Global Forest Watch Help Center
https://www.globalforestwatch.org/help
Create a custom mapping application using MapBuilder
MapBuilder allows you to create and customize a forest monitoring application leveraging GFW’s analysis tools and integrating your own data with core data on GFW. Learn how to create a MapBuilder application below, using either a free public ArcGIS Online account or an organizational ArcGIS Online account.
Create a MapBuilder application using a free public ArcGIS Online account
- Create a public ArcGIS Online account. Navigate to ArcGIS Online and either log in with existing credentials or create a free account.
- Register services with your account. If you have an ArcGIS Server, GeoServer or MapServer, you can choose to register your services with your public ArcGIS Online account. Registering your services will add them as items in your account. If you do not have a GIS server, you can skip this step. Learn more about registering services here.

- Create a web map. Before creating a MapBuilder application, you will need to create a web map on ArcGIS Online. You will be able to customize your web map, add data to it and make it shareable. Learn more about building an ArcGIS Online web map here.

- Create a MapBuilder application. After creating a web map, you will be able incorporate it to a custom MapBuilder application. Learn more about creating a MapBuilder application and the features you can customize here.

- Adjust MapBuilder configuration settings. General settings allow users to customize items such as the application text, logos, hyperlinks and web map. Alternative language settings, layer/analysis settings and other settings are also available for adjustment. Learn more about MapBuilder configuration settings here and learn how to do more advanced customizations here.
- Share your MapBuilder application. There are several approaches to sharing a MapBuilder application: Share your URL, share over social media and embed your MapBuilder application into a website. Learn more about how to share a MapBuilder application here.
Create a MapBuilder application using an organizational ArcGIS Online account
- Log in to your organization’s ArcGIS Online account. Navigate to ArcGIS Online and log in using your organizational account. If you do not have a username, contact your ArcGIS Online administrator for an account.
- Register the MapBuilder template with your organizational ArcGIS Online account. If your organization has an ArcGIS Online account, you can register the MapBuilder template and use it as a configurable mapping application. It must be registered by an admin on the account and once it’s registered, it will be available to all organizational members. Learn more about registering the latest version of the MapBuilder template with your organizational account here.
- Create a web map. Before creating a MapBuilder application, you will need to create a web map on ArcGIS Online. You will be able to customize your web map, add data to it and make it shareable. Learn more about building an ArcGIS Online web map here.

- Add data to ArcGIS Online. With an organizational account, users can choose to publish data from ArcGIS Desktop or add existing GIS web layers to ArcGIS Online. Learn how you can publish a shapefile as a feature service so that it can be added as a data layer on your web map here.

- Create a MapBuilder application. After creating a web map, you will be able to create a custom MapBuilder application that is based on the web map. Learn more about creating a MapBuilder application and the features you can customize here.

- Share your MapBuilder application. There are several ways to share your MapBuilder application: Sharing its URL, sharing over social media and embedding your MapBuilder application into a website. Learn more about how to share a MapBuilder application here.
Global Forest Watch Help Center
https://www.globalforestwatch.org/help
Create a custom mapping application using MapBuilder
MapBuilder allows you to create and customize a forest monitoring application leveraging GFW’s analysis tools and integrating your own data with core data on GFW. Learn how to create a MapBuilder application below, using either a free public ArcGIS Online account or an organizational ArcGIS Online account.
Create a MapBuilder application using a free public ArcGIS Online account
- Create a public ArcGIS Online account. Navigate to ArcGIS Online and either log in with existing credentials or create a free account.
- Register services with your account. If you have an ArcGIS Server, GeoServer or MapServer, you can choose to register your services with your public ArcGIS Online account. Registering your services will add them as items in your account. If you do not have a GIS server, you can skip this step. Learn more about registering services here.

- Create a web map. Before creating a MapBuilder application, you will need to create a web map on ArcGIS Online. You will be able to customize your web map, add data to it and make it shareable. Learn more about building an ArcGIS Online web map here.

- Create a MapBuilder application. After creating a web map, you will be able incorporate it to a custom MapBuilder application. Learn more about creating a MapBuilder application and the features you can customize here.

- Adjust MapBuilder configuration settings. General settings allow users to customize items such as the application text, logos, hyperlinks and web map. Alternative language settings, layer/analysis settings and other settings are also available for adjustment. Learn more about MapBuilder configuration settings here and learn how to do more advanced customizations here.
- Share your MapBuilder application. There are several approaches to sharing a MapBuilder application: Share your URL, share over social media and embed your MapBuilder application into a website. Learn more about how to share a MapBuilder application here.
Create a MapBuilder application using an organizational ArcGIS Online account
- Log in to your organization’s ArcGIS Online account. Navigate to ArcGIS Online and log in using your organizational account. If you do not have a username, contact your ArcGIS Online administrator for an account.
- Register the MapBuilder template with your organizational ArcGIS Online account. If your organization has an ArcGIS Online account, you can register the MapBuilder template and use it as a configurable mapping application. It must be registered by an admin on the account and once it’s registered, it will be available to all organizational members. Learn more about registering the latest version of the MapBuilder template with your organizational account here.
- Create a web map. Before creating a MapBuilder application, you will need to create a web map on ArcGIS Online. You will be able to customize your web map, add data to it and make it shareable. Learn more about building an ArcGIS Online web map here.

- Add data to ArcGIS Online. With an organizational account, users can choose to publish data from ArcGIS Desktop or add existing GIS web layers to ArcGIS Online. Learn how you can publish a shapefile as a feature service so that it can be added as a data layer on your web map here.

- Create a MapBuilder application. After creating a web map, you will be able to create a custom MapBuilder application that is based on the web map. Learn more about creating a MapBuilder application and the features you can customize here.

- Share your MapBuilder application. There are several ways to share your MapBuilder application: Sharing its URL, sharing over social media and embedding your MapBuilder application into a website. Learn more about how to share a MapBuilder application here.
Create a custom mapping application using MapBuilder
MapBuilder allows you to create and customize a forest monitoring application leveraging GFW’s analysis tools and integrating your own data with core data on GFW. Learn how to create a MapBuilder application below, using either a free public ArcGIS Online account or an organizational ArcGIS Online account.
Create a MapBuilder application using a free public ArcGIS Online account
- Create a public ArcGIS Online account. Navigate to ArcGIS Online and either log in with existing credentials or create a free account.
- Register services with your account. If you have an ArcGIS Server, GeoServer or MapServer, you can choose to register your services with your public ArcGIS Online account. Registering your services will add them as items in your account. If you do not have a GIS server, you can skip this step. Learn more about registering services here.

- Create a web map. Before creating a MapBuilder application, you will need to create a web map on ArcGIS Online. You will be able to customize your web map, add data to it and make it shareable. Learn more about building an ArcGIS Online web map here.

- Create a MapBuilder application. After creating a web map, you will be able incorporate it to a custom MapBuilder application. Learn more about creating a MapBuilder application and the features you can customize here.

- Adjust MapBuilder configuration settings. General settings allow users to customize items such as the application text, logos, hyperlinks and web map. Alternative language settings, layer/analysis settings and other settings are also available for adjustment. Learn more about MapBuilder configuration settings here and learn how to do more advanced customizations here.
- Share your MapBuilder application. There are several approaches to sharing a MapBuilder application: Share your URL, share over social media and embed your MapBuilder application into a website. Learn more about how to share a MapBuilder application here.
Create a MapBuilder application using an organizational ArcGIS Online account
- Log in to your organization’s ArcGIS Online account. Navigate to ArcGIS Online and log in using your organizational account. If you do not have a username, contact your ArcGIS Online administrator for an account.
- Register the MapBuilder template with your organizational ArcGIS Online account. If your organization has an ArcGIS Online account, you can register the MapBuilder template and use it as a configurable mapping application. It must be registered by an admin on the account and once it’s registered, it will be available to all organizational members. Learn more about registering the latest version of the MapBuilder template with your organizational account here.
- Create a web map. Before creating a MapBuilder application, you will need to create a web map on ArcGIS Online. You will be able to customize your web map, add data to it and make it shareable. Learn more about building an ArcGIS Online web map here.

- Add data to ArcGIS Online. With an organizational account, users can choose to publish data from ArcGIS Desktop or add existing GIS web layers to ArcGIS Online. Learn how you can publish a shapefile as a feature service so that it can be added as a data layer on your web map here.

- Create a MapBuilder application. After creating a web map, you will be able to create a custom MapBuilder application that is based on the web map. Learn more about creating a MapBuilder application and the features you can customize here.

- Share your MapBuilder application. There are several ways to share your MapBuilder application: Sharing its URL, sharing over social media and embedding your MapBuilder application into a website. Learn more about how to share a MapBuilder application here.