How to Convert KML to SHP (Shapefile) Online for Free

Data drawn in Google Earth comes out as KML. Desktop GIS — QGIS, ArcGIS, and the long tail of municipal and engineering software — still expects Shapefiles. That gap is why "KML to SHP" is one of the most common conversions in GIS work, and it is the one this guide walks through. You can do it in your browser with the KML to Shapefile converter, no install and no upload.

KML to SHP or KML to Shapefile?

They are the same conversion. A Shapefile is not one file but a set, and .shp is the member holding the geometry — so "SHP" ended up as shorthand for the whole thing. Whichever phrasing you searched for, you want the same output.

What You Get: The Four Files

A Shapefile is a bundle, and it only works when the members travel together. The download is a ZIP containing:

File	What it holds	Required?
.shp	The geometry — points, lines, polygons	Yes
.shx	A positional index into the .shp	Yes
.dbf	The attribute table, one row per feature	Yes
.prj	The coordinate reference system definition	Strongly recommended

Keep the ZIP intact, or extract all four into the same folder with the same base name. Handing someone a lone .shp is the single most common reason a Shapefile "will not open" — the geometry is there but the software cannot read attributes or place it on Earth.

Step by Step

• Step 1 — Open the converter. Go to the KML to Shapefile converter and check that the "KML → Shapefile" tab is selected.
• Step 2 — Drop in your file. Both .kml and .kmz work. A KMZ is unzipped in your browser automatically, so there is no need to extract it first.
• Step 3 — Convert. Placemarks become Shapefile features, and any ExtendedData fields become columns in the .dbf.
• Step 4 — Download the ZIP. Open it directly in QGIS or ArcGIS — most GIS software reads a zipped Shapefile without extraction.

What Survives the Conversion, and What Does Not

KML and Shapefile were built for different jobs — presentation versus analysis — so the translation is not perfectly symmetric. Worth knowing before you convert:

• Geometry transfers cleanly. Points, LineStrings, and Polygons map directly onto Shapefile Point, PolyLine, and Polygon types.
• Attributes transfer, with truncated names. The .dbf format caps column names at 10 characters, a DBASE III limitation that Shapefiles inherited. A KML field called ObservationDate arrives as Observatio.
• Styling is dropped. KML carries colour, icon, and line-width information per feature. A Shapefile has nowhere to store it — symbology lives in the GIS project, not the data. Expect your features to arrive unstyled.
• Mixed geometry types split. A Shapefile holds exactly one geometry type. A KML containing both placemark points and drawn polygons cannot become a single Shapefile.
• Folder structure flattens. KML folders are organisational only and have no Shapefile equivalent.

If losing the styling matters, GeoJSON is often the better target — it keeps arbitrary properties, has no 10-character limit, and is natively understood by every modern web mapping library.

Coordinate Systems

KML is defined to always use WGS84 (EPSG:4326) — the specification allows nothing else — so the generated .prj declares WGS84 and the coordinates need no transformation. If your workflow requires a projected system such as a State Plane zone or UTM, convert first and reproject afterwards in QGIS, or use the GeoJSON reprojection tool as an intermediate step.

Why Not Just Use QGIS?

QGIS does this well and is the right answer if you already have it open. A browser tool wins in the cases QGIS does not cover: a locked-down work machine where you cannot install software, a one-off file that does not justify a 1 GB download, a phone or tablet, or a colleague who needs the file converted and does not use GIS at all. It is also faster — no project setup, no layer import, no export dialog.

Your Data Stays on Your Machine

The conversion runs entirely in your browser using JavaScript. The KML is parsed, the Shapefile written, and the ZIP assembled locally — nothing is uploaded to a server, and everything is discarded when you close the tab. For survey data, parcel boundaries, or anything under an NDA, that distinction matters.

Going the Other Way

The same tool converts SHP to KML as well, which is what you want when GIS data needs to be viewed in Google Earth by someone without GIS software. Related conversions: KML to CSV for spreadsheet analysis, and Shapefile to GeoJSON for web mapping.

FAQ

Is KML to SHP the same as KML to Shapefile?

Yes. .shp is the geometry file inside a Shapefile, and "SHP" is common shorthand for the whole set of files that make up a Shapefile.

Can I convert a KMZ file to Shapefile directly?

Yes. Drop the .kmz in as-is — it is unzipped in your browser and the KML inside is converted the same way as a plain .kml file.

Why is my attribute column name cut short?

The .dbf attribute format limits column names to 10 characters. Longer KML field names are truncated during conversion. This is a Shapefile format limitation, not a converter bug.

Does the converted Shapefile keep my KML styling?

No. Shapefiles cannot store colours, icons, or line widths — symbology is defined in the GIS project instead. Convert to GeoJSON if you need to preserve per-feature style properties.

What coordinate system does the output use?

WGS84 (EPSG:4326), declared in the .prj file. KML is always WGS84 by specification, so no transformation is applied.

Is my KML file uploaded to a server?

No. Parsing and Shapefile generation happen entirely in your browser. The file never leaves your device.