Convert CSV to KML and see your spreadsheet points as placemarks in Google Earth within a minute. The table is processed by WebAssembly inside this page, so the data stays on your computer from drop to download.
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KML, KMZ, SHP (.zip), GeoJSON, GPKG, GML, GPX, DXF, CSV, Excel, and more
No CSV file to hand? Download a sample CSV file (100 points) and drop it above to see the conversion.
Every format stores different things, so a conversion is never perfectly loss-free. Here is exactly what carries over when you convert CSV to KML, and what to watch for.
| What | CSV → KML | |
|---|---|---|
| Geometry | Kept | Points, lines and polygons are preserved exactly, including multi-part shapes. |
| Attributes | Kept | Every column and full field name moves from CSV into KML untouched. |
| Styling & labels | Changes | KML supports styling; features are written with clean default styling and a name label you can restyle in Google Earth. |
| Coordinate system | Changes | CSV carries no coordinate system, so values are read as WGS84 longitude/latitude (EPSG:4326), which KML requires. Set a source CRS if your data is in metres. |
| Elevation (Z) | Kept | CSV is 2D, so there is no elevation to carry (add a Z/elevation column if you need one). |
| File structure | Kept | A single, self-contained .kml file you can move around on its own. |
You do not need to be a GIS expert to convert CSV to KML. Your sheet needs just two things: a column of latitudes and a column of longitudes, and each row then becomes a placemark you can open in Google Earth. Everything else, names, notes, dates, ID numbers, rides along as attributes on each point.
lat, latitude or y are detected automatically.lon, lng, longitude or x are picked up for you.Store the coordinates as plain decimal degrees, like 33.6844 and 73.0479. If your values look like 33°41'04"N instead, convert them first with the coordinate converter. CSV to KML works with .xlsx, .xls, .csv and Google Sheets exports, and if the wrong column is picked you can fix it from the dropdowns before converting.
People keep location data in spreadsheets. A CSV of addresses, sensor readings, or survey points is easy to edit in Excel or Google Sheets. However, a spreadsheet cannot show those points on a globe. KML fixes that. It is the language Google Earth and Google Maps speak, so converting turns flat rows into placemarks you can actually see. For example, field teams export a CSV of sampling sites, then view them draped over satellite imagery. KML also travels well. You can email a small map or share a link, and colleagues open it without any GIS software.
A spreadsheet has no coordinate system of its own. CSV rows are read as WGS84 longitude/latitude (EPSG:4326) unless you tell the tool otherwise. If your coordinates are projected, for example UTM eastings and northings in metres, pick the matching CRS before converting so the points land in the right place instead of near Null Island.
KML is defined in WGS84 (EPSG:4326), so the output is reprojected to longitude/latitude, exactly what Google Earth and web maps expect. A quick CRS check before you download saves the classic "my CSV data is in the wrong place" surprise; the guide on coordinate systems and EPSG codes goes deeper.
Check your coordinate columns first. A CSV only becomes points when it carries latitude and longitude, or geometry stored as WKT. Rows with blank or invalid coordinates get skipped, so verify every row has real numbers. Also remember that KML stores coordinates as longitude then latitude in WGS84. If your source values sit in another projection, they get reprojected on the way in, so confirm your lat/lon are decimal degrees.
CSV files typically come out of Excel, Google Sheets, QGIS, pandas. Once you convert to KML, the file opens in Google Earth Pro on the desktop, Google Earth for web, and Google Maps (via My Maps), as well as QGIS and ArcGIS Pro. The KML output follows the standard specification exactly, so those programs read it without any special import settings.
A CSV holds your points as plain rows, often exported from Excel or a database with latitude and longitude columns. KML is what Google Earth reads, so it turns those rows into placemarks you can see on satellite imagery. In practice, this pairing takes a flat address or sensor list and makes it visible on a globe. Once the coordinates become Placemark geometry, colleagues can open the result by double-clicking, with no spreadsheet skills required.
Yes. Non-coordinate columns are written as attributes, so each placemark carries your other fields and they show up when you click a point in Google Earth.
Yes. KML is Google Earth's native format, so you can double-click the file to load your points, and Google Maps and QGIS read it too.
Each row becomes one placemark, and your remaining columns are written into its description balloon. A column named something like name or title is a good candidate for the placemark label. In practice, keep clear headers so the pop-up reads cleanly inside Google Earth.
No. Each CSV row maps to a single point placemark, so a pair of coordinates on one row still produces one location, not a connected line. To draw paths, restructure the data so ordered points share a grouping, or convert to a line-capable format first.
A KML file opens in Google Earth (desktop and web), QGIS and ArcGIS. Because the output follows the standard specification, any tool that supports KML will read it without special settings.
No conversion is perfectly loss-free because each format stores different things, but geometry and attributes are preserved; only presentation-level styling (which KML does not store) is left behind.
From the same file you can also make a compact KMZ, a shapefile, or a GeoJSON layer. The CSV and Excel to Google Earth guide explains the coordinate columns, and the Spreadsheet to map tool previews them live.