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Convert KML to Shapefile Online — Free GIS Converter

Convert KML from Google Earth to Shapefile (.zip) for use in ArcGIS, QGIS, Tableau, and government GIS workflows.

Updated May 2026

Convert KML files into Shapefile format — the industry-standard vector format accepted by ArcGIS, QGIS, Tableau, AutoCAD Civil 3D, and virtually every government GIS portal on the planet.

Why convert KML to Shapefile?

KML is a natural output from Google Earth and consumer mapping tools, but professional GIS workflows — especially in government, engineering, and enterprise environments — still revolve around Shapefile. ArcGIS Desktop, Tableau, AutoCAD Civil 3D, and most government data submission portals expect Shapefile as the standard interchange format. If you've captured field data in Google Earth Pro, sketched boundaries in Google Maps, or received a KML from a stakeholder, converting it to Shapefile is the fastest way to bring that data into a professional workflow.

There is one important structural difference: Shapefile stores only one geometry type per file. If your KML mixes points, lines, and polygons in the same document, the converter will split them into separate Shapefiles — one per geometry type. Plan for this in your file-management workflow.

Why use geodata.plus

  • Free tier: convert up to 3 files per month at no cost
  • Automatic CRS detection and optional reprojection to any EPSG code
  • Geometry type splitting handled automatically for mixed KML files
  • Browser-based — no ArcGIS, QGIS, or GDAL install required
  • Encrypted upload (TLS); files stored in Cloudflare R2, automatically deleted after 2 days (free) or 7 days (Pro)
  • Output delivered as a single .zip containing all required Shapefile components

How it works

  1. Upload your KML file to geodata.plus
  2. geodata.plus parses the KML geometry and attribute data
  3. Select Shapefile as the output format; choose a target CRS if needed
  4. Download a .zip file containing .shp, .shx, .dbf, and .prj files

KML format

KML is an XML-based vector format standardized by the OGC. It encodes geometry, display properties, and attribute data in a single human-readable file. Coordinates are always in WGS 84 (EPSG:4326) and geometry types can be mixed within one document.

| Property | Value | |---|---| | Extension | .kml | | Type | Vector, single-file XML | | Coordinate system | WGS 84 (EPSG:4326) only | | Geometry types | Point, LineString, Polygon, MultiGeometry | | Common software | Google Earth, Google Maps, ArcGIS, QGIS |

Shapefile format

Shapefile is a multi-file vector format developed by Esri in the early 1990s. Despite its age and limitations, it remains the most widely accepted GIS interchange format. A complete Shapefile requires at minimum .shp (geometry), .shx (spatial index), .dbf (attribute table), and .prj (coordinate reference system). The format supports any CRS and is natively read by every major GIS application.

| Property | Value | |---|---| | Extension | .shp + .shx + .dbf + .prj (delivered as .zip) | | Type | Vector, multi-file | | Coordinate system | Any CRS (defined in .prj) | | Geometry types | Point, Polyline, Polygon (one type per file) | | Common software | ArcGIS, QGIS, Tableau, AutoCAD Civil 3D, government portals |

Frequently asked questions

Why does my converted Shapefile have truncated field names? Shapefile's .dbf attribute table limits field names to 10 characters. KML placemark attributes (from <ExtendedData> or <Data> tags) with longer names are automatically truncated during conversion. If two field names truncate to the same 10-character string, a numeric suffix is added to distinguish them. Review your attribute table in QGIS or ArcGIS after conversion to confirm field names are as expected.

My KML has points, lines, and polygons mixed together — will they all convert? Yes, but they will be output as separate Shapefiles because the Shapefile format only supports one geometry type per file. geodata.plus will produce separate files (e.g., output_points.shp, output_lines.shp, output_polygons.shp) bundled together in the ZIP archive.

Does KML styling information transfer to the Shapefile? Shapefile has no built-in support for symbology. KML style attributes such as icon URLs, line colors, and polygon fills are dropped during conversion. Styling must be reapplied inside your GIS application (ArcGIS layer properties, QGIS symbology panel) after conversion.

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