Why does running a script in Notebooks in ArcGIS Online return a warning?

Answer

When attempting to run a script in ArcGIS Notebooks in ArcGIS Online, the following warning message is returned.

Warning:
UserWarning: You are logged on as <username> with an administrator role, proceed with caution.

This behavior is known in ArcGIS Notebooks when the user is logged in with an account that has administrative privileges. Administrators have the capability to make changes that could affect the entire system or organization. This includes managing users, modifying settings, and altering data.

This warning is intended to prevent accidental changes leading to unintended consequences. For example, accidentally running a script that deletes a dataset may impact the workflow of other members in the organization.

As a best practice, double-check the script when logged in with administrative privileges to avoid unintended changes. If possible, perform sensitive operations in a test environment before applying changes to production environments. Use non-administrative accounts for routine tasks to minimize the risk of accidental changes and limit the potential impact on system-wide settings and data. In addition, before making significant changes, ensure that important data is backed up to allow recovery.