Your ArcGIS Pro Update (May 2025)

ArcGIS Pro 3.5 is here! We are so excited to share the latest enhancements and features, all driven by your valuable feedback. We know how important it is to have reliable tools in your daily work. That’s why each release focuses heavily on improving performance, productivity, and quality.

Key highlights include enhanced collaboration through portal projects, streamlined deed dimensions extraction with the new COGO Reader, and powerful semantic search capabilities and tool suggestions in ModelBuilder. There are endless, exciting opportunities to explore and benefit from. Let’s dive into what the ArcGIS Pro team has been working on since our November release.

In a hurry? Watch the video below for a quick overview.

Featured Links

Use the links below to jump to the release highlights that matter most to you:

• Collaborate by using portal projects
• Create spatial definition queries
• Extract deed dimensions with the COGO Reader
• Build custom pane sets
• Migrate to ArcGIS Utility Network with new tools
• Try semantic search and tool suggestions in ModelBuilder
• Leverage the improved Calculate Field tool
• Refine your maps with symbology updates
• Use the new metadata editor
• Work with Parquet files and NoSQL

ArcGIS Pro 3.5 Release Highlights

Collaborate by using portal projects

Ready to take collaboraton to the next level? With the introduction of portal projects, it has never been easier. This exciting feature allows you to store your ArcGIS Pro projects directly in your organization’s ArcGIS Enterprise 11.4 (or later) portal, giving you the ability to access and work on your projects from any machine with portal permissions.

You can open and work on your project just like you would with a local file, and any changes you make will automatically update the portal item upon saving. This means that all members of your shared update group can work on different aspects of a project simultaneously, enhancing productivity and creativity.

Create spatial definition queries

Filtering features within a specified geographic boundary has become easier with the inclusion of spatial clauses in definition queries. Previously, a location-based query took many steps. Now with this enhancement, you can create definition queries that combine attribute and spatial criteria in a single step. Read the blog to learn more.

Extract deed dimensions with the COGO Reader

Gone are the days of manually entering deed dimensions using the Traverse tool in ArcGIS Pro. The new COGO Reader uses a technology called optical character recognition (OCR) to automatically scan PDFs or images of deeds, extract the dimensions, and add them to a grid for easy map plotting. Didn’t capture everything the way you wanted? No problem—the tool also provides an editable page with the dimensions highlighted for easy viewing and editing.

Build custom pane sets

Accessing the right panes at the right moment is now more seamless than ever. Create custom pane sets, easily switch between your go-to sets, and manage them from the drop-down menu. You can also update pane sets as needed and save time by adding frequently used pane sets to the Quick Access toolbar or creating a keyboard shortcut. Read the blog to learn more.

Migrate to ArcGIS Utility Network with new tools

If you have straightforward utility data needs, the Migrate to Utility Network tool helps you move your data into a base utility network model quickly and with minimal changes. This gives you a clearer path forward for evaluating data quality and migrating your data to a utility network.

Try semantic search and tool suggestions in ModelBuilder

Ever find yourself trying to decide which tool to use next? Well, good news—ModelBuilder can now help, with the introduction of semantic search and the Suggest Tool option.

• Semantic search for ModelBuilder allows for conversational queries or prompts, such as “How do I loop through rows?” and “How do I combine tables for two inputs?” It returns the results that best meet the perceived intent of the search.
• The Suggest Tool option helps you build and optimize a model by recommending tools to add to the analysis workflows based on previously used ones.

Leverage the improved Calculate Field tool

Three new additions to the Calculate Field tool make data management more efficient:

• The expression parameter has a new Python helper function, Convert Spatial Units, which is used to quickly convert area or length values between units.
• The Recent button allows for the reuse of your latest valid expressions—no need to retype frequently used expressions.
• The SQL expression type is now supported for mobile and file geodatabases, expanding your workflow flexibility.

Refine your maps with symbology updates

Say hello to improved data quality! The Vertices and Nodes button displays key elements such as vertices, nodes, dangles, and pseudonodes—so you can better assess feature accuracy. Leverage the ability to customize their size, transparency, and symbols to enhance your editing workflow.

Effectively analyze and visualize your data with class-based symbology. The updated symbology histogram interface lets you set zoom levels, change bin counts, and see feature counts per bin. This makes it easier to explore patterns and improve your map symbology.

Use the new metadata editor

The metadata editor used in ArcGIS Online and ArcGIS Enterprise is now available in ArcGIS Pro, providing a consistent and user-friendly experience across the ArcGIS system. It works alongside the classic metadata editor in ArcGIS Pro, and you can easily switch between them in the Options dialog box. Although most metadata styles support both editors, the Item Description style still requires the classic version. Read the blog to learn more.

Work with Parquet files and NoSQL

• Support for Apache Parquet files is now available in ArcGIS Pro, giving you more flexibility when working with spatial data in the GeoParquet format. You can add Parquet files directly to a map or scene to view, query, and analyze features. For improved performance, the new CreateParquetCache ArcPy function also lets you generate a cache ahead of time.
• Document databases, sometimes classified as NoSQL, store data in markup-style documents using key-value pairs to define data. It is now possible to connect to Elasticsearch and OpenSearch directly from ArcGIS Pro, enabling you to query and visualize these datatypes using query layers. Support for publishing is on the road map for a future release.

Highlights from ArcGIS Pro Extensions

• What’s New in ArcGIS Network Analyst: A new ArcGIS Network Analyst solver for ArcGIS Pro makes waste collection more efficient. The Waste Collection Solver optimizes routes by reducing travel time and maximizing the number of stops in a single trip—helping lower costs and improve service. Read the blog to learn more.
• What’s New in ArcGIS 3D Analyst: The latest release of ArcGIS Pro brings four exciting new tools and many enhancements to the ArcGIS 3D Analyst toolbox. Among these are Extract LOD2 Buildings, which creates 3D models of LOD2 buildings using building footprint polygons and a raster elevation surface.
• What’s New in ArcGIS Spatial Analyst: Spatial Analyst in ArcGIS Pro 3.5 offers a new surface analysis tool as well as improved distance, overlay, and zonal analysis capabilities. Read the blog to learn more.
• What’s New in ArcGIS Data Reviewer: ArcGIS Pro 3.5 introduces exciting new capabilities for automated GIS data quality reviews. This release includes 28 new checks to help you identify poor-quality features and expands support for attribute rule workflows—making it easier to validate data with interactive reviews. Read the blog to learn more.
• What’s New in ArcGIS Aviation: This release brings highly anticipated new tools for obstruction identification and enhanced features for optimal aeronautical data management and charting. Read the blog to learn more.
• What’s New in Image Management and Analysis: ArcGIS Pro 3.5 introduces powerful new tools and enhancements specifically designed for working with imagery. This release includes new geospatial artificial intelligence (GeoAI) tools, expanded support for a variety of sensors and data sources, and improved handling of complex data types like synthetic aperture radar (SAR) and hyperspectral imagery, making it easier to extract insights from rich image data. Read the what’s new in imagery and what’s new in GeoAI blogs to learn more.
• What’s New in ArcGIS IPS: The latest release of ArcGIS IPS introduces several exciting improvements to enhance indoor positioning accuracy and user experience. Leverage new adaptive radio positioning tools powered by the Received Signal Strength Indicator to boost accuracy for Android devices with lower-quality sensors, and explore many other enhancements. Read the blog to learn more.
• What’s New in ArcGIS Bathymetry: There are two new geoprocessing tools—Export Footprints and Export BIS Points—to improve your bathymetric workflows. Additionally, the Add Data To BIS and the Add Point Data To BIS tools now support the Geographic Transformations environment setting, enabling on-the-fly data projection for more accurate results. Read the blog to learn more.

Where to Go from Here

This is a glimpse of how we’re improving the tools you trust, while adding many new capabilities to help you get more done in ArcGIS Pro. From dual-scale bars and the easily accessible Memory Workspace button to the use of symbols as point markers in charts, there’s something in this release for everyone. Happy mapping!

Visit the ArcGIS Pro help documentation to explore all the new features.

Shape the Future of ArcGIS Pro

ArcGIS Pro is​ built on feedback from users like you. Here are the many ways you can participate.

• Join the ArcGIS Pro Community – Connect with GIS users, ask questions and get inspired.
• Join our Early Adopter Community (EAC) – Test what’s new for ArcGIS Pro and provide feedback.
• Participate in the ArcGIS Pro AI Assistant EAC – Test the ArcGIS Pro AI Assistant in Beta, designed to streamline workflows with natural language queries, SQL generation, and tailored help documentation.

Stay Connected

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