Shapefile to KML Converter
Share GIS data with non-specialists — one double-click opens it in Google Earth, no ArcGIS license required.
Common issues converting Shapefile to KML
- If your shapefile is in a projected CRS, the .prj must be included or we can't reproject. Without it we assume WGS 84 and your features will land in the wrong place.
- Google Earth handles a few thousand features smoothly; above ~50,000 features rendering gets slow. Simplify geometry or split by attribute before conversion.
- Shapefile has no styling — the output uses Google Earth's default yellow pushpin / simple line styling. Add <Style> elements to the KML afterwards for custom symbology.
- DBF attribute names are the ones that end up in ExtendedData. If they were already truncated to 10 characters upstream, you'll see those truncated names in Google Earth.
Frequently asked questions
Do shapefile attributes become clickable in Google Earth?
Yes. Each DBF column becomes an ExtendedData field, rendered in the default placemark popup when a user clicks the feature.
What CRS does the output use?
WGS 84 — KML's required CRS. If your shapefile is in a projected system (UTM, State Plane, RD New, etc.) the .prj is used to reproject to WGS 84.
Is there a size limit for Google Earth Desktop?
Not in the file format, but rendering performance degrades with tens of thousands of features. For large datasets, split geographically or by attribute.
Can I style the output?
Not automatically from the shapefile. The output uses Google Earth defaults; you can edit the KML afterwards to add <Style> blocks, or set styling inside Google Earth after import.