Use an AI assistant to explore the pickleball market

To help you with your map-based analytics workflows, ArcGIS Business Analyst Web App includes an AI assistant—Business Analyst assistant (preview). This assistant can create complete maps based on a text prompt or be embedded in longer workflows to increase productivity, making it useful for both new and experienced users.

In this tutorial, you're interested in expanding a business that sells pickleball equipment. Using the assistant, you'll generate a color-coded map showing pickleball activity to help inform where your next target market should be located. You'll also learn how the assistant can provide tips about ways to improve your map.

This tutorial was last tested on November 6, 2025.

Requirements

• ArcGIS organizational account with a Publisher, Facilitator, or Administrator role (see options for software access)
• Business Analyst Web App

Use an AI assistant to explore the pickleball market

Create a project

To start, you'll enable the assistant and create a project in Business Analyst Web App.

1. Go to Business Analyst Web App.
2. If you are not signed in, click Sign In. Sign in with your ArcGIS organizational account.

   Note:

   If you don't have an organizational account, see options for software access.

   Your account must be licensed to use Business Analyst Web App. If you are the administrator of your organization, you can assign yourself a license. Otherwise, you'll need to contact your administrator for permission.

3. If necessary, close the Welcome or What's new in Business Analyst window.

   You'll ensure that Business Analyst assistant (preview) is enabled.

4. On the ribbon, point to the Business Analyst assistant (preview) button.

   

   If the assistant is available, a tooltip appears that reads Business Analyst assistant (preview). If the assistant is unavailable, a tooltip appears that instructs you to contact your ArcGIS organization administrator to enable the assistant for your organization.

   Note:

   If the assistant is unavailable, follow the instructions in the tooltip.

   Now that you've confirmed the assistant is enabled, you'll create a project.

5. On the ribbon, confirm the Home tab is selected.

   

6. Click New project.

   

7. In the Create project window, for Project name, type Pickleball Market Research and add your name or initials.

   Note:

   Two projects with the same name can't exist in the same ArcGIS organization. Adding your name or initials to the project name ensures it is unique.

8. Click Create.

   A message explains that the project is being created. When it finishes, a confirmation message appears.

9. In the confirmation message, check Open new projects as soon as they are created and click OK.

   Note:

   Alternatively, you can open your project by closing the confirmation window and finding the project under the Projects tab on the Home page. Point to the project and click Open project to open it.

   The project appears.

   Before you continue, you'll confirm you're using a data source appropriate for your area of interest, which is in the United States.

10. On the ribbon, confirm Data source is set to USA (Esri 2025) (or a more recent year if available).

    

    Note:

    If a different data source is selected, click the Data source button. In the list of data sources, click USA.

    There is data available in 170 countries. While this tutorial will use data from the United States, the assistant can also generate maps using data from other countries.

Generate a map

Next, you'll explore the demand for the fastest-growing sport in the United States, pickleball, using Business Analyst assistant (preview). The assistant uses a large language model (LLM) to recommend workflows, such as creating maps, locating points of interest, generating reports, and more.

1. On the ribbon, click the Business Analyst assistant (preview) button.

   

   The Assistant (preview) window appears.

   Business Analyst assistant (preview) helps new users learn how to use Business Analyst Web App and guides existing users to increase their productivity. The assistant interprets your text prompts and suggests workflows for you to choose from.

   Note:

   You can learn more about the assistant, including information about data security, privacy, and limitations, in the Business Analyst assistant (preview) overview topic.

2. In the Assistant (preview) window, click the suggested prompt Map income in.

   

   A suggested prompt, Create a map of income in California, appears with key text highlighted in green. You'll change the key text to prompt the assistant to create a map of pickleball within your area of interest. For this tutorial, your area of interest is Salt Lake County, Utah.

   Note:

   You can use any area of interest in the prompt, including your own city or county. If you use a different area of interest, you'll receive different results. If your area of interest is outside the United States, you'll receive better results if you change your data source to the appropriate country.

3. In the generated example prompt, replace income with pickleball and replace California with Salt Lake County.

   

   The prompt is complete. You're ready to create the map.

4. Click Generate.

   

   The Assistant (preview) pane appears. It suggests creating a color-coded map of the variable Participated in Pickleball Last 12 Mo for Salt Lake County, UT. This suggestion is appropriate for your interests, as it'll show where people have often played pickleball over the past year.

5. In the Assistant (preview) pane, for the suggested color-coded map, click Create map.

   

   The color-coded map of Salt Lake County is generated.

   

   On the map, areas with darker colors have had more pickleball activity over the past 12 months.

Change the area of interest

The generated map includes census block groups in Salt Lake County. This map is useful, but you can also use the assistant to adjust or refine your results. For instance, assume you've decided you also want to consider expanding to a neighboring county. You'll use the assistant to learn how to change the extent of the mapped data.

1. In the Assistant (preview) pane, under Tips, click How do I change the area of interest?

   

   The Area of interest section in the Color-coded maps pane is highlighted and a tip appears.

   

   Using the option highlighted by the tip, you'll add another area of interest.

2. In the Change the area of interest tip window, click OK.
3. For Area of interest, click the search button.

   

4. In the search box, type Utah County. In the list of results, click Utah County, UT.

   

   Utah County, UT is added to the area of interest and the map automatically updates. Now, it shows pickleball data for two counties.

   

Change the map colors

Lastly, you'll also use the assistant to learn how to change the colors used in the map.

1. In the Assistant (preview) pane, under Tips, click View more and choose How do I change the map colors?

   

   The tip highlights the Show style options button under Style in the Color-coded maps pane.

   

2. Click the Show style options button.
3. In the Style options pane, for Color ramp, choose the green to blue ramp.

   

   The colors used on the map change.

   

In this tutorial, you learned how to search for points of interest, you generated a map of pickleball activity using Business Analyst assistant (preview). You also used the assistant to learn how to make changes to your map such as adjusting the area of interest and using different colors. These are only some of the many things the assistant can help you do. Try using the assistant to create your own map, showing something of interest to the area where you live. With the large international datasets available in Business Analyst, there is almost no limit to the number of maps you can create.

This tutorial showcased a short beginner workflow. To learn how to incorporate Business Analyst assistant (preview) into a longer workflow, try the tutorial Choose candidate areas for a convenience store.

You can find more tutorials in the tutorial gallery.

Acknowledgements

• This tutorial workflow is based on the 2024 Esri User Conference Plenary ArcGIS Business Analyst demonstration, presented by Jess Altamira and developed with support from Helen Thompson, Chris Alvarez, Donna Buhr, Garry Burgess, and Leann Kurias.
• © 2024 Adobe Stock. All rights reserved.
• World Streets Map: Esri, HERE, Garmin, USGS, Intermap, INCREMENT P, NRCAN, Esri Japan, METI, Esri China (Hong Kong), NOSTRA, OpenStreetMap contributors, and the GIS User Community