✏️ Bulk Update Field Aliases in a Geodatabase Using ArcPy and CSV

 

✏️ Bulk Update Field Aliases in a Geodatabase Using ArcPy and CSV

Maintaining clear and readable aliases for fields in your GIS layers is vital for both data clarity and user experience. Whether you’re preparing datasets for a client, public release, or internal documentation, consistent aliases make a big difference.

Here’s a handy Python script using ArcPy that lets you batch-update field aliases using a CSV file—no more clicking through each field in ArcGIS Pro!

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🧾 What the Script Does

• Reads a CSV file containing:

  • Dataset name (optional)

  • Feature class name

  • Field name

  • New alias

• Locates the feature class in the specified .gdb

• Applies the new alias using AlterField_management

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📦 Folder Setup

Your project folder might look like this:

objectivec
MPDA_MigratedData_25_03/
│
├── MPDA_MigratedData.gdb/
│     └── (your feature classes & datasets)
│
└── BackUP/
      └── AliasNamesToUpdate.csv

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📄 Sample CSV Structure

csv
DatasetName,FeatureClassName,FieldName,AliasName
,CityBoundaries,City_ID,City Identifier
LandUse,Parcels,LU_CODE,Land Use Code
Admin,Regions,ADM_NAME,Administrative Name

If the feature class is at the root level of the GDB (not inside a dataset), leave DatasetName blank.

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💻 Python Script (ArcPy)

python
import arcpy
import csv
import os
import codecs

# === INPUTS ===
gdb_path = r"C:\Path\To\Your.gdb"
csv_path = r"C:\Path\To\AliasNamesToUpdate.csv"

# Read CSV with UTF-8-SIG (handles BOM from Excel)
with codecs.open(csv_path, 'r', encoding='utf-8-sig') as csvfile:
    reader = csv.DictReader(csvfile)
    reader.fieldnames = [col.strip() for col in reader.fieldnames]
    print("🟢 Headers:", reader.fieldnames)

    for row in reader:
        dataset_name = row['DatasetName'].strip()
        feature_class = row['FeatureClassName'].strip()
        field_name = row['FieldName'].strip()
        alias_name = row['AliasName'].strip()

        # Get full path to feature class
        full_fc_path = os.path.join(gdb_path, dataset_name, feature_class) if dataset_name else os.path.join(gdb_path, feature_class)

        if arcpy.Exists(full_fc_path):
            print(f"🔄 Processing: {full_fc_path} ➤ Field: {field_name}")
            try:
                arcpy.AlterField_management(
                    in_table=full_fc_path,
                    field=field_name,
                    new_field_alias=alias_name
                )
                print(f"✅ Updated alias to: {alias_name}")
            except Exception as e:
                print(f"⚠️ Failed to update alias for {field_name}: {e}")
        else:
            print(f"❌ Feature class not found: {full_fc_path}")

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🔄 Why Use This?

• Speeds up metadata cleanup

• Enables non-GIS staff to manage aliases via Excel

• Reduces manual errors

• Keeps alias naming consistent across large datasets

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🧠 Pro Tips

• Test on a copy of your geodatabase first.

• To also rename fields, use new_field_name= in the same function.

• Works in ArcGIS Pro (Python 3) or ArcMap (Python 2)—but always use the version that matches your .gdb.