Shapefile to KMZ Converter
Package a shapefile as a compressed KMZ that opens straight in Google Earth. Attributes kept, projection handled, files never leave your computer.
Select a .zip, or pick the .shp, .dbf, .shx and .prj files together. Up to 20.0 MB.
Your file never leaves your device. Nothing is stored on any server.
A KMZ is simply a zipped KML, which makes it the best format for sending map data to people who use Google Earth on a phone or a slow connection: one small file instead of five, often ten times smaller than the shapefile. Drop a zipped shapefile here and get a KMZ with every feature and attribute, already in WGS84.
How to convert SHP to KMZ
Drop a .zip containing the shapefile, or select the .shp, .dbf, .shx and .prj files together. Check the map preview and layer counts.
Choose the attribute that should appear as the placemark name in Google Earth.
Click Convert and download the .kmz. Double-click it to open in Google Earth, or send it to colleagues on WhatsApp or email.
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.
What is a KMZ file?
A KMZ file is a zipped KML file. Google Earth saves placemarks, paths and polygons as KMZ so that the KML document and any icons or photos it references travel together in a single compressed file. Inside the archive you will usually find a doc.kml plus an images folder.
Why use this converter
Small files for sharing
KMZ compresses the XML, so a multi-megabyte shapefile often becomes a few hundred kilobytes that opens on any phone with Google Earth installed.
Reads the .prj and reprojects
Projected shapefiles (UTM, national grids) are transformed to WGS84 so the data lands exactly where it belongs on the globe.
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.
Nothing is uploaded
Everything runs in your browser. Your files are never uploaded, so confidential survey, cadastral or forestry data stays on your computer.
Frequently asked questions
Will the attribute table survive the conversion to KMZ?
Yes. Each shapefile record becomes a placemark whose ExtendedData holds every column of the .dbf. In Google Earth the values appear when you click the feature, and other GIS tools can read them back as fields.
What coordinate system is used in the KMZ?
KML and KMZ only allow WGS84 longitude/latitude. The converter reads the .prj of your shapefile and reprojects automatically. Include the .prj in the ZIP; without it the coordinates are assumed to be WGS84 and a warning is shown.
Can a ZIP with several shapefiles become one KMZ?
Yes. Each shapefile inside the ZIP becomes a folder in the KMZ, so a project with separate point, line and polygon shapefiles can be delivered as a single file.
Is it free, and is my shapefile uploaded?
Free, no registration, and nothing is uploaded. The zip is unpacked and converted by your browser, so confidential boundaries or survey results stay on your machine.
Does it open in Google Earth, QGIS and ArcGIS?
Yes. The KMZ is a standard zipped KML with a doc.kml inside, which Google Earth Pro, Google Earth mobile, QGIS, ArcGIS Pro and Global Mapper all read.
What is the difference between KML and KMZ output?
The content is identical. KMZ is compressed and therefore smaller and easier to share, while KML is plain text that can be edited or inspected. If you need the uncompressed version, use the Shapefile to KML converter.