Unable to change order of ArcGIS Enterprise map services in Map Viewer

Description

When adding an ArcGIS Enterprise map service to Map Viewer (whether in Portal for ArcGIS or ArcGIS Online), the map service layers cannot be moved above the feature layers added to the map. This can lead to points displaying beneath polygons or other similar situations.

Cause

This is by design. In Map Viewer, layers may not be moved depending on the type of layers in the map. Layers are always displayed on top of a basemap, and feature layers are always displayed on top of heat maps and tileset layers (map, imagery, and tiles). Map services, which are tile (cached) or map image (dynamics) layers, cannot be moved above feature layers.

Solution or Workaround

To allow a map service layer to be moved as a feature layer, add the individual map service layers from the layer level to Map Viewer.

1. Log in to the ArcGIS REST Services Directory, and navigate to the map service. Refer to ArcGIS Server: Components of ArcGIS URLs for more information.
2. Select the specific layer in the map service. In this example, the Cities layer is selected from the map service.

3. Copy the URL of the layer from the browser. Typically, every layer of a map service has an ID at the end of the URL such as:

 https://gisserver.domain.com:6443/arcgis/rest/services//MapServer/0

4. Open Map Viewer. Click Add > Add Layer from Web.
5. Paste the copied URL in Step 3 in the URL field. Click Add Layer. Once added to Map Viewer, the layer is treated as a feature layer that can be moved around in the layer order of other feature layers.