As of the current landscape, ArcGIS 10.8 is a legacy product. While the "ArcGoogle" workaround is functional, it is not sustainable. Google enforces API quotas, and Esri has discontinued support for new add-ins on ArcMap.
Recommendation: Use this method for temporary visualization only. For permanent projects, either:
However, for the academic researcher or small business locked into ArcGIS 10.8 due to legacy script dependencies, ArcGoogle remains a powerful, cost-effective hack to get modern satellite imagery onto your desktop. arcgoogle for arcgis 10.8
If the setup proves too complex or unstable, consider these official alternatives that work seamlessly with 10.8:
ArcGIS Desktop (ArcMap) is aging software. One of its biggest drawbacks is the difficulty in adding modern, high-resolution web basemaps (like Google Satellite or Google Hybrid) into a project. As of the current landscape, ArcGIS 10
If you have a Google Cloud Platform account and a Maps API key:
ArcGIS 10.8 includes free, fast, license-free basemaps that are often better for GIS:
| Google Service | ArcGIS 10.8 Replacement |
|----------------|--------------------------|
| Google Satellite | World Imagery |
| Google Roads | World Street Map |
| Google Terrain | World Topographic Map |
| Google Hybrid | Add World Imagery + World Transportation together with transparency | However, for the academic researcher or small business
How to add: File → Add Data → Add Basemap → pick from gallery.
"ArcGoogle" is a colloquial term referring to methods, scripts, and third-party connectors that allow Google Maps or Google Earth imagery to be accessed within ArcGIS. For version 10.8, this is particularly relevant because:
Successfully implementing "ArcGoogle" means configuring ArcGIS 10.8 to read Google’s tile servers as a raster layer.