Open of file "filename.kmz" failed: Parse error at line x, column y: mismatched tag

Error Message

Note:
This issue has been fixed in ArcGIS Pro 3.3 and later.

After converting a layer or map document to a KMZ file in ArcMap using the Layer To KML tool, the file cannot be opened in Google Earth, and a parse error regarding mismatched tags is returned:

Error:  
Open of file "<file name>.kmz" failed: Parse error at line x, column y: 

mismatched tag

Note:
ArcMap is in Mature support and will be retired March 1, 2026. There are no plans for future releases of ArcMap, and it is recommended that you migrate to ArcGIS Pro. See Migrate from ArcMap to ArcGIS Pro for more information.

Cause

The issue may be caused, but is not limited to the following:

• The data or field name within the layer or map document contains invalid characters.
• The geodatabase is corrupted.

Solution or Workaround

Use one of the following solutions, depending on the cause.

• Invalid character usage
  For invalid characters or formatting, ensure that prior to converting the layer or the map document to KML, rename or remove any invalid characters from the table. When using Python scripts, determine if the table contains invalid characters with the ValidateTableName and ValidateFieldName functions. For more information, refer to ArcGIS Help: Validating table and field names in Python.
• Corrupted geodatabase
  In the event of a corrupted geodatabase, use the Recover File Geodatabase tool to recover the geodatabase and run the Layer to KML tool to convert the geodatabase to a KMZ file. For more information, refer to ArcGIS Help: Recover File Geodatabase.