Install ArcGIS Documentation Center and help components

ArcGIS Documentation Center is the local help system for all Esri products, including ArcGIS AllSource. Doc Center is a stand-alone application that is linked to locally-installed documentation sets (doc sets) for one or more installed Esri products. From Doc Center you can open existing help content, update doc sets to latest versions, and download content for other Esri applications.

To set up Doc Center application and AllSource help content you will follow these general steps:

Download ArcGIS Documentation Center.
Install Doc Center.
Install ArcGIS AllSource and ArcGIS Pro documentation sets. Both doc sets are required for ArcGIS AllSource help content.

Detailed steps are in the following sections.

Download ArcGIS Documentation Center

Before installing the app you need to download the install package. Doc Center can be downloaded from My Esri.

Centralize documentation for your organization

Doc Center allows you to set up and manage documentation from one centralized folder on a network. All instances of Doc Center using the networked folder as it's root folder use any doc sets installed there. Meaning you can manage all of your Esri product documentation from one location. This makes maintaining and updating documentation much easier.

Download ArcGIS Documentation Center.
Set up a network folder that client systems can access. This will be your root folder.
Install Doc Center app.
Configure Doc Center to use appSettings.json with the rootFolder parameter set to your root folder.
Install ArcGIS AllSource and ArcGIS Pro documentation sets. The doc sets should be installed to the root folder.
Install ArcGIS AllSource and Doc Center on client systems.
Deploy the appSettings.json file to each user account on client systems.

Install Doc Center

Doc Center can be installed two different ways: by launching the install wizard from the .exe, and using the command line.

Install Doc Center from the application

Install Doc Center using the installation wizard by following the steps below:

Browse to the folder where ArcGIS Documentation Center was downloaded.
Double-click on the install .exe.

The installation wizard opens.
Click Next to continue.
Review the master agreement and choose an option:
- If you agree to the terms, click I accept the master agreement.
- If you do not agree to the terms, click Cancel to exit the installation.
Click Next.
Choose the installation context:
- Click Anyone who uses this computer (all users) (the default) for a per-machine installation.
- Click Only for me for a per-user installation.
Note:

You must have administrative privileges to make a per-machine installation.
Click Next.
Under Destination Folder, accept the default installation location, or click Change to specify a different folder.

The default location for a per-machine installation is \<System Drive\>\Program Files\ArcGIS\DocumentationCenter. For a per-user installation the default folder is \<System Drive\>\Users\\<username\>\AppData\Local\Programs\ArcGIS\DocumentationCenter

Note:

If you choose a location other than the default, it is recommended that the path include a folder and not be the root location of a drive. The modified path does not append \ArcGIS\DocumentationCenter\ by default.
Click Next.
Click Install to begin the installation.

A status dialog appears.
Click Finish.

Install Doc Center from the command line

If you are an administrator using a script or deployment server you can install Doc Center silently.

Open a command prompt as an administrator
Run the following command to install Doc Center

msiexec.exe /i <setup staging location>\DocCenter.msi ACCEPTEULA=YES /qb

For example:

msiexec.exe /i c:\temp\downloads\DocCenter.msi ACCEPTEULA=YES /qb

Parameter	Description
/i <product msi>	Install the product from an .msi file
ACCEPTEULA=YES	This parameter is required to accept the End User License Agreement (EULA) during a silent installation. Specify `ACCEPTEULA=YES` to agree to the EULA and install the software. The software will not install if you specify NO or omit this parameter.
/q<b \| n \| r \| f>	Progress and error notification. Use only one option. - /qb - Basic progress status UI (recommended). - /qr - Reduced progress status. - /qn - No progress status. - /qf - Full progress status.
/help	Displays the full help options for msiexec.
/x <product code>	Uninstall the product using its product code.

Configure Doc Center installation with appSettings.json

You can configure the Doc Center by using appSettings.json file. This file is used by Doc Center to configure and store user-modifiable parameters. The file is located in the user's %LocalAppData%\ESRI\ArcGISDocCenter folder.

Important:

Users can override these settings by modifying them in the app in Browsing history and more , clicking Settings .

Create an appSettings.json file.
Install Doc Center on each user's system.
Deploy the file to %LocalAppData%\ESRI\ArcGISDocCenter on each user's system.

Create appSettings.json file

Create the file to manage settings for Doc Center. Do the following:

Create a file named appSettings.json.

Paste the following text into the file:

{
  "init": true,
  "allowedHosts": "*",
  "endpoints": {
    "documentationSets": {
      "url": "https://doc.esri.com/offline-help/packages/all"
    },
    "webHelp": {
      "url": "https://doc.esri.com/en/arcgis-doc-center/"
    },
    "softwareUpdate": {
      "url": "https://doc.esri.com/offline-help/installer/"
    }
  },
  "webServer": {
    "defaultFileNames": [
      "index.html",
      "default.html"
    ],
    "portPreferences": [
      {
        "order": 0,
        "port": 13774
      },
      {
        "order": 1,
        "port": 13322
      },
      {
        "order": 2,
        "port": 14357
      }
    ],
    "portScan": {
      "minValue": 20000,
      "maxValue": 60000,
      "limit": 10
    },
    "rootFolder": "\\\\<server_name>\\<folder_path>"
  },
  "language": "en",
  "theme": "Theme.Auto"
}

Change the root folder by modifying rootFolder under webServer as follows:
```
"rootFolder": "\\\\<server_name>\\<folder_path>"
```
For example, a server named Polaris has a shared folder arcgis_documentation where docsets will be stored:
```
"rootFolder": "\\\\Polaris\\arcgis_documentation"
```

Optionally, set static ports for the local help web server by modifying portPreferences under webServer as follows:

 "portPreferences": [
   {
     "order": 0,
     "port": <first_port_number>
   },
   {
     "order": 1,
     "port": <second_port_number>
   },
   {
     "order": 2,
     "port": <third_port_number>
   }
 ],

Where port is the available port number, and order is the zero-based sequence in which they are used. The following example sets all three ports with custom port numbers:

 "portPreferences": [
   {
     "order": 0,
     "port": 13445
   },
   {
     "order": 1,
     "port": 13447
   },
   {
     "order": 2,
     "port": 13449
   }
 ],

Note:

Default port numbers are in this order: 13774, 13322, and 14357.

appSettings.json example

An example of the appSettings.json file is shown below. Default port numbers are used, but a custom root folder is added.

{
  "init": true,
  "allowedHosts": "*",
  "endpoints": {
    "documentationSets": {
      "url": "https://doc.esri.com/offline-help/packages/all"
    },
    "webHelp": {
      "url": "https://doc.esri.com/en/arcgis-doc-center/"
    },
    "softwareUpdate": {
      "url": "https://doc.esri.com/offline-help/installer/"
    }
  },
  "webServer": {
    "defaultFileNames": [
      "index.html",
      "default.html"
    ],
    "portPreferences": [
      {
        "order": 0,
        "port": 13774
      },
      {
        "order": 1,
        "port": 13322
      },
      {
        "order": 2,
        "port": 14357
      }
    ],
    "portScan": {
      "minValue": 20000,
      "maxValue": 60000,
      "limit": 10
    },
    "rootFolder": "\\\\Tycho\\doc_share\\arcgis_docsets"
  },
  "language": "en",
  "theme": "Theme.Auto"
}

Download ArcGIS AllSource and ArcGIS Pro doc sets

ArcGIS AllSource uses doc sets from ArcGIS AllSource and also ArcGIS Pro. Both applications share a functions and capabilities, and though the help content was primarily written for ArcGIS Pro it is relevant to both apps. Learn more about the ArcGIS AllSource help system.

After Doc Center is installed you need to download doc sets for both ArcGIS AllSource and ArcGIS Pro. Both doc sets are required for ArcGIS AllSource.

Open ArcGIS Documentation Center.
Click Library tab.
Click Product Name filter and select both ArcGIS AllSource and ArcGIS Pro.

A gallery of doc sets for both products is shown.
Find the card for the relevant versions and click Download.

Important:

The ArcGIS AllSource version number is not the same as the ArcGIS Pro version number. If you are not certain which version of ArcGIS Pro help matches your installed version of ArcGIS AllSource you can find the compatible versions in Release Notes. Doc sets are available for ArcGIS AllSource 1.6 and ArcGIS Pro 3.7 and later. Earlier versions used a different local documentation system.

The doc sets are now installed on your local system and are ready to be used in ArcGIS AllSource or opened Doc Center.