ArcPy

ArcPy is a Python site package that provides programmatic access to Esri's ArcGIS geoprocessing tools and workflows. It enables automation and scripting of GIS tasks, such as data management, spatial analysis, and map production, by exposing ArcGIS tools as Python functions. ArcPy is developed by Esri and is distributed with licensed installations of ArcGIS Desktop (ArcMap) and ArcGIS Pro. It is not available as a standalone library and cannot be installed via standard Python package managers; it must be installed within the ArcGIS-provided Python environment.

The ArcPy package exposes submodules that group similar tools and capabilities. Commonly used ones include arcpy.management for general geoprocessing tools (for example Buffer, Clip), arcpy.analysis for analytical tools, arcpy.da for fast data access and cursor-based data reading, arcpy.sa for Spatial Analyst operations, and arcpy.mp for automating maps and layouts in ArcGIS Pro. In ArcGIS Desktop, arcpy.mapping is used for map automation. Scripts typically set environment options via arcpy.env, create or modify datasets, run tools, and handle outputs. ArcPy is designed to work alongside other Esri APIs (for example the ArcGIS API for Python) to enable end-to-end workflows that integrate desktop GIS, web GIS, and cloud services.

Platform and licensing: ArcPy runs only within a licensed ArcGIS installation and is tied to the Python version bundled with that installation. ArcGIS Pro uses Python 3.x; older ArcGIS Desktop used Python 2.x. The interplay between ArcPy and the ArcGIS product is essential for script execution and tool availability.