The ArcGIS StoryMaps Briefings app helps you present dynamic maps and more in a visually engaging format offline. It’s perfect for when you need to present critical information in remote locations without internet access. Download the Briefings App today for your iOS or Android tablet or Windows computer or tablet. To learn more about taking your briefings offline, please refer to Present Interactive Maps Offline with the ArcGIS StoryMaps Briefings app.
If you are new to ArcGIS StoryMaps briefings or the ArcGIS StoryMaps Briefings app, check out these resources:
In this blog article, we will explore a new “Local Briefings” feature available on Windows devices from app ver.1.8.4. We’ll walk through how to prepare Local Briefings to ensure seamless access and sharing, even without an internet connection. With Local Briefings, users can distribute critical information in offline environments, making it easier to stay informed in secure or remote settings.
If you are new to ArcGIS StoryMaps briefings or the ArcGIS StoryMaps Briefings app, check out these resources:
- Elevate your briefings: Introducing Briefings in ArcGIS StoryMaps
- Present Slides with Dynamic Maps and Scenes Anywhere, Anytime, Even Offline with the ArcGIS StoryMaps Briefings App
- Esri Learning Path: Get Started with briefings in ArcGIS StoryMaps
Quick links
Introduction to local briefing
A local briefing refers to any offline briefing that is transferred (sideloaded) to your Windows device via a USB drive, local network or shared with you by your team through email. You can access, view and even update these briefings using the Briefings app in a disconnected environment.
How is it Different from Offline Briefings?
| Feature | Offline briefings | Local briefings |
|---|---|---|
| Creation | These are online briefings which are downloaded for offline use by a named user only | These are the offline briefings shared by a named user with other users (including anonymous users) |
| Updates | Can be updated with latest online version if available | Can be updated simply by replacing the local briefing folder with the newer version |
| Edits | Cannot edit any content inside an offline briefing | Contents such as media, maps, and embed can be added or replaced on-the-fly by the user |
| Remove | Can be removed using “Remove from downloads” option | Can be removed by simply deleting the briefing folder |
| Supported platforms | iOS, Android, Windows | Windows |
What Are the Use Cases?
Local Briefings are ideal for:
- Government & military users who operate in secure, air-gapped environments
- Executives and field teams who need to present without an internet connection
- Event organizers and consultants who need to share briefing content without cloud access
Share offline briefings
To share one or more offline briefings from your ArcGIS Online or Enterprise Organization on your Windows device, follow these steps:
Step-by-Step Instructions
- Open the Briefings App: Launch the Briefings app on your Windows device.
- Download Briefings: Sign in to your ArcGIS Online or Enterprise Organization within the app and download the desired briefings.
- Locate the Offline Briefings:
- Go to the following path on your Windows device in case the app was installed using:
C:\Users\<windows_username>\AppData\Local\Packages\54293d61-67fc-4da7-8110-270db77e7dc2_tnw5vznkpx9jg\LocalState\BriefingsC:\Users\<windows_username>\AppData\Local\Packages\Esri.ArcGISStoryMapsBriefings_eytg3kh68c6a8\LocalState\Briefings - Replace <windows_username> with your actual Windows username.
- Go to the following path on your Windows device in case the app was installed using:
- Understand the folder structure:
- Each folder inside the Briefings folder corresponds to a separate ArcGIS Online or ArcGIS Enterprise Organization.
- Inside each Organization folder, you will find individual briefing folders, each named with the same ID as the respective briefing item ID.
- Copy Briefing Resources:
- To share any briefing, simply copy the relevant briefing folder.
- You can paste it to any other location on your Windows device or share it via email or USB drive.
Additional Notes
- Ensure that you have the necessary permissions to access and share the briefing resources.
- Keep the folder structure intact if sharing, as it may be required for proper access and functionality.
Setup to access local briefings
To access local briefings from the briefings app on your Windows machine, you can follow these steps:
Step-by-Step Instructions
- Sign In: Sign in with your ArcGIS Online or ArcGIS Enterprise account.
- Enable Local Briefing:
- Go to the Settings page.
- Toggle ON to Enable Local Briefing.
- Navigate to Gallery Page:
- Check for the Local Briefing Tab as the fourth tab. Click on the tab.
- Select location of your briefings:
- Click on the folder icon located beside the profile avatar.
- Select the location where you have the local briefings. You can choose either a single briefing folder or the parent folder containing all the local briefings.
- Access Local Briefings:
- After selecting the location, you should now see all the local briefings in the Local Briefings tab.
Please note that the date displayed for local briefings is the folder date which might be different from the date configured while creating briefing in the briefing builder settings.
View and Update local briefings
Upon opening any local briefings, you will notice a folder icon located on each image, video, MMPK/MSPK, or any offline placeholder. This icon allows you to browse the supported formats of resources available for each content block.
The following content blocks are currently supported for updating offline resources:
- Image
- Image Gallery
- Video
- Web Maps
- Web Scenes
- Express Maps
- Embed
Important Note: Content blocks that were added as link to resources cannot be updated. You are limited to adding offline dependencies that are supported for each content block. For instance, you can use MMPK/MSPK, Image, or Video for web maps and scenes, and Image or Video for express maps and embeds. When it comes to updating resources, it is important to note that you can only replace an MMPK/MSPK with another MMPK/MSPK, or an Image with another Image, and so forth. Additionally, the downloaded icon will appear for local briefings; however, it will not be responsive, and all options in the header menu will be disabled.
Anonymous access to local briefings
After you signed in to your ArcGIS Online or ArcGIS Enterprise account for once and enabled “Local Briefing” from the app settings, you can still access these local briefings even without signing in to the app the from next time. Open the briefings app from scratch, you will now see “Local Briefing” button on the landing page. Clicking on it allows anonymous users to access, view and update local briefings even without internet connection.
Reset briefing to original downloaded version
Please note that when a local briefing is updated with an offline resource for any supported media, the LocalItemsMapping file is created inside the briefing resources folder of your local briefing. To reset your briefing to your original downloaded version, simply delete the LocalItemsMapping file from the briefing resources folder. This action will ensure that your local briefing reflects the original downloaded version.
Key Takeaways
Local Briefing is an effective new functionality in ArcGIS StoryMaps Briefings App supported for Windows devices from ver. 1.8.4. With this update, local briefings can be edited but cannot be synced back and does not support live data updates after export. We’re continually improving briefing workflows—stay tuned for potential enhancements like additional export options.
We encourage you to try briefings and let us know your thoughts through the in-app feedback form or in the Esri Community. Take your briefings offline with the ArcGIS StoryMaps Briefings app (ver. 1.8.4) available now for Android and iOS tablets and Windows computers and tablets.
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