API Connections & Dynamic Databases

API Connections & Dynamic Databases#

This chapter covers advanced techniques for connecting your Hub to external data sources and building dynamic, automatically-updating content.

Tip

This chapter covers foundational patterns. Additional connection types and examples will be added as teams adopt them.

Overview#

Beyond manually uploading data, your Hub can connect to:

Source Type

Description

Use Case

ArcGIS Server services

Enterprise GIS layers

Organizational data infrastructure

External APIs

REST endpoints

Third-party data feeds

Cloud databases

PostgreSQL, SQL Server

Operational databases

Automated pipelines

Scheduled data refresh

Keep content current

Referencing External Services#

Add a Service URL#

  1. Sign in to https://geowb.maps.arcgis.com

  2. Go to Content > My Content

  3. Click New Item > URL

  4. Enter the service URL

  5. Select the item type (Map Service, Feature Service, etc.)

  6. Complete metadata as with any item

  7. Share to your Catalog Group

Important

Referenced services display data from the source — changes at the source appear immediately on your Hub. Ensure the source is reliable and maintained.

Supported Service Types#

Type

URL Pattern

Notes

ArcGIS Feature Service

https://server/arcgis/rest/services/.../FeatureServer

Editable, queryable

ArcGIS Map Service

https://server/arcgis/rest/services/.../MapServer

Read-only tiles

OGC WFS

https://server/wfs?service=WFS...

Open standard

OGC WMS

https://server/wms?service=WMS...

Open standard

GeoJSON

https://server/data.geojson

Static or dynamic

Automated Data Refresh#

Option 1: Overwrite Hosted Feature Layer#

For data that updates on a schedule:

  1. Create a Python script to fetch and process data

  2. Use ArcGIS API for Python to overwrite the layer

  3. Schedule the script (Windows Task Scheduler, cron, or cloud function)

# Example: Overwrite a hosted feature layer
from arcgis.gis import GIS
from arcgis.features import FeatureLayerCollection

gis = GIS("https://geowb.maps.arcgis.com", "username", "password")
item = gis.content.get("item_id")
flc = FeatureLayerCollection.fromitem(item)
flc.manager.overwrite("path/to/updated_data.geojson")

Warning

Store credentials securely. Never commit passwords to version control. Use environment variables or secure credential storage.

Option 2: Living Atlas / External Tiles#

Some data sources provide continuously updated services:

Source

Content

How to Add

Esri Living Atlas

Global basemaps, imagery

Search in AGOL, add to map

OpenStreetMap

Roads, buildings, POIs

Reference OSM tile services

Humanitarian Data

Crisis data

HDX API connections

Database Connections#

ArcGIS Enterprise Geodatabase#

For organizations with ArcGIS Enterprise:

  1. Register the database with ArcGIS Server

  2. Publish as feature service

  3. Reference in AGOL via service URL

Direct Database Queries#

For advanced use cases (dashboards, custom apps):

Approach

Complexity

Use Case

ArcGIS Insights

Medium

Ad-hoc analysis

Experience Builder

Medium

Custom data widgets

Custom web app

High

Full control

Best Practices#

Data Reliability#

Consideration

Recommendation

Source uptime

Only reference reliable, maintained services

Update frequency

Document expected refresh rate

Fallback plan

Have static backup for critical data

Performance#

Issue

Solution

Slow loading

Use cached tile services for basemaps

Large datasets

Implement pagination or extent filtering

Many concurrent users

Consider dedicated hosting

Security#

Requirement

Approach

Authentication

Use token-based auth for secure services

Sensitive data

Never expose internal APIs publicly

Credential management

Use secure vaults, not plaintext

Troubleshooting#

Issue

Cause

Solution

Service not displaying

CORS restrictions

Check server configuration

Data not updating

Cache issues

Clear browser/AGOL cache

Authentication errors

Expired tokens

Refresh credentials

Slow performance

Large unoptimized data

Add indexes, simplify geometry
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