan\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n

Before creating your dynamic imagery layer, you should consider what the imagery layer updates will involve. A couple of the most common reasons to update an imagery layer are to :<\/p>\n