Add and configure images
Images make your content visually engaging and extend the impact of narrative text.
Add images
You can add images to stories, briefings, frames, and collections.
In stories, you can add an image to the cover, the body of a story, sidecar narrative panels, sidecar media panels, map tour media panels, express map pop-ups, image galleries, swipes, and timelines.
In briefings, you can add video to the cover, briefing slide panels of any type, express map pop-ups, image galleries, swipes, and as a briefing attachment.
In frames, you can add an image to frame slide panels on any slide.
In collections, you can add an image as a collection item.
Images can be added by uploading files from your computer or by linking images hosted on a web server or on third-party websites; however, linked images cannot be added on the cover.
Important:
Uploaded media files must meet the media file requirements. For information about these requirements and best practices for uploading media, see Media file reference.
If you are using ArcGIS StoryMaps in an ArcGIS Enterprise environment connected to the internet, the ability to add linked media must be enabled by an administrator in the organization settings.
Image options
The sections below summarize the available configuration options for images. You can access Image options by hovering over an image and clicking the Options button.
Display options for inline images
The following options are available on the Display tab for images in the main body of a story and sidecar narrative panels.
Fit image to screen—Enable this option for portrait images you want readers to see in their entirety without scrolling. This constraint does not apply when the story is viewed on a small screen, and other image sizing options may have no effect when it is enabled.
Attribution—Add attribution to give credit to the content creator.
Image link—Add a URL that will open in a new tab when readers click this image. An image with a link cannot be expanded.
Display options for media panel images
The following options are available (except where noted) on the Display tab for images in a sidecar media panel, map tour media panel, briefing slide panel, frame slide panel, and cover. A subset of these options are available for images in swipes, timelines, and image galleries.
Allow readers to expand image—Readers can tap or click to make the image larger and see the full extent of cropped images. This option is not available for cover or map tour media.
Preview and Placement—Configure how the image is positioned in its panel.
Attribution—Add attribution to give credit to the content creator.
Caption—Add caption text that is visible when readers expand the media. This option is available only in briefing slide panels.
Accessibility options
The Alternative text option is available on the Accessibility tab for all images.
Preview and placement
There are two options for placing media in a media panel:
Fill—The media covers the entire media panel. This will crop the media so there is no empty space around it in the panel. You can control how the media is cropped by adjusting the focal point (see below).
Fit—Shows the full extent of the media inside the frame, even if it leaves empty space around the edges. The media is never cropped when using this option.
Use the following steps to configure the media placement:
Choose a placement: Fill or Fit
Configure the selected placement option:
When choosing Fill, you may need to adjust the media focal point. The focal point will never be cropped out, so you should place it at the most important part of the media. Adjust the focal point by clicking the media preview where you want the focal point to be positioned.
When choosing Fit, specify a background effect for the area behind the media:
Color—Use the color picker to choose a color to fill the background of the media panel.
Blur effect—A soft, out-of-focus version of the media fills the empty space around it.
Click Save.
Note:
Placement of media on a cover is preset to Fill or Fit depending on the cover layout, but you can adjust the available placement options mentioned in step 2 above.
Add attribution
You can add attribution for uploaded and linked images to give credit to the content creator.
Use the following steps to add attribution for media:
Hover over the media and click the Options button.
Type or paste citation text in the Attribution field on the Display tab.
Optionally, select text and format it using the formatting toolbar.
Click Save.
The attribution can be seen by hovering over the information icon in the top corner of the media.
Add a caption
Use the following steps to add a caption for media:
Hover over the media and click the Options button ⛭.
Type or paste the caption text in the Caption field on the Display tab.
Optionally, select text and format it using the formatting toolbar.
Click Save.
The attribution can be seen by hovering over the information icon ℹ️ in the top corner of the media.
Add an image link
Use the following steps to add a link to an image:
Hover over the media and click the Options button.
Type or paste the link URL in the Image link field on the Display tab.
Click Save.
The image link can be previewed by hovering over the image and clicking it.
Add alternative text
Alternative text is required for media to provide support for search engines and readers using assistive technologies. Alternative text is also shown to readers if the media can’t be loaded.
Use the following steps to add alternative text to media:
Hover over the media and click the Options button ⛭.
Click the Accessibility tab.
Type or paste alternative text that describes the media in the Alternative text field.
Tip:
You can use AI to generate alternative text suggestions for your content. To generate alternative text, click the Suggest button. You can edit the suggested alternative text, if needed.
For more information about enabling this feature, see ArcGIS StoryMaps assistant.
Click Save.
Alternative text is added for the media.
Edit images (beta)
Beta:
Image editor is in beta. If you encounter issues with a beta feature, share your feedback on the Esri Community.
You can crop and mark up images using the image editor. Open the image editor by hovering over an uploaded image and clicking Edit.
On the Crop tab, you can alter the dimensions of the image. Drag the corners of the resizing box that appears over the image to crop it. You can use the menus to apply a preset shape or aspect ratio to the cropped image. To reorient the image, use the Rotate and Flip buttons.
Click Markup to show the image markup controls. From the toolbar, you can add various elements, including colored pins, numbered points, lines, shapes, and arrows. Use the Scale button to change the size and thickness of the markup elements on the image.
After applying edits, click Save to apply the changes and close the image editor.
Resize image
In a story, to change the size of a block, hover over the block and click Small, Medium, or Large. Alternatively, you can choose Float left or Float right to position the block on one side of the page and have text flow around it.
Note:
An image's original size determines which block sizes are available. Images must be a minimum of 1,200 pixels wide for medium and 1,920 pixels wide for large.
Replace image
Complete the following steps to replace media:
Hover over the media and click the More actions button.
Click Replace.
Upload or link to a new piece of media.
- To upload a media file from your computer, drag a file to the Upload tab or click the Browse your files button to find the file.
Click Replace.
The media is replaced.
Delete image
Use the following steps to delete media:
Hover over the media and click the More actions button.
Click the Delete button.
The media is deleted.