Convert KMZ to KML when a map tool, GIS app or script accepts plain KML but you were sent a .kmz file. Google’s KML documentation describes a KMZ as a zip archive holding one main KML file, by default named doc.kml, plus any images or models it uses. This KMZ to KML converter opens the archive and gives you that main file.
How to use the KMZ to KML converter
- Choose a
.kmzfile saved from Google Earth, Google My Maps or another mapping app. - Select Process files, or press Try an example to open a small fictional map.
- Check the file name and character count in the preview.
- Download
doc.kml.
Which KML file is extracted
Google’s guidance is that the main KML file can have any name ending in .kml, as long as there is only one, and that it is usually doc.kml. The KMZ to KML converter takes doc.kml if present, and otherwise the first .kml file in the archive. It then checks that the text is well-formed XML before offering the download.
KML itself is an OGC standard, version 2.2, for placemarks, lines, polygons and overlays. Coordinates are written as longitude, latitude and optional altitude, in that order. Nothing in the KML is changed during extraction.
Worked example: one placemark
<kml xmlns="http://www.opengis.net/kml/2.2"><Document>
<Placemark><name>Studio</name>
<Point><coordinates>-122.4,37.8,10</coordinates></Point>
</Placemark>
</Document></kml>The sample KMZ holds this 169-character doc.kml. The preview lists the file name and its length, and the download is the same KML text, ready for any app that reads KML.
Images, icons and network links
A KMZ to KML conversion keeps only the KML. Icons, photos and 3D models packed in the archive are not part of the download, so a placemark that pointed to files/icon.png inside the KMZ will lose that icon unless you unzip the images next to the KML. Network links that fetch more data from a web server are left as they are and are not followed.
Common KMZ to KML errors
- The file does not match the expected format or has invalid structure. The file is not a zip, has no
.kmlinside, or the KML is not valid XML. - The file or its expanded contents exceed the browser safety limit. The archive unpacks to a very large file. Split it in a desktop GIS app first.
Privacy: your map stays in your browser
Tips for working with the extracted file
Keep the original archive. Icons, photos and overlay images that the placemarks point to live inside it, and a bare text file cannot carry them. If you plan to edit the result by hand, open it in a code editor rather than a word processor, so quotes and line endings stay untouched. After editing, open the file in Google Earth or another map viewer to confirm the placemarks still appear where you expect before you share it with anyone.
The KMZ to KML converter runs with JavaScript in a background worker on this page. The file is read into browser memory and is not uploaded, and the result you download is built locally. If the file holds anything private, such as home locations or personal records, clear the page on a shared computer when you are done.
Next steps: turn the KML into GeoJSON with the KML to GeoJSON converter, check it with the GeoJSON validator, or make KML from a GPS track with the GPX to KML converter.
Sources
The KMZ to KML converter follows these specifications and format guides:
Questions about this tool
What is the difference between KMZ and KML?
A KMZ is a zip archive holding one main KML file plus any images or models. KML is the plain XML map file itself.
Which file is extracted if there are several?
doc.kml if it exists, otherwise the first .kml file in the archive.
Are icons and images included?
No. Only the KML text is downloaded. Unzip the KMZ separately if you need the images.
Are network links followed?
No. They are kept in the KML as they are.
Is my map uploaded?
No. The KMZ is unzipped in your browser.
Review the supported formats and limitations before using an output file. File processing happens in your browser.