An overview of the Package toolset

The Package toolset provides tools to consolidate, package, and share layers (.lyr), map documents (.mxd), address locators (.loc), and geoprocessing results (.rlt).

Layer files, map documents, address locators, and geoprocessing results are containers that reference data that may reside on your local disk, across your local area network, or in your enterprise geodatabase. The tools in the Package toolset allow you to consolidate all your data resources into a single folder location using the consolidation tools or into a single compressed file using the package tools. The tools in the Package toolset make it easy to organize and share your data, maps, address locators and geoprocessing workflows with others.

Packages can be easily shared with others using standard file transfer techniques, or share them with a much wider audience by publishing them to ArcGIS.com using the Share Package tool.

Tools in the Package toolset

Tool	Description
Consolidate Layer	Consolidates one or more layers by copying all referenced data sources into a single folder.
Consolidate Locator	Consolidate a locator or composite locator by copying all locators into a single folder.
Consolidate Map	Consolidates a map and all referenced data sources to a specified output folder.
Consolidate Result	Consolidates one or more geoprocessing results into a specified output folder.
Create Map Tile Package	Generates tiles from a map or basemap and packages the tiles to create a single compressed .tpk file.
Create Runtime Content	Consolidates feature layers, basemaps, network datasets, and locators from your map document into a single folder and prepares the folder for use within applications built with ArcGIS Runtime SDKs. This folder can then be provisioned to devices to use with applications that run offline (applications that can run disconnected from ArcGIS Server or ArcGIS Online).
Extract Package	Extracts the contents of a package to a specified folder. The output folder will be updated with the extracted contents of the input package.
Package Layer	Packages one or more layers and all referenced data sources to create a single compressed .lpk file.
Package Locator	Package a locator or composite locator to create a single compressed .gcpk file.
Package Map	Packages a map document and all referenced data sources to create a single compressed .mpk file.
Package Result	Packages one or more geoprocessing results, including all tools and input and output datasets, into a single compressed file (.gpk).
Share Package	Shares a package by uploading to ArcGIS online. Legacy: Signing in to ArcGIS Online or Portal for ArcGIS through ArcGIS Desktop changed in the ArcGIS Desktop 10.2 release. You must sign in to ArcGIS Online or Portal by clicking File > Sign In before launching the tool, if you see <Not signed into ArcGIS.com> in the Username parameter. See Signing in to ArcGIS Online in ArcGIS Desktop applications for more information.