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ArcGIS Web Editing: Local and Online Interaction

Context​

This walkthrough is based on testing the ArcGIS Web Editing for JavaScript SDK (2025) demo code (GitHub repo). The demo references a web map hosted in ArcGIS Online with editing enabled.

The key question: Do edits made locally through the app affect the hosted web map, or are they only local to the client?

Testing Workflow​

Local Implementation​

  1. Cloned the demo repository locally. Clone repo

  2. Set up and ran the React implementation:

    • Started the app using npm run dev. Run dev
    • Create a new feature in the map. Create feature
    • Sketched a rectangular polygon. Draw polygon
    • Added an attachment to the feature. Add attachment step 1Add attachment step 2
    • Verified the attachment upload succeeded. Verify attachment
    • Confirmed the feature was visible in the map view. Feature visible

Notes:

  • No explicit workflow was required to “publish” or “sync” edits back to ArcGIS Online.
  • The feature layer’s editing capabilities were configured to allow only Create operations (no update or delete).

Online Verification​

After creating the feature locally, the hosted web map was checked directly in ArcGIS Online by searching for the referenced web map ID.

Results:

  • The feature created locally was visible in the hosted web map. Online feature visible
  • The ArcGIS Online Map Viewer allowed further editing of this feature.
  • In the web map, delete functionality was also available (even though the local app limited editing to create-only). Delete option online

Conclusion​

Edits made through the ArcGIS Maps SDK for JavaScript (using a web map ID that references an editable feature layer) are applied directly to the hosted data source. No manual synchronization is needed — the app interacts with the feature service in real time.

Last updated on by Viraj