How to Publish a Raster Dataset to ArcGIS Online

Publishing raster data to ArcGIS Online allows you to share imagery, elevation data, and analysis results with others in your organization—or make them publicly available. Whether you’re working with aerial photography, satellite imagery, or terrain data, ArcGIS Online provides tools to make your raster datasets accessible, interactive, and ready for use in web maps and applications.

What Is a Raster Dataset?

A raster dataset is a grid of cells (pixels) that represent spatial information. Each cell has a value, such as:

• Elevation
• Temperature
• Land cover type
• Satellite imagery bands

Rasters are ideal for continuous data and visualization across large geographic areas.

Ways to Publish a Raster to ArcGIS Online

You have two main approaches depending on your needs:

1. Upload the Raster as a Tile Layer

If your raster dataset is primarily for visualization (such as imagery or background maps), you can publish it as a tile layer.

• Convert the raster into tiles for fast display in web maps.
• Great for basemaps, reference imagery, and backgrounds.
• Supports efficient web performance.

Steps:

1. Sign in to your ArcGIS Online account.
2. From the Content page, click Add Item → From my computer.
3. Upload your raster file (e.g., TIFF, IMG, JPEG).
4. Choose Tile Layer as the publishing option.
5. Configure tiling settings and publish.

2. Publish as an Image Service (Requires ArcGIS Pro)

If you want users to query pixel values, apply raster functions, or perform analysis, publish your raster as an image layer using ArcGIS Pro.

• Supports dynamic visualization and analysis.
• Allows users to change rendering (e.g., hillshade, color stretch).
• Preserves attribute and pixel-level data.

Steps in ArcGIS Pro:

1. Open your raster dataset in ArcGIS Pro.
2. Sign in to your ArcGIS Online account from the Share tab.
3. Select the raster layer in the Contents pane.
4. Click Share As Web Layer.
5. Choose Imagery Layer as the layer type.
6. Configure sharing settings (organization/public).
7. Click Publish.

Best Practices for Publishing Raster Data

• Optimize your raster: Use appropriate resolution and compression to balance quality and performance.
• Add metadata: Include titles, tags, and descriptions to make your data discoverable.
• Set sharing permissions: Decide whether your raster is private, shared with your organization, or public.
• Use ArcGIS Pro for large rasters: Very large files are better handled through ArcGIS Pro’s publishing tools.

Why Publish Rasters to ArcGIS Online?

• Make your imagery and spatial data accessible anywhere.
• Integrate raster datasets into web maps, dashboards, and story maps.
• Share elevation models, land cover classifications, or imagery analysis results with colleagues or the public.

Ready to get started? Sign in to ArcGIS Online and publish your first raster dataset today!