How do you use ArcGIS Notebooks and Python in ArcGIS Pro?

ArcGIS Notebooks are built on top of JupyterLab, an open-source web application that allows you to create and share documents containing live Python code, visualizations, and narrative text, enabling you to perform analysis and immediately view results in a geographic context while documenting and automating your workflow.

ArcGIS Notebooks were integrated into ArcGIS Pro starting at version 2.5 , bringing the power of Python scripting directly into the desktop GIS environment.

Key Points

You can create a notebook by clicking the Insert tab on the ribbon and clicking the New Notebook button, or by opening the Catalog pane, browsing to your project directory, right-clicking a folder, and selecting New > Notebook

All Python functionality in ArcGIS Pro is available through ArcGIS Notebooks, including core Python functionality, the Python standard library, ArcPy, ArcGIS API for Python, and numerous third-party libraries such as NumPy and pandas

You can drag and drop geoprocessing tools directly into code cells in ArcGIS Pro, eliminating the need to search online for the Python code for each geoprocessing tool

The output of geoprocessing tools is added to the active map by default , allowing you to see results immediately alongside your code

• Notebooks enable you to combine executable code with markdown text, creating documentation that explains your analytical workflow in a single shareable document

Understanding ArcGIS Notebooks

ArcGIS Pro notebooks provide users with an interactive environment for running Python code, automating workflows, and conducting geospatial analysis by combining the power of Python with the spatial capabilities of ArcGIS Pro to help streamline tasks and visualize data seamlessly. Unlike traditional Python scripts that run linearly from start to finish, notebooks organize code into discrete cells that can be executed independently, making it easier to test, debug, and iterate on your analysis.

Notebooks are a Python-based program file that users can interact with—a document-style workspace that allows you to combine code, output, and visualize data in a single environment, with work conducted in a file type called .ipynb. These "interactive Python notebook" files follow the Jupyter notebook standard, meaning they can be shared across different platforms and opened in other Jupyter environments.

ArcGIS Notebooks uses include data cleaning and transformation, numerical simulation, statistical modeling, machine learning, administrative tasks, and more. For energy sector professionals, this means you can use notebooks to analyze pipeline routes, model renewable energy site suitability, automate infrastructure monitoring reports, or process large datasets of sensor readings—all while maintaining a clear record of your methodology.

How It Works

1. Creating a Notebook

There are multiple methods of creating a notebook: Click the Insert tab on the top ribbon and click the New Notebook button, go to the Analysis tab and select Python to open a new notebook, or access the Catalog pane and navigate your project directory where you can right-click and select New > Notebook.

ArcGIS Notebooks that have been added to a project are listed under the Notebooks folder in the Catalog pane, and notebooks created using ArcGIS Pro are automatically added to your project.

2. Writing and Executing Python Code

In a notebook cell, type your Python code using standard syntax (such as importing libraries, defining variables, running functions), with cells that can be initialized as code, markdown, or raw, where code cells are what you would use to input Python language and are denoted by [ ].

To execute the code in a cell, press Shift + Enter or Control/Command + Enter, or you can use the Run button within the notebook toolbar.

The first step typically involves importing the ArcPy package, which is a Python package that makes much of the functionality of ArcGIS Pro available from within Python, including geoprocessing. For example, you might start with import arcpy to access geoprocessing tools, or import additional libraries like pandas for data manipulation or matplotlib for creating custom visualizations.

3. Interacting with Map Data

ArcGIS Notebooks in ArcGIS Pro provide access to content in your map, allowing for interactive workflows where layers and other contents of your map can be accessed in your notebook by name or using a path to the data, and the output of geoprocessing tools is added to the active map by default.

You can dock the notebook below the map so you'll be able to see the results of your code as you use Python in the notebook to work with feature classes on the map.

4. Using Geoprocessing Tools

You can drag and drop tools from your geoprocessing history into notebooks and it keeps all of the parameters the tool was run with, which is a fantastic way to use notebooks to keep a record of your process, even if you initially ran the tool in the geoprocessing pane. This feature bridges the gap between point-and-click GIS work and scripted workflows, allowing you to transition gradually into Python automation.

The tab completion feature provides contextual help based on the location of the pointer, and methods and properties can be viewed by pressing Tab after the dot following the object or library name. This makes it easier to discover available functions without constantly referring to documentation.

5. Documenting Your Work

Markdown cells are what you would use to format text using the markdown language, with options like bolding or italicizing available in these cells, and elements like images, videos, or other explanatory content are also formattable here. This capability transforms your notebook from a simple script into a complete analytical narrative that explains your reasoning, methodology, and findings.

6. Sharing and Exporting

You can use the Export drop-down menu to export a notebook to a Python (.py) or HTML (.html) file.

ArcGIS Notebooks can be exported as HTML files to share with anyone, which is useful when the person you want to share it with doesn't have Pro or doesn't know how to open a Notebook .ipynb extension file.

Why It Matters

For energy sector professionals working with spatial data, ArcGIS Notebooks represent a significant advancement in workflow efficiency and reproducibility. Traditional GIS workflows often involve clicking through multiple tool dialogs, with limited documentation of the exact parameters used. There are many benefits to using a code notebook, but a major one is the ability to keep track of your workflow in an easily interpretable format, making it easy to understand and repeat your workflow anytime in the future, even after you have forgotten why you did what you did.

The integration of notebooks directly into ArcGIS Pro eliminates the friction of switching between different software environments. Rather than having part of your analysis within ArcGIS Pro and another part in a separate Jupyter environment, you can store your notebooks within the ArcGIS Pro projects that they relate to, so that you always have access to the notebook(s) you need. This is particularly valuable for energy infrastructure projects that may span months or years, where maintaining clear documentation of analytical decisions is critical for regulatory compliance and project continuity.

Related Terms

• ArcPy: A comprehensive and powerful library for spatial analysis, data management, and conversion that provides access to industry-leading spatial analysis and spatial machine learning algorithms and enables automation of simple or complex workflows easily.

• Jupyter Notebook: An open-source application that combines cells of live Python code with narrative text and visualizations in a single document, widely adopted by the data science community because it supports iteratively and interactively documenting, processing, analyzing, and visualizing data in a notebook format that can be saved, shared, and used to report results.

• Geoprocessing: The execution of spatial analysis tools and operations on geographic data, which can be automated through Python scripts in ArcGIS Notebooks to perform tasks like buffering, overlay analysis, or spatial statistics.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I use notebooks created in ArcGIS Pro in other environments?

ArcGIS Notebooks are simply Jupyter Notebooks (.ipynb) and can be run in any Jupyter environment or as hosted ArcGIS Notebooks in ArcGIS Enterprise or ArcGIS Online, however, it is your responsibility to make sure that any libraries used in the notebook are available in these other environments. This portability makes notebooks valuable for collaboration across teams using different platforms.

What if my code is taking too long to run?

There is an escape hatch in Notebooks: the Interrupt Kernel button, which sends a signal to the kernel to stop the execution of the cell and save you from having to wait for your errant operation to time out or fail.

Within ArcGIS Pro, Interrupt Kernel is a button in the Notebook ribbon at the top of the page.

Do I need to install Python separately to use ArcGIS Notebooks?

No. Notebooks are a fast way to get started writing Python code and do not require the installation or configuration of a Python editor.

The notebooks you create in ArcGIS Pro will leverage the ArcGIS Pro Python environment which you can customize through the Python Package Manager, the Python Command Prompt, or through Anaconda.

Can I run multiple notebooks at the same time?

ArcGIS Pro is designed to run a single Python instance, and this Python instance is shared by each open notebook in a single instance of ArcGIS Pro, so if different notebooks use the same variable name, variable name collisions could result.

To avoid potential variable name collisions, consider opening one notebook at a time, running notebooks in separate instances of ArcGIS Pro, or using unique variable names in concurrently running notebooks.

Last updated: July 14, 2026. For the latest energy news and analysis, visit stakeandpaper.com.