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SHP to TopoJSON converter, without the upload.

Turn SHP map layers into TopoJSON. 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

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How to convert SHP to TopoJSON

  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. TopoJSON is already chosen

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

  3. Download

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

Why ToAny

  • Private by construction

    The SHP to TopoJSON 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 TopoJSON: what to expect

SHP is several files, limits field names to 10 characters and is not web-friendly. TopoJSON is much smaller than GeoJSON for adjacent regions. SHP is at home in exchanging vector map layers between GIS programs; TopoJSON is the usual choice for compact boundary maps for the web.

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. Coordinates are kept exactly (no quantisation) and shared borders are stored once; features without a shape are left out. Coordinates outside the latitude and longitude range are refused, since the file is probably in a projected coordinate system.

SHP vs TopoJSON

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
TOPOJSON

TopoJSON map data

TopoJSON is an extension of GeoJSON that encodes shared borders once, as arcs, instead of repeating them in every neighbouring shape. Maps of countries or counties come out far smaller. Libraries such as D3 read it, and many general GIS tools need it converted first.

Opens in D3, Mapshaper, QGIS and web mapping libraries

TopoJSON converter
SHP compared with TopoJSON
SHPShapefileTOPOJSONTopoJSON map data
Stands forEsri ShapefileTopoJSON
TypeGeographic dataGeographic data
CompressionNone (several files per layer)None (JSON text, topology-encoded)
IntroducedThe early 1990s, by Esri2012, by Mike Bostock
Opens inQGIS, ArcGIS, GDAL-based tools and nearly every GIS programD3, Mapshaper, QGIS and web mapping libraries
Best forExchanging vector map layers between GIS programsCompact boundary maps for the web
File extension.shp.topojson

Questions

Are my map layers uploaded anywhere?

No. The SHP to TopoJSON 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 TopoJSON?

The values are kept. Anything TopoJSON 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 TopoJSON 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 TopoJSON. 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.