How to Convert KML to CSV (and CSV to KML) Online

KML is built for maps; CSV is built for spreadsheets. Moving between the two is what you need when a map full of placemarks has to become a list someone can sort in Excel, or when a spreadsheet of addresses and coordinates has to become something you can actually see. Both directions run in your browser with the KML to CSV converter.

Converting KML to CSV

Open the converter, drop in a .kml or .kmz file, click Convert, and download the result. KMZ archives are unzipped in your browser, so there is no extraction step.

Each placemark becomes one row. The output columns are:

• name and description — taken from the KML elements of the same name
• latitude and longitude — the coordinates, in WGS84 decimal degrees
• geometry_type — Point, LineString, Polygon, and so on
• geometry_wkt — present for non-point features only (see below)
• Every ExtendedData field — each becomes its own column, so custom attributes survive the trip

How Lines and Polygons Are Handled

A CSV row has room for one coordinate pair, which is a genuine mismatch for a polygon with hundreds of vertices. The converter handles this by writing the geometry's centroid into the latitude and longitude columns, and the complete geometry into a geometry_wkt column alongside it, as Well-Known Text.

That gives you both: the centroid is what you want for a quick point map or a distance calculation, and the WKT column means no shape has been silently discarded — PostGIS, QGIS, and most spatial databases read WKT directly.

Converting CSV to KML

The reverse direction turns a spreadsheet into placemarks you can open in Google Earth. Your CSV needs a latitude and a longitude column; the converter auto-detects the usual names:

name,latitude,longitude,category
Eiffel Tower,48.8584,2.2945,landmark
Central Park,40.7851,-73.9683,park

Recognised latitude headers are lat, latitude, y, and north; longitude accepts lng, lon, longitude, x, and east. Every remaining column becomes an ExtendedData field on the placemark, visible in the Google Earth info window when you click it.

Coordinates must be in WGS84 (EPSG:4326) decimal degrees — the format GPS devices and public datasets use. If your spreadsheet holds degrees-minutes-seconds, convert them first with the coordinate converter; if it holds State Plane or UTM values, use the State Plane and EPSG converter.

Common Problems

• Everything lands off the coast of Africa. That is 0,0 — the null island signature of latitude and longitude columns swapped, or of non-numeric values silently parsed as zero.
• Points appear in the wrong hemisphere. Usually a missing minus sign. Western longitudes and southern latitudes are negative.
• Decimal commas. A CSV exported under a European locale may use 48,8584 rather than 48.8584. Re-export with a period as the decimal separator.
• The description column renders as raw HTML tags. KML descriptions accept HTML. If your CSV holds markup, it will render rather than display literally in Google Earth.

Want to Check It First?

Before sending a converted file on, it is worth confirming the points landed where you expect. The KML viewer plots a .kml or .kmz on an interactive map instantly, and mapping a CSV directly works the same way. A misplaced decimal is obvious on a map and invisible in a spreadsheet.

Your Data Stays Private

Parsing and conversion happen entirely in your browser using JavaScript. Nothing is uploaded, and the data is discarded when you close the tab — which matters when the spreadsheet holds customer addresses or site locations.

Related Conversions

If a spreadsheet is not really the destination, convert straight to the format you need instead: KML to GeoJSON for web mapping, KML to Shapefile (SHP) for desktop GIS, or KML to GPX for a GPS device.

FAQ

Can I convert a KMZ file to CSV?

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

What happens to lines and polygons in a CSV?

Their centroid coordinates are written to the latitude and longitude columns, and the full geometry is preserved as Well-Known Text in a geometry_wkt column, so nothing is lost.

Which column names does the CSV to KML direction recognise?

lat, latitude, y, or north for latitude; lng, lon, longitude, x, or east for longitude. All other columns become KML ExtendedData attributes.

Can I open the resulting CSV in Excel or Google Sheets?

Yes. The output is standard comma-separated UTF-8, which both open directly.

Why are all my points at 0,0?

Almost always swapped latitude and longitude columns, or coordinate values that were not numeric and parsed as zero. Check the column headers and the decimal separator.

Can I get a KMZ instead of a KML from the CSV direction?

Yes. After converting, use the "Download as KMZ" button for a compressed archive, or see the dedicated KML to KMZ converter.