Plan your migration: classic Esri Story Maps retires in early 2026
Classic Esri Story Maps have served us well, but their retirement date is fast approaching in early 2026. If you still have content in the classic Esri Story Maps templates, now is the time to act because once they are gone, your stories will be too!
Back in 2019, with the launch of ArcGIS StoryMaps, it was announced that classic Esri Story maps were on their way towards retirement. Six years later, retirement is right around the corner. For ArcGIS Online users, we are set to say goodbye in Q1 2026 (currently set for February 25, 2026).
Classic Esri Story Maps retirement timeline
Why does this matter?
When the retirement happens, any content left in classic Esri Story Maps will no longer be accessible. That means your hard work, your stories and your data will no longer be accessible via their earlier URLs. To keep you covered, we’re outlining some helpful tips and resources to get you migrated in time to ArcGIS StoryMaps.
Why is this happening?
As described in the Deprecation Notice, Classic Esri Story Maps was built on Esri’s legacy ArcGIS API 3.x for JavaScript, which officially retired on July 1, 2024. Rather than continuing to update Classic Story Maps, Esri introduced ArcGIS StoryMaps.
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ArcGIS StoryMaps is the modern storytelling platform, faster, more secure and packed with new features. Migrating now ensures your stories continue to shine with the latest capabilities. |
What You Need to Do
Start migrating your content today. The sooner you begin, the smoother the transition will be. Waiting until the last minute could mean scrambling, or worse, losing valuable content.
We know this sounds like a big job, but you are not alone! There are many tools at your disposal to make this process easier including:
Helpful Resources to Guide You
Managing the classic Esri Story Maps retirement in your organization
This blog offers clear guidance, practical tools and expert tips to make your migration seamless and successful. It is the perfect starting point for managing the transition from Classic Esri Story Maps and unlocking the full potential of ArcGIS StoryMaps.
Retired Apps Cataloger
This tool scans your portal and generates a list of apps scheduled for retirement. With a few small tweaks, it is perfect for prioritizing what needs attention first.
Using the retired apps cataloger to find all classic Esri Story Maps in my ArcGIS Online organization
Classic Story Map Conversion Tool
This tool automates much of the heavy lifting by converting classic Series, Journal and Cascade stories into the modern ArcGIS StoryMaps format. It saves time and reduces manual work.
Converting a classic Esri Story Map to the new ArcGIS StoryMaps using the conversion tool
Converting from classic Esri Story Maps to ArcGIS StoryMaps is not always the best choice. The ArcGIS Configurable Apps Depreciation Notice outlines each app that is facing retirement and recommends the modern template that could be used to replace it. For example, moving from Story Map Series to the ArcGIS Instant Apps Portfolio template.
Once you have rebuilt your applications, don't forget to use the new ability to set a replacement item. Once the app has retired, users will be redirected to the new item when accessing the earlier application's URL.
The retirement is set for Q1 2026, aligning with typical ArcGIS Online updates, which is currently scheduled for February 25th, 2026. Don’t wait until the last minute. Start today and ensure your content lives on in the new ArcGIS StoryMaps experience. Your stories deserve a future; let’s make sure they have one.