When you look at a map, you may start turning that map into information by finding patterns, assessing trends, or making decisions. This process is called spatial analysis.
Some patterns and relationships aren't obvious by looking at a map. There may be too much data to sift through to present coherently on a map. The way you display data on a map can change the patterns you see. Spatial analysis tools and functions allow you to quantify patterns and relationships in the data and display the results as maps, tables, and charts. Using spatial analysis tools and functions, you can answer questions and make decisions using more than a visual analysis.
Tip:
Visit the tutorial gallery for tutorials that use spatial analysis in Map Viewer.
Feature analysis
Feature analysis is performed on vector data sources, which is coordinate-based data that represents geographic features using points, lines, and polygons.
Feature analysis can be used to summarize features based on geographic location, measure distances around or between features, and quantify spatial patterns.
Feature analysis tools are identified in the Tools pane by the feature tool icon 
.
If you're a developer, you can access these tools through the ArcGIS REST API Spatial Analysis service and the ArcGIS API for Python arcgis.features.analysis module.
Raster analysis
Raster data consists of a matrix of cells (or pixels) organized into rows and columns (or a grid) where each cell contains a value representing information, such as temperature or elevation. Rasters can be digital aerial photographs, satellite imagery, digital pictures, or scanned maps.
Imagery and raster data contains information that can be used to identify patterns, find features, and understand change across landscapes. To extract information from imagery, you can process or analyze the data. For example, you can calculate a vegetation index to get an understanding of vegetation coverage from a multiband image or find suitable locations to build solar power plants using statewide elevation and land cover raster data.
Raster analysis can be performed by tools that are identified in the Tools pane by the raster tool icon 
and by raster functions that are identified by the raster function icon 
.
If you're a developer, you can access these tools through the ArcGIS REST API Raster Analysis service and the ArcGIS API for Python arcgis.raster.analytics module and arcgis.raster.functions.gbl module.
Access analysis
To access and use analysis tools and functions in Map Viewer, complete the following steps:
- Confirm that you are signed in to your ArcGIS organization and that you have the required privileges to perform analysis.
- In Map Viewer, open the map containing the layers you want to analyze or add the layers directly. You will also have the option to browse for layers when you update the input parameters.
- On the Settings (light) toolbar, click Analysis
.Note:
If you do not see the Analysis button in Map Viewer, contact your ArcGIS administrator. You may not have the privileges or credits required to perform analysis.
Learn more about licensing requirements for spatial analysis
- Choose one of the following:
- Click Tools
to open the analysis tools. - Click Raster Functions to open the raster functions.
- Click Tools
- Click a category to expand it. Alternatively, use the search box to search by name or keyword.
- Choose a tool or function.
The tool pane appears with the input parameters.
- Click the Layer button for the input parameters to select an input layer. If the input layer has not been added to the map, complete the following steps:
- Click Browse layers.
The Select layer window appears showing layers from My content.
- Click My content and choose My organization, Living Atlas analysis layers, or ArcGIS Online from the menu to change the source of the layers, if necessary.
- Use the Search bar or Sort by menu to reduce the number of layers or reorder the layers, if necessary.
- On the desired item, click Select layer, then choose a layer from the menu.
- Click Confirm or Confirm and add to map.
- Click Browse layers.
- Update the remaining parameters, including naming the output layers, and updating any required configurations.
Tip:
Click on the help icon beside a parameter to view the help. You can also click Learn more to open the help topic.
- Click Environment settings to view and update the environments that are used during the processing.
- Click Estimate credits to calculate the number of credits that will be consumed during analysis.
- Click Run.
The analysis runs and the output datasets are added to the web map. Information about the operation, including unsuccessful runs, is added to the analysis history for the web map.
Supported data
One or more input datasets are required for analysis. Some tools and functions only work with certain data types. For example, Aggregate Points requires an input layer containing point features, and the Aggregate Multidimensional Raster tool requires a multidimensional imagery layer.
The following data types are supported for feature inputs:
- Feature service
- Hosted feature layer
- Map Service layer
- Sketch layer
- Table
The following data types are supported for raster inputs:
- Image service
- Hosted imagery layer
- Deep learning package file (.dlpk)
Limitations
Feature services, map services, and image services must be publicly accessible; that is, the URL to the service must be a public URL, not one only accessible behind a firewall.
ArcGIS Server feature services that you add to ArcGIS Online must contain fewer than 100,000 features to be used in analysis. As the complexity of the features in the layer increases, the number of features you can analyze decreases. For example, if the layer contains polygon features that have thousands of vertices each, you may only be able to analyze a few hundred features. If the number or complexity of features exceeds what the tool can support, you receive an error message.
Domain descriptions and subtypes are not maintained in analysis results.
Attachments from the input layers will not be included in the output layer.
DateOnly, TimeOnly, BigInteger, and TimestampOffset fields cannot be used in analysis. If an input layer includes these field types, they will not be available in parameters where analysis fields are chosen.
Some tools do not support high-precision date fields. Inputs with high precision may result in output fields with fractional seconds or milliseconds removed.
Analysis outputs
Analysis results produce one or more outputs. When a tool or function runs successfully, the output will be added to the Layers pane. When the analysis produces a table output, it will be added to the Tables pane. The results can also be accessed from the analysis history on the Results tab of the analysis details.
The Extract Data tool doesn't add results to the Layers pane. Instead, your extracted files will be saved as items in your contents.
Note:
Output names cannot begin or end with a space and cannot include the following special characters: [, ], (, ), -, <, >, #, %, :, ;, ", ?, &, +, =, |, /, \, *, or @
Tool comparison
The following table lists new tools, tools that have been renamed, and tools that are not yet supported in Map Viewer. Tools that are not listed are supported in both Map Viewer and Map Viewer Classic under the same name. Differences in tool functionality are documented in the help topics for Map Viewer tools.
| Map Viewer Classic | Map Viewer |
|---|---|
Not available | |
Not available | |
Not available | |
Not available | |
Not available | |
Not available | |
Not available | |
Not available | |
Not available | |
Not available | |
Not available | |
Not available | |
Create Viewshed (raster analysis) | |
Not available | |
Not available | |
Not available | |
Not available | |
Not available | |
Not available | |
Not available |
Raster function comparison
Most of the raster functions that are available in Map Viewer Classic are also supported in Map Viewer. The following raster function is not yet available in Map Viewer: Aggregate Multidimensional.