Labeling Features with Attributes
Included in this tutorial:
Enabling labels
Label properties
Choosing which features are labeled with a query
Other label options
Software version in examples: ArcGIS Pro 2.9.1
Tutorial Data: The tutorial includes demonstration with sample data available here.
Credits: L. Meisterlin (2022)
This tutorial demonstrates labeling features based on values within their layer’s attribute table.
In this example demonstration,
We will label the points in the Points1_Table1_join layer with the corresponding values in the field called “Categ.”
Then we will narrow the number of features with labels based on a simple query: labeling only the features with values greater than 0.9 in the “Dec_A” field.
The demonstration also highlights other options for formatting and manipulating labels.
Enable Labels
To access the labelling functions, right-click on the layer’s name in the Contents panel. There, you will find a few different options, including the “Label” toggle which enables labeling.
the Label toggle
Enabling Labels will generate labels for each feature, based on a default field in the attribute table (which may not be what you want). There may be a delay depending on the number of features in your feature class.
Labeling Properties
To access the properties and customize the labels, right-click on the layer’s name in the Contents panel and click “Labeling Properties…” (In the demonstration gifs, left-clicks are shown in magenta and right-clicks in yellow.) Note that Labels are already enabled in the demonstration below.
This summons the Label Class panel, where you will find the properties and options for labeling features based on attributes.
In the first panel (”Class”), designate how you would like features to be labeled by building an expression using the values in the attribute table (the fields are listed) alone or in combination. There are four language options for you to build your expression. (If you are not familiar with programming, then VBScript is often the most straightforward for students to pick up.)
In the example below, we label features based on their values in the “Categ” field of the attribute table.
Changing the Labeling Properties: choosing an attribute field for label values
Note that there may be a delay between clicking “Apply” and seeing the changes on your map depending on how many features are included in your feature class.
Choosing which Features are Labeled with a Query
You can choose which features are labeled based on one or more attributes by building a query, under the SQL Query options.
In the demonstration below, we narrow the labeled features to those with a value greater than 0.9 in the “Dec_A” field of the layer’s attribute table.
choosing which features to label based on a query
Other Label Options
The demonstration below walks through the interface, highlighting where to find different labeling options.
Under the Symbol menu of the Label Class panel, you can find the options to change the formatting of the label text. Under the Position menu of the Label Class panel, you can change the positioning of the label relative to its corresponding feature.
You can find the options to the label text to an annotation or a graphic by right-clicking on the layer’s name in the Contents panel.
other options for formatting and customizing feature labels