The ArcGIS Pro geoprocessing tool reference contains detailed information about every geoprocessing tool provided with ArcGIS Pro as well as the environment settings that can be applied to them and any errors or warnings that may be encountered as you use them.
Note:
Documentation about geoprocessing tools provided with ArcMap is available separately; see A quick tour of geoprocessing tool references for ArcGIS Desktop.
Geoprocessing tools can also be run from ArcGIS Server using Python; see ArcGIS Server and ArcPy.
Geoprocessing tool reference content
The ArcGIS Pro geoprocessing tool reference includes topics for all geoprocessing tools and environment settings.
Geoprocessing Tools section
In ArcGIS Pro, tools are grouped into toolsets, which are then collected into toolboxes. As you browse the Geoprocessing Tools section of the ArcGIS Pro tool reference, you will see this pattern reflected in its organization.
Expand the Geoprocessing Tools heading to see information about the anatomy of a tool reference page and a list of toolboxes available in ArcGIS Pro.
Expand a specific toolbox to see the following:
- An overview that describes the purpose of the toolbox and provides a summary of each toolset the toolbox contains. When applicable, the summary also includes links to related topics.
- A licensing topic that summarizes the licensing requirements for every tool in the toolbox.
- A history topic that chronicles tool changes from release to release.
- Nodes for each toolset in the toolbox.
Expand a specific toolset to see the following:
- An overview page that describes the organizing principle of the toolset and provides a summary of each tool in the toolset.
- A reference page for each tool in the toolset. See Anatomy of a tool reference page for details on what is included on each of these pages.
- When applicable, there is also a Concepts node. This contains more detailed information about specific tools in the toolset.
Errors and warnings reference pages
Geoprocessing errors and warnings are delivered as a six-digit code and a text message. When an error or warning ID message is encountered in the Geoprocessing pane, click the link to access its reference page.
Below the Geoprocessing Tools node, expand the Tool errors and warnings node to see the errors and warnings topics. You can also conduct a search for the error to access the same page.
Environments section
Environment settings can be applied to tools and affect their results. For example, you can use the Current Workspace and Scratch Workspace environments to set default locations for tool inputs and outputs.
Below the Tool errors and warnings node, expand the Environments heading to see the What is a geoprocessing environment setting topic followed by reference pages for each of the settings organized by subject. Each environment reference page includes a summary, usage notes, and the syntax for the setting.
Use a tool
If working with tools in ArcGIS Pro is new to you or you want to understand how the tools fit within the context of the geoprocessing framework, start with the What is geoprocessing topic. If you're familiar with tools, you can review how to run the tools using the Geoprocessing pane, ModelBuilder, and Python. You can run the tools with the following:
Run a tool in the Geoprocessing pane
To run a tool in the Geoprocessing pane, complete the following steps:
- On the Analysis tab, click Tools.
The Geoprocessing pane appears.
- Select a tool to open it in the pane.
- Set input and output parameters.
Required parameters must be filled in for the tool to execute and are indicated by a red asterisk. Optional parameters can be left blank or unmodified to use a default behavior.
- Optionally, select Environments settings.
If set here, they will only be applied to this specific execution of the tool.
- Click Run.
For more details, see Find a geoprocessing tool and Run a geoprocessing tool.
Run a tool in ModelBuilder
To run a tool in ModelBuilder, complete the following steps:
- On the Analysis tab, click ModelBuilder.
A blank canvas opens for the new model.
- Drag a tool onto the model from the Geoprocessing or Catalog pane.
You can also drag additional elements onto the model, such as data, map layers, or more tools.
- Set the input and output parameters for the tool to connect your data.
Required parameters must be filled in for the tool to execute and are indicated by a red asterisk. Optional parameters can be left blank or unmodified to use a default behavior.
- Optionally, select Environments settings.
If set here, they will only be applied to this specific execution of the tool.
- Click Validate in the Run group to validate the model.
- Click Run in the Run group.
For more details, see Open ModelBuilder, Add and connect data and tools, and modify elements, and Run a model.
Run a tool in the Python window
To run a tool in Python, complete the following steps:
- On the Analysis tab, in the Geoprocessing group, click the drop-down menu under the Python button
and click the Python window button 
. - Type arcpy at the Python prompt in the window.
- Type the name of the tool.
A set of matching tools appears.
- Click the tool.
The tool is added to the code in the Python prompt.
- Enter valid parameter values.
The syntax for parameters appears when you click in the Python prompt.
The Python prompt will contain something similar to the following: arcpy.Buffer_analysis("c:/data/Portland.gdb/streets", "c:/data/Portland.gdb/steets_buffer", "500 METERS").
- Press Enter to run the tool.
For more details, see Using tools in Python.