If your organization has deployed a stand-alone ArcGIS Server site and you want to share its services on the web, this topic outlines a workflow for doing so. The following sections provide an overview of the steps needed to create and consume GIS services using their REST endpoints (URLs.)
For an overview of considerations for building web apps, see Workflows for sharing GIS content on the web.
Use ArcGIS Desktop or ArcGIS Pro to create and share content as GIS services
ArcGIS Desktop and ArcGIS Pro enable you to create, share, and consume GIS services. With ArcGIS Pro and ArcMap, you can create geographic information that is captured and preserved as feature classes and tables in geodatabases or databases or as maps, geoprocessing tools, image files, and other files. You can publish these resources and share them as GIS web services running on an ArcGIS Server site. GIS service URLs are obtained through the ArcGIS Server Services Directory.
Once you have services running on your ArcGIS Server site, you and other users can connect to the site from ArcGIS Pro and ArcMap and use the services in maps.
For best practices and considerations when authoring GIS services, see Map service planning and Map authoring considerations.
Consume ArcGIS Server services through a REST endpoint (URL)
If your organization is using a stand-alone configuration of ArcGIS Server or if your current needs are to build a web app using the REST endpoints (URLs) for your services, the following options are available for creating web apps and allowing users to consume your GIS services.
For a step-by-step example of this workflow, see Publish a map service.
ArcGIS API for JavaScript
For information, visit the ArcGIS API for JavaScript overview on the ArcGIS for Developers website.
ArcGIS Runtime SDKs
You can use the ArcGIS Runtime SDK to build and deploy native apps to a variety of popular platforms and devices. Add powerful spatial capabilities to your native apps and empower your app users to do all things GIS, even when offline. For more information, see the ArcGIS Runtime SDKs reference guide.
REST API
The ArcGIS platform offers a variety of options to build custom apps that expose much of its functionality through web services. If the ArcGIS API for JavaScript or various SDK solutions do not fit your development requirements, you can use the ArcGIS REST API. For more information, view an overview of the ArcGIS REST API.
ArcGIS Enterprise or ArcGIS Online
If you have access to and credentials for ArcGIS Enterprise or ArcGIS Online, you can add GIS services to Map Viewer in either using a REST endpoint (URL), and share them as web maps and web apps. GIS service URLs are obtained through the ArcGIS Server Services Directory.
For more details, see the Add items topic or the ArcGIS Online help.
Note:
Web maps are a framework for most apps provided with the ArcGIS platform. If you're using a portal to create web maps, there are many additional apps available to you. For details, see the steps outlined in Publish and consume Web GIS services or Sharing your map in a web application.