Convert KML to Shapefile
Free, private and fast: everything runs in your browser and your KML file is never uploaded.
KML to Shapefile: why convert
Google Earth and My Maps export KML, but many GIS programs, authorities and clients still ask for shapefiles. This converter turns your KML into shapefiles you can open directly in ArcGIS Pro, QGIS or AutoCAD Map 3D. It handles the things that usually go wrong: mixed geometry types, long field names, special characters and the coordinate system. Everything runs in your browser with GDAL, so your file is never uploaded.
How to convert KML to Shapefile
- Drop your .kml file in the box, or click to choose it.
- Optionally choose a coordinate system for the output, for example a UTM zone.
- Click Convert and download a .zip with the shapefiles.
What changes when you convert
Points, lines and polygons are split
A KML file can mix placemarks of every type, but a shapefile can only hold one geometry type. The converter therefore writes one shapefile per type, for example Sights_points.shp and Routes_lines.shp, and packs them in one .zip. Converters that skip this step silently drop everything except the first type.
Field names are cut to 10 characters
The shapefile attribute table (.dbf) only allows field names of up to 10 characters, so "Description" becomes "Descriptio". Text values longer than 254 characters, such as long HTML descriptions, are cut off.
The coordinate system is included
KML is always WGS84. By default the shapefile stays in WGS84 (EPSG:4326) and gets a .prj file so GIS programs place it correctly. Choose a projected system such as a UTM zone if you need to measure distances and areas in meters.
Special characters survive
The attribute table is written as UTF-8 and a .cpg file tells ArcGIS and QGIS which encoding to use, so names with characters like æ, ø, ü or é display correctly.
Styles and folders
Colors and icons are not part of a shapefile and are dropped. Each KML folder becomes its own shapefile, named after the folder.
About the formats
KML
KML (Keyhole Markup Language) is the XML format behind Google Earth and Google My Maps, and an OGC standard since 2008. Besides geometry it can hold styles, icons, folders and descriptions in HTML.
- Always WGS84 longitude, latitude and optional altitude.
- Folders group placemarks; each folder can become its own layer when converting.
- Styles (colors, line widths, icons) are specific to KML and Google Earth.
Shapefile
The Esri Shapefile is the most widely used GIS vector format. A single "shapefile" is really a set of files with the same name: .shp holds the geometry, .shx an index, .dbf the attribute table, and the optional .prj the coordinate system and .cpg the text encoding.
- Needs at least .shp, .shx and .dbf. Upload them together or as one .zip.
- Field names are limited to 10 characters and text values to 254 characters.
- Each shapefile holds one geometry type only: points, lines or polygons.
- Without a .prj file the coordinate system is unknown.
Frequently asked questions
Which files do I get in the zip?
For every shapefile you get .shp (geometry), .shx (index), .dbf (attributes), .prj (coordinate system) and .cpg (encoding). Keep them together; most programs need all of them.
Can I open the result in ArcGIS Pro and QGIS?
Yes. Unzip the download and add the .shp file. Both programs read the .prj and .cpg files automatically.
Does the altitude from Google Earth survive?
Yes. Coordinates with altitude are written as 3D shapefiles (PointZ, PolylineZ, PolygonZ).
Is there a size limit?
The limit is your browser's memory. Files up to about 200 MB normally work. For larger files, use ogr2ogr from GDAL on your own computer.