Be The First To Get Support Updates
Want to know about the latest technical content and software updates?
How To: Convert shapefiles to KML
Summary
KML is an XML-based format for storing geographic data and associated content. KML files have either a .kml extension, or a .kmz extension for compressed KML files. Refer to ArcMap: What is KML? for more information.
Procedure
Instructions provided describe how to convert shapefiles to a KML file.
- Start ArcMap and add the desired shapefile to the map.
- Click the Geoprocessing tab, and click ArcToolbox to open the ArcToolbox window.

- In ArcToolbox, expand the Conversion Tools toolbox.

- Expand To KML. Double-click Layer To KML to convert an individual shapefile, or double-click Map To KML for compressed KML files.

- For Layer, select the desired shapefile in the drop-down menu, or drag and drop the desired shapefile into the drop-down menu.

Note: The tool converts the shapefile layer to KMZ format, which is a compressed version of the KML file. The KML file can be extracted from the KMZ file using a file extractor, for example WinZip or WinRAR.
- For Output File, specify the location to store the KMZ file.
- Click OK.
Related Information
Last Published: 3/3/2022
Article ID: 000012399
Software: ArcGIS for Desktop Advanced 10.3, 10.2.2, 10.2.1, 10.2, 10.1 ArcGIS for Desktop Basic 10.3, 10.2.2, 10.2.1, 10.2, 10.1 ArcGIS for Desktop Standard 10.3, 10.2.2, 10.2.1, 10.2, 10.1