PROBLEM
In ArcMap, feature points do not display in the map when an edit session is started and XY values are added directly to the attribute table of a feature class. A new record is added in the attribute table with the XY values, but the feature points do not display.
It may be assumed that adding the XY coordinates manually into the attribute table display the point features. However, the point features do not display in the map because of null geometry values. The data values do not have any geometry for ArcMap to recognize and display the points, which leads to null geometry values.
The Check Geometry tool can be used to find which record has null geometry. For more information on Check Geometry tool, refer to ArcMap Web Help: Check Geometry.
There are two options to display new XY data points in ArcMap as described below:
Export and edit the attribute table in Microsoft ExcelNote: Refer to ArcMap: Creating a point or vertex at an exact x,y location (absolute x,y) for more detailed steps.
Note: The Calculate Geometry tool can also be used to add the desired XY coordinates in the attribute table. Refer to: ArcMap: Calculating area, length, and other geometric properties for more detailed steps.
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