Connect ArcGIS Layers

If your team uses ArcGIS to manage design context, utilities, exclusion zones, or aerial imagery, you can bring that same data into Aphex. The ArcGIS integration allows you to overlay live GIS layers directly onto your Map, so that short-term planning happens with real site context in view.

This guide walks you through how to connect your ArcGIS account, find the correct URL for your layer, add it to your project in Aphex, and manage the integration moving forward.

Supported ArcGIS Layer Types

Aphex supports a range of commonly used ArcGIS layer types. Here’s what you can connect and display in your project. We’ll keep this list updated as more are added:

Feature Layers

Map Image Layers

Tile Layers (Raster and Vector)

To connect a layer to Aphex, you’ll need the page URL from the ArcGIS Item Details page. This makes sure the layer metadata and access permissions load correctly.

• Login to your ArcGIS instance

• Navigate to the layer you want to connect to your Aphex Project

• Make sure the layer is one of the supported layer types

• Click into the layer to open the Item Details Page

The ArcGIS Item Details URL will commonly appear in a format similar to the below;

You can connect your ArcGIS account to Aphex using either your ArcGIS login credentials or a . Once linked, you’ll be able to access and validate layers tied to your connected ArcGIS account.

• Open your Aphex Project

• Click your Project Title in the top left then select Integrations

• Scroll to the Mapping Connection section

Once you’ve got your Layer URL handy, you can plug it into any real-world Location in your Project. After connecting it, set a Layer Policy to control exactly which sublayers show up in Aphex, keeping things neat and relevant for your team.

Aphex will then automatically pull through any updates from ArcGIS, so your map stays fresh without you needing to re-upload or re-import a thing.

Both private and public layer sources from can be used as a canvas for mapping in Aphex. Each Aphex Location will accept up to 20 different layer connections.

Visit our doc for step by step instructions on how to add layers to the Map and define a layer policy.

Aphex supports layers being connected from any ArcGIS service (Online or Enterprise); however, there are some common things to validate if you experience issues;

Check that the ArcGIS user or app you’re using has permission to view the layer. Try logging into ArcGIS directly and opening the layer using the same credentials - if it works there, it should work in Aphex.

By default, ArcGIS allows CORS - meaning external services like Aphex can, with the appropriate credentials, view resources such as layers. However, some GIS administrators may disallow this feature as an added security feature.

If you find that a layer connects successfully, but no data is visible on the map, it may be a result of the ArcGIS CORS policy at your company.

ArcGIS supports CORS access enabled, disabled, or disabled with exceptions. Therefore you can either ask your GIS administrator to return the CORS policy to default enabled or to add the following domains as CORS exceptions;

• https://app.aphex.co

• https://dev.aphex.co

For guides on adjusting the ArcGIS CORS policy, please refer to the ArcGIS Help Guide .

Make sure you're using the Item Details page URL (not the direct tile or REST endpoint). Only supported layer types (listed above) will load.

Aphex is designed to be as fast and lightweight as possible for users who could be accessing their project on poor connections or underpowered devices.

ArcGIS, however, is a powerful GIS service that allows its customers to create immense geographical datasets.

Connecting an ArcGIS layer to Aphex will allow that layer to be loaded to an almost identical way to the way that layer is loaded from ESRI services.

To keep load times as short as possible, each sublayer within a layer can be set to Hide or Show, depending on the context needed at the time.

There is currently a limit of 42 sublayers per layer - any sublayers that attempt to load past this amount will not render.

Therefore, teams creating layers for use in Aphex should seek to balance information and end-user performance. The more data that is included in a layer, the longer it will take to load for everyone.

For ArcGIS Map Service Layers (Raster Tile Layers & Map Image Layers) you have the ability to change the request mode, once the Layer has been connected to your Aphex Location, to reduce server requests.

• Open your Aphex Project

• Click your Project Title in the top left then select Locations

• Locate your Layer and click ...

This mode is set on a layer-by-layer basis.