What permission is required to create or manage hosted layers in ArcGIS Online?

To create or manage hosted layers in ArcGIS Online, a user needs the Publisher role or a higher role. The Publisher role is specifically designed to grant the necessary permissions for users to publish content, which includes creating and managing hosted layers, as well as sharing those layers with other users or groups within the organization.

While the Administrator role also has these capabilities, the requirement would not be restricted only to administrators. Rather, the Publisher role enables greater flexibility in managing GIS content without requiring full administrative privileges. Users assigned this role can handle various essential tasks related to content creation and management, ensuring that teams can work effectively without needing to elevate every task to an administrator level.

The Viewer and Contributor roles do not suffice for layer management since they offer limited permissions. The Viewer role allows for viewing content only, while the Contributor can add content but cannot manage or publish hosted layers. This structure helps maintain control and security, ensuring that layer management tasks are performed only by users with appropriate privileges.