KML to Shapefile Converter
Turn KML files into ESRI shapefiles in seconds. Free, private and attribute-safe, with the coordinate system of your choice.
Accepted: .kml, .kmz. Up to 20.0 MB, converted on your device.
Your file never leaves your device. Nothing is stored on any server.
KML is what Google Earth, Google My Maps and most phone GPS apps produce, but surveying and planning work usually happens in QGIS or ArcGIS, which prefer shapefiles. This converter reads the whole KML document, including nested folders, MultiGeometry, polygon holes and gx:Track recordings, and writes clean shapefiles with a proper attribute table and projection file. Zipped KMZ files are accepted too.
How to convert KML to Shapefile
Drop a .kml file (or a .kmz) onto the page. The map preview and layer list show what was found: how many points, lines and polygons, and which attribute fields.
Choose the output coordinate system: WGS84 by default, or the UTM zone recommended for your data if you need to measure lengths and areas in metres. Optionally split by folder.
Click Convert and download a ZIP containing one shapefile per geometry type, each with .shp, .shx, .dbf, .prj and .cpg files.
What is a KML file?
KML (Keyhole Markup Language) is an XML format for geographic data made popular by Google Earth and Google Maps. It stores points, lines and polygons in WGS84 latitude and longitude, groups them in folders, and can carry attributes in ExtendedData elements or in HTML descriptions.
What is a Shapefile?
The ESRI Shapefile is the most widely supported vector format in GIS. A "shapefile" is really a set of files with the same base name: .shp holds the geometry, .shx the index, .dbf the attribute table, .prj the coordinate system and .cpg the text encoding. Each shapefile stores a single geometry type, which is why a mixed KML becomes several shapefiles.
Why use this converter
Attributes are preserved
Attributes are preserved: placemark names, ExtendedData fields and even the key/value tables that Google Earth hides inside HTML descriptions are written as columns.
Mixed geometry and folders handled
Mixed geometries are handled automatically. Points, lines and polygons are separated into their own layers, and you can split by folder as well.
Nothing is uploaded
Everything runs in your browser. Your files are never uploaded, so confidential survey, cadastral or forestry data stays on your computer.
Correct coordinate system
Choose the coordinate system for the output: WGS84, Web Mercator or the correct UTM zone for your area, with a proper .prj file so QGIS and ArcGIS read it correctly.
Frequently asked questions
Are the attributes in my KML kept in the shapefile?
Yes. The name of each placemark, every ExtendedData Data element and SchemaData SimpleData field become columns in the .dbf table. If your KML was exported from ArcGIS or QGIS and the attributes live in an HTML table inside the description, each table row becomes its own column instead of one long description field. DBF field names are limited to 10 characters, so long names are shortened and the original names are listed in field_mapping.csv.
Which coordinate system will the shapefile have?
KML coordinates are always WGS84 longitude and latitude, so the shapefile is written in EPSG:4326 by default with a matching .prj. If you need projected coordinates, choose Web Mercator or the recommended UTM zone; the tool picks the zone from the centre of your data, for instance UTM 47N for Bangkok or UTM 44N for Chennai.
My KML has several folders with different geometry types. Do I get one shapefile or many?
A shapefile can store one geometry type, so you get up to three shapefiles: _points, _lines and _polygons. Empty ones are skipped. If your folders represent different themes, tick "Split by folder" to get a separate set for each top-level folder, and the full folder path is stored in a folder attribute either way.
Is this KML to SHP converter free? Is my file uploaded to a server?
It is free and needs no account. The conversion is done by JavaScript in your browser, so the KML is never uploaded and no copy is kept anywhere. It also works on a slow connection: once the page is open, converting a file needs no network access at all.
Will the shapefile open in QGIS and ArcGIS?
Yes. Output follows the ESRI shapefile specification, includes a .prj with the WKT of the chosen projection and a .cpg declaring UTF-8, so text in any language displays correctly. Add the .shp to QGIS, ArcGIS Pro, ArcMap, AutoCAD Map 3D or Global Mapper.
What happens to polygons with inner rings and to MultiGeometry?
Inner boundaries become holes with the ring orientation the shapefile format expects, and a MultiGeometry placemark is written as one multi-part record of the matching type. Mixed MultiGeometry (say a point plus a polygon) is split across the point and polygon shapefiles with the same attributes.
Does the converter keep altitude values?
Not by default; most GIS workflows use 2D data, so altitude is dropped. If the KML contains altitudes, a "Keep Z values" option appears and writes PointZ, PolyLineZ or PolygonZ shapes instead.