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SHP to KML converter, without the upload.

Turn SHP map layers into KML. It is converted in your browser, so the file never leaves your device.

Drop SHP files here

or choose from your computer paste with Ctrl V

Ready · other file types work too0 bytes uploaded, ever

Convert to

How to convert SHP to KML

  1. Add your SHP map layers

    Drop SHP (shapefile) files onto the box above, or click it to choose them. ToAny reads the file's contents to detect the type, so a wrong extension does not matter.

  2. KML is already chosen

    Press Convert. There is nothing else to set. The work happens in this tab.

  3. Download

    Save the KML, or download everything as one ZIP if you converted several files.

Why ToAny

  • Private by construction

    The SHP to KML converter is part of this page and runs inside your browser. Your map layers are never sent to ToAny or to anyone else.

  • No upload, no queue

    Nothing has to travel to a server and back, so the conversion starts the moment you press Convert, even on a slow connection.

  • Free, without an account

    No sign-up, no email address and no watermark. Add several files and download them together as a ZIP.

SHP to KML: what to expect

SHP is several files, limits field names to 10 characters and is not web-friendly. KML opens in Google Earth and Google My Maps. SHP is at home in exchanging vector map layers between GIS programs; KML is the usual choice for places, routes and tours viewed in Google Earth.

Every format is read into plain GeoJSON features and written out from there, so coordinates, names and properties carry over wherever the target has a place for them. A zipped shapefile (the .shp with its .dbf and .shx) or a bare .shp is read. If a .prj file names the coordinate system, coordinates are converted to latitude and longitude; a coordinate system that cannot be read is refused. Altitude and per-point timestamps are kept; a line with timestamps is written as a Google Earth track that can be played back. Coordinates outside the latitude and longitude range are refused, since the file is probably in a projected coordinate system.

SHP vs KML

SHP

Shapefile

A shapefile is not one file but a set: .shp holds the shapes, .dbf the attributes, .shx an index, usually with a .prj for the projection. It is the long-standing GIS interchange format. Limits include 10-character field names, one geometry type per file and 2 GB per component. Shapefiles are normally shared as a ZIP of the parts.

Opens in QGIS, ArcGIS, GDAL-based tools and nearly every GIS program

SHP converter
KML

KML map file

KML is the format of Google Earth. It stores placemarks, lines and areas with names, descriptions and styling in XML, and can add camera paths for tours. It became an Open Geospatial Consortium standard in 2008. A KMZ is the zipped form.

Opens in Google Earth, Google My Maps, QGIS and most GIS tools

KML converter
SHP compared with KML
SHPShapefileKMLKML map file
Stands forEsri ShapefileKeyhole Markup Language
TypeGeographic dataGeographic data
CompressionNone (several files per layer)None (XML text)
IntroducedThe early 1990s, by Esri2004, by Keyhole, later Google (now an OGC standard)
Opens inQGIS, ArcGIS, GDAL-based tools and nearly every GIS programGoogle Earth, Google My Maps, QGIS and most GIS tools
Best forExchanging vector map layers between GIS programsPlaces, routes and tours viewed in Google Earth
File extension.shp.kml

Questions

Are my map layers uploaded anywhere?

No. The SHP to KML conversion runs inside your browser, on your own phone or computer. The file is not sent to ToAny or to anyone else.

Is anything lost when converting SHP to KML?

The values are kept. Anything KML has no way to express, such as formatting, formulas or nesting, is simplified or left out.

Can I convert several SHP files at once?

Yes. Add as many as you like, convert them together and download each result or all of them as one ZIP.

How do I convert SHP to KML on Windows, Mac, iPhone or Android?

The steps are the same everywhere because ToAny runs in the web browser: open this page in a current version of Chrome, Edge, Safari or Firefox, add the SHP file, press Convert and save the KML. There is nothing to install.

Is there a file size limit?

Yes. Files up to 200 MB are accepted; a larger file is refused with a message. Beyond that the limit is your device's memory, since nothing is uploaded; a computer copes with large files better than a phone.