Replicate bookmarks from ArcGIS Pro to ArcMap

Summary

Some workflows require importing bookmarks from ArcGIS Pro to ArcMap to ensure the same extent and location are applied in both software. However, this cannot be done directly as the bookmark format of ArcGIS Pro is not backward compatible with ArcMap; ArcGIS Pro uses the .bkmx bookmark file format, while ArcMap uses the .dat bookmark file format. The bookmarks are modelled differently, and the properties are not the same. A workaround is to replicate bookmarks from ArcGIS Pro to ArcMap through ArcGIS Online with an organizational account.

Procedure

Complete the steps below to replicate bookmarks from ArcGIS Pro to ArcMap.

1. In ArcGIS Pro, share the map containing the bookmarks as a web map to ArcGIS Online. Refer to ArcGIS Pro: Share a web map for steps to complete this.
2. In ArcGIS Online, navigate to the item details page of the web map.
3. Click Open in ArcGIS Desktop > Open in ArcMap.
4. Open the ArcGIS Package Information file. The file opens the map at the bookmarked extent.
5. Save the bookmarks so they can be added to the desired ArcMap project. Refer to ArcMap: Using spatial bookmarks for more information.