Permanently reorder fields in a feature class using the Export Features tool in ArcGIS Pro

Summary

In ArcGIS Pro, the fields of a feature class can be reordered in a current map in the Fields view. However, the fields cannot be permanently reordered at the database level. The attribute table below shows the fields’ order of the ‘UtahCounties’ feature class.

In some instances, the fields must be permanently reordered. This article describes a workaround using the Export Features tool to write the features from the feature class to a new feature class, and reorder the fields in the Field Map section.

Procedure

Warning: 
This workaround does not preserve existing relationship classes in the output feature class containing the reordered fields. Esri recommends copying the dataset to a new geodatabase and using the new geodatabase before reordering fields to ensure changes made are not applied to the original geodatabase.

Note:
It is not possible to reorder the OBJECTID, Shape, Shape_Length, and Shape_Area fields.

1. In ArcGIS Pro, click the Analysis tab.
2. Under the Geoprocessing group, click Tools.

3. In the Geoprocessing pane, in the Find Tools search box, search for and select the Export Features tool.

4. Specify the parameters of the tool.
   1. Select the existing feature class under Input Features.
   2. Provide a name for Output Feature Class, and click Browse to specify the location of the new feature class.

5. Scroll down, and click Fields to expand the list of the fields in the feature class.
6. Under Field Map and under Output Fields, hover over the desired field. An ellipsis icon displays beside the field.

7. Drag and drop the ellipsis icon of each desired field to rearrange the field. In this example, the pop field is positioned before the Shape_Length field.

8. Click Run.

A new feature class is created and added to the map. The image below shows the rearranged field order in the new feature class, UtahCounties2.