The new metadata editor is available in ArcGIS Online, ArcGIS Enterprise, and is now available in ArcGIS Pro 3.5.
We know that creating metadata isn’t always easy; standards can be complicated and metadata editors with different user interfaces and experiences can be challenging to use. The metadata editor was developed to make editing metadata a unified experience, so, no matter where you are in the ArcGIS system, the metadata editor is consistent and dare I say… delightful?!
Users can easily view, create, and update metadata for various types of data, layers, models, maps, and apps! This editor makes metadata editing more approachable and less time-consuming than ever before. In this blog, we hope to kick-start your exploration with the new metadata editor and answer some frequently asked questions along the way.
Question: Is the existing metadata editor being replaced in ArcGIS Pro?
No, ArcGIS Pro 3.5 will continue to support two metadata editors for the foreseeable future: the ArcGIS Pro classic metadata editor and the ArcGIS metadata editor. Support for the classic metadata editor, which has always been available in ArcGIS Pro, will continue in parallel with the new metadata editor.
Question: How can I switch to the new metadata editor?
To use the new metadata editor, navigate to Project tab on the ribbon or click the Settings tab when you are on the ArcGIS Pro start page. Open the Options dialog box and select Metadata.
You can switch between the metadata editors using the Metadata Editor drop-down. Click the ArcGIS metadata editor to select the new metadata editor that is also available in ArcGIS Online and ArcGIS Enterprise.
Question: Can I use both metadata editors to edit metadata?
Yes, you can use both metadata editors. You can easily switch between ArcGIS Pro classic metadata editor and ArcGIS metadata editor to make your metadata edits.
Question: Will I lose any information?
No, you will not lose any information. When creating or editing metadata in ArcGIS Pro, you can switch between the two editors seamlessly without losing any saved changes. The system saves all metadata created and edited using either metadata editor to the same storage format, ArcGIS Metadata XML. If you have extended ArcGIS Pro with the ArcGIS Metadata Toolkit, the ArcGIS Pro classic metadata editor should be used.
Question: How can I begin exploring the new metadata editor?
To start exploring the new metadata editor, open the Catalog View and navigate to an item. The Catalog tab should open in the ribbon. Navigate to the Metadata group and click Edit.
Question: What are key differences that the new metadata editor offers?
- Modern User Interface: A user-friendly metadata editing experience.
- Essential Metadata: Presents required and suggested metadata elements for the active metadata style.
- Search Functionality: Helps locate metadata elements efficiently.
When you open the new metadata editor, it mirrors the editor you may have explored in ArcGIS Online and ArcGIS Enterprise, but there are slight differences as ArcGIS Pro is a desktop application. In ArcGIS Pro you will find additional functionality in the ribbon.
- Import – This is similar to the overwrite functionality that can be found in the metadata editor in ArcGIS Online and ArcGIS Enterprise. However, unlike the overwrite functionality, ArcGIS Pro does not require the metadata to be in ArcGIS Metadata XML format. It can import metadata standard format metadata such as ISO 19115-3 or INSPIRE.
- Save As – This will save a copy of the item’s ArcGIS Metadata XML. Your organization could use this functionality to save a metadata template to help apply metadata elements that will be consistent across your content for your organization. This file can be used to overwrite metadata in ArcGIS Online and ArcGIS Enterprise in addition to ArcGIS Pro.
- Export – This will export to the ArcGIS Metadata XML to the standard format XML, such as ISO, FGDC.
- Synchronize – This might be our favorite button. No one likes populating more metadata than they have to- so don’t do it! Use the Synchronize button to sync properties of the item to be recorded in its metadata.
Lets further discuss Essential Metadata. In the Contents pane you will find two tabs Essential Metadata and All Metadata.
PRO TIP: If you accidentally close the Contents pane, you will not see the Essential Metadata or All Metadata. To reopen the Contents pane, in the ribbon click the View tab, and in the Windows group click Contents. You can also create a custom pane to reset to when editing metadata.
Question: What is the difference between the Essential Metadata and All Metadata Tabs?
- The Essential Metadata tab focuses the metadata editor on presenting required and suggested metadata elements for the selected metadata style.
- The All Metadata tab displays all of the possible metadata elements that go beyond what is required or suggested for the metadata style selected.
When the Essential Metadata tab is selected in the Contents pane the Required and Suggested tabs appear in the view, along with the Completeness score.
PRO TIP: If the metadata view is too small you may not be able to view the Required and Suggested tabs. You may try the simplified version of the ribbon or undocking and expanding the Catalog view for additional real estate.
Selecting the Required tab will display the list of metadata elements required for the selected metadata style. This list provides all the metadata elements you need to populate to complete your metadata. This means no guessing which metadata elements are required to adhere to a specific metadata standard. The metadata editor gives you the full list, and it lets you know which of those required metadata elements are complete. A green check indicates that the metadata element has been populated. Clicking on a required metadata element, navigates directly to where the metadata element can be populated in the editor; mitigating time navigating the editor to populate each individual required metadata element. Track your progress with the Completeness Score and feel your dopamine levels rise as you make your way towards 0 remaining elements.
The Suggested tab will list (you guessed it) suggested metadata elements for the metadata style selected.
The All Metadata presents all possible metadata elements for the current metadata style. This option is most similar to the ArcGIS Pro classic metadata editor that provides all the possible metadata elements for the selected metadata style. The elements are organized into different cards, and those cards are organized in a manner that is similar to the classic editor.
Navigation and search
You can easily navigate between Essential and All Metadata by clicking the Jump To Section In All Metadata link at the bottom of each metadata element.
If you need to find a specific metadata element in the editor, you can use the search bar. By default, the search results list all the metadata elements that match the search, regardless of whether they are required, suggested, or optional, when you enable the Show Hidden Results toggle.
To only search required/suggested metadata elements click to turn off the Show Hidden Results toggle. Again, you can also use the jumplink at the bottom of each search result to navigate to the location in All Metadata.
Make sure to save your edits early and often as you work on your metadata! When you have made your changes close the editor view.
Additional resources
We’re excited to share this update with you and we can’t wait to see how you will use the new metadata editor in ArcGIS Pro 3.5 to enhance your productivity and create a more consistent and delightful metadata editing experience across ArcGIS. Below, we’ve added some links to additional resources to help you with your metadata journey:
- Join our Metadata, Catalogs and Search Esri Community
- Read more Metadata related blog articles on ArcGIS Blog
- Watch Metadata, Catalogs, and Search videos
- Access Metadata information in ArcGIS Pro 3.5 documentation
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