QGIS – Adding ArcGIS Feature Server Layers

by David Crowther

Question:

How do you add an ArcGIS Feature Server Layer to QGIS?

Answer:

To add an ArcGIS Feature Server Layer into your QGIS project follow the simple steps below:

1 – Copy the Feature Server URL

Access your ArcGIS Online Account and go to the Contents page. In this example we are using the Autodesk EMEA ArcGIS Online Account.

Choose the Layer that you wish to access and using the three dots … choose View Item Details to then open the full details for that layer page. In this example we have chosen the Shrewsbury Planning Apps Hosted Feature Layer.

Check the Sharing options using SHARE button to ensure that only You, your Organisation or the Public can see your data (as required).

Now, in the bottom right corner of the View Item Details page, find the URL link and choose the Copy URL button.

This will generate a URL for the ArcGIS Online Feature Server Layer e.g.

https://services7.arcgis.com/9jgTYfernsGTre3w9i/arcgis/rest/services/shrewsbury_planningapps_hosted/FeatureServer

2 – Create a Connection to ArcGIS Feature Layer in QGIS

In QGIS, use the Data Source Manager window and choose ArcGIS Feature Server.

Then choose to create a New Connection and complete the details for the ArcGIS Feature Server Layer. In this case enter a Name and Paste in the URL that you Copied from ArcGIS Online.

Press OK to Save the New Connection and it will now be available in the Data Source Manager. Press Connect and it will list the ArcGIS Feature Server Layer/s.

To open the ArcGIS Feature Server Layer, select the Layer you wish to open choose ADD and the layer is then added to your QGIS Project.

If we apply a Thematic Style to the layer e.g. using the Progress field, we can now show the Planning Apps that have been Submitted, Passed and Declined.

If a User was to then update this data within ArcGIS, for example changing one of the Planning Apps from Submitted to Passed …

Once that change is committed, if you then Refresh the View in QGIS, the Layer is then updated with the new attribute changes and the Style of the features update to reflect the change.

Tip – instead of connecting to individual Feature Server Layers you can also make a Connection to the root of your ArcGIS Online Service.

For example if we make a new Connection and edit the URL to remove the name of the individual Feature Server Layer and point to the specific Rest Service e.g.

When we now Connect we see all the available Hosted Feature Layers.

So we can add even more data to the map!

You now have a live link between your ArcGIS Feature Server Layers and your QGIS project!