Maps Connector for ArcGIS Frequently Asked Questions

This article answers frequently asked questions about the Salesforce Maps Connector for ArcGIS, covering general concepts, use cases, and technical details for administrators and end users working with ArcGIS Online data in Salesforce Maps.

General Questions 

What is the Salesforce Maps Connector for ArcGIS?

The Salesforce Maps Connector for ArcGIS allows you to display point, line, and shape data from ESRI's ArcGIS Online tool within Salesforce Maps. It connects the ESRI GIS data and Salesforce data together in Salesforce Maps.

What is ESRI?

ESRI stands for the Environmental Systems Research Institute. It is a GIS (Geographic Information System) company that offers products and services for advanced mapping visualization, analysis, and manipulation. They are an industry leader in GIS software. Their headquarters are located in Redlands, California.

What is GIS?

GIS (Geographic Information Systems) are systems of hardware, software, and people that visualize, analyze, and manipulate spatial data to understand relationships, patterns, and trends. The important part of GIS is the link between location and the data associated with that location. GIS helps answer complex spatial questions.

What is ArcGIS?

ArcGIS is ESRI's primary GIS tool to create and analyze maps. It requires specialized training. Usually a few members of an organization are dedicated to using ArcGIS, such as the GIS technician and the GIS Admin. These employees use ArcGIS to manage their data, make maps for decision makers, and perform complex analysis.

What is the ArcGIS Portal?

ArcGIS Portal has basic editing and visualization features and can serve web maps.

What is ArcGIS Server?

ArcGIS Server is a large, complex tool used for creating, managing, and hosting GIS data, web services, and applications.

What is a shapefile?

Shapefiles are a specific type of GIS file that stores location and attribute data. Shapefiles have a ".shp" extension. These files can be very large.

Where can I get ArcGIS data?

Many organizations have their own GIS data. Companies may store their sales territories in a GIS system. Cities store their infrastructure data in publicly available databases. Many online websites also aggregate common data sets, such as state and country boundaries.

How does the Maps Connector for ArcGIS work?

Data must be hosted within ArcGIS Online in one of the supported layer types below. Within Salesforce Maps, you create an ArcGIS web map Marker Layer, which is a reference to the ArcGIS Online web map.

• Map Image Layers
• Imagery Layers
• Tile Layers (Raster Only)
• Feature Layer (Hosted)
• Feature Layer (ArcGIS Server)
• Feature Collection (CSV)
• Feature Collection (Map Note)
• Feature Collection (Route Layer)
• KML / KMZ
• OGC Web Feature Service (WFS)
• OGC Web Map Service (WMS)

What's the difference between public and private ArcGIS data?

Public data can be accessed via the browser, by anyone in the world, or by Salesforce Maps without authentication. No ArcGIS Online username and password is necessary. Private data can only be accessed by those with an ArcGIS Online username and password. Salesforce Maps requires authentication when displaying private data.

Use Cases

Which industries benefit from using the Salesforce Maps Connector for ArcGIS?

The primary audience for the Salesforce Maps Connector for ArcGIS is Salesforce core and Salesforce Maps users, as well as organizations that also use ArcGIS Online. Typically, city and state governments have a large amount of data available in ArcGIS Online, such as fire hydrants and water lines, and may use Salesforce to dispatch or log work orders.

What are some specific use cases for the Salesforce Maps Connector for ArcGIS?

Imagine you're a 311 city support rep in Salesforce. Suppose a customer calls to report a damaged street sign. When the customer shares their location, you can create a case in Salesforce, launch Salesforce Maps, plot the ArcGIS street sign web map, and verify the existence of the street sign. You can then dispatch for repairs accordingly.

Or imagine you're an analyst at the local tax assessment office in Salesforce. A tenant asks about the zoning of a new land development. Your city's ArcGIS system holds the complex tax information, but the tenant's information is in Salesforce. With the Salesforce Maps Connector for ArcGIS, you can see this tenant's land in Salesforce Maps, understand the zoning, and answer their question on the first call.

Technical Questions

What are the limitations of the Salesforce Maps Connector for ArcGIS?

The Salesforce Maps Connector for ArcGIS can only plot hosted feature layers. Refer to the Important Limitations for the Salesforce Maps Connector for ArcGIS article in Additional Resources for more details.

What kind of ArcGIS data can I display in Salesforce Maps?

Below is a list of supported data connectors:

• Map Image Layers
• Imagery Layers
• Tile Layers (Raster Only)
• Feature Layer (Hosted)
• Feature Layer (ArcGIS Server)
• Feature Collection (CSV)
• Feature Collection (Map Note)
• Feature Collection (Route Layer)
• KML / KMZ
• OGC Web Feature Service (WFS)
• OGC Web Map Service (WMS)

What kind of ArcGIS data can I not display in Salesforce Maps?

Heatmaps and very large data sets are not supported today.

Which licenses do I need to display ArcGIS Feature layers in Salesforce Maps?

You need a Salesforce Maps license. For private data, you also need an ArcGIS Online license.

How does the Salesforce Maps Connector for ArcGIS work technically?

By creating an ArcGIS Web Map layer, you create a reference to data hosted on ArcGIS. Salesforce Maps plots this reference using REST services.

Can I plot private or public ArcGIS web maps in Salesforce Maps?

You can plot both. When plotting a private web map in Salesforce Maps, you're prompted to log in to your ArcGIS account to verify you have access to the private web map. Public web maps don't require you to log in.

How do I get the Salesforce Maps Connector for ArcGIS?

You already have it. The Salesforce Maps Connector for ArcGIS comes installed with the Salesforce Maps package.

How does the Salesforce Maps Connector for ArcGIS protect my private data?

It uses the OAuth protocol to secure your data. This is an industry standard security protocol that ensures your data is only viewable by users with the correct permissions. When you plot a private ArcGIS Online web map in Salesforce Maps, you provide your ArcGIS Online username and password.

Does the Salesforce Maps Connector for ArcGIS sync data between Salesforce Maps and ArcGIS?

Syncing from ArcGIS to Salesforce isn't currently possible. However, Salesforce record data can be synced to the ArcGIS Server. See the Configure the One Way Sync for the ArcGIS Connector in Maps article in Additional Resources for more information.

What coordinate system do I need for the Salesforce Maps Connector for ArcGIS?

The Salesforce Maps Connector for ArcGIS uses standard decimal latitude and longitude values and should handle data in typical coordinate systems like WGS84 and NAD83.

Can I edit ArcGIS data in Salesforce Maps?

No. The Salesforce Maps Connector for ArcGIS is a read-only tool.

Does the Salesforce Maps Connector for ArcGIS perform routing or geocoding?

No. The Salesforce Maps Connector for ArcGIS doesn't handle routing and geocoding.

Can I use single sign-on with the Salesforce Maps Connector for ArcGIS?

No. You must use your ArcGIS Online username and password to display private web maps and layers. This is done through OAuth. The Salesforce Maps Connector for ArcGIS doesn't support any single sign-on solution, such as Okta, OneLogin, or Microsoft ADFS.

I tried to plot a web map in Salesforce Maps and only the base map layer came through. What happened?

This may be an issue with internet protocols. If your layers reside on ArcGIS Server and are served over HTTP in ArcGIS Online, Salesforce blocks the connection and prevents the layers from rendering. This can occur even if your ArcGIS Online account enforces HTTPS. Ensure all of your ArcGIS Server web maps are served over HTTPS. For more information, refer to the ESRI Community Hub link in Additional Resources.

Do I need to make changes to the URL provided by ArcGIS before plotting it in Salesforce Maps?

We've seen instances where there are two "https:" strings within the link, or a number at the end of the link such as "/4". In those instances, we recommend removing the first "https" and/or the number at the very end of the URL.

Can the Salesforce Maps Connector for ArcGIS be used in an Experience Cloud site?

Only public layers are supported in an Experience Cloud site.

Can I plot ArcGIS Living Atlas layers on mobile in Salesforce Maps?

Living Atlas layers are currently only supported on the Salesforce Maps desktop interface, not on mobile.

I receive an "Unable to Access the Authentication Service" error with a CORS error in the browser console when logging in to view a private ArcGIS layer. How do I fix this?

If your ESRI Portal restricts cross-domain requests, you must allowlist the Salesforce Maps Visualforce page domain in the ArcGIS Portal. The URL to allowlist should look like "CUSTOMDOMAIN--maps.vf.force.com". For help obtaining the URL to allowlist, contact Salesforce Technical Support. For help allowlisting URLs in the ESRI Portal, contact ESRI Support.