In ArcGIS Online, which layer type is a zipped shapefile converted into upon being added through the web interface?

When a zipped shapefile is added to ArcGIS Online through the web interface, it is converted into a Hosted Feature Layer. This layer type allows for the storage, management, and serving of geographic data in a way that is optimized for web use. Hosted Feature Layers enable users to add, edit, and analyze the features within them, providing capabilities such as editing attributes, applying symbology, and running analyses directly in the online environment.

Unlike other layer types, a Hosted Feature Layer is specifically designed to leverage ArcGIS Online’s cloud capabilities, making it accessible to multiple users and ensuring that it can be integrated seamlessly into web maps and applications. The other options, such as Feature Collection or Layer Package, do not reflect the specific functioning of data hosted in ArcGIS Online in this context. Feature Collections are more for simpler, non-editable datasets shared for quick viewing, while Layer Packages are meant for downloadable packages that contain map layers and their associated symbology and properties, but they are not directly used for hosted data. Hosted views, on the other hand, are derived from Hosted Feature Layers primarily for sharing purposes, and thus do not represent the initial conversion of a zipped shapefile.