Convert CSV to shapefile and hand a spreadsheet of coordinates to any Esri-centred workflow. GDAL compiled to WebAssembly does the work inside your browser, and the result is a zip carrying all five sidecar files a working shapefile needs.
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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 Shapefile, and what to watch for.
| What | CSV → Shapefile | |
|---|---|---|
| Geometry | Changes | Points, lines and polygons are all carried over, but a Shapefile holds a single geometry type per file. A layer that mixes types is written one type at a time. |
| Attributes | Changes | Every column is kept, but the Shapefile .dbf caps field names at 10 characters, so long names are shortened (values are untouched). |
| Styling & labels | Kept | Neither CSV nor Shapefile stores visual styling, so there is nothing to lose, the geometry and data carry straight over. |
| Coordinate system | Changes | CSV has no CRS. You can assign one before converting; otherwise the numbers are passed through and tagged WGS84. |
| Elevation (Z) | Kept | CSV is 2D, so there is no elevation to carry (add a Z/elevation column if you need one). |
| File structure | Changes | A working Shapefile is several files, so you download one .zip holding .shp, .shx, .dbf, .prj and .cpg. Keep them together. |
You do not need to be a GIS expert to convert CSV to Shapefile. Your sheet needs just two things: a column of latitudes and a column of longitudes, and each row then becomes a point feature in the shapefile, ready for QGIS or ArcGIS. 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 Shapefile 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 point data in CSV because a spreadsheet is easy to edit, filter and share. However, desktop GIS still runs on the Shapefile, so a plain table of addresses or sensor readings has to become real geometry first. Converting CSV to Shapefile turns your latitude and longitude columns into mapped points that ArcGIS, QGIS, GeoServer or MapInfo can style and query. For example, you might collect field observations in Excel, then hand off a Shapefile so colleagues can publish boundaries, load layers, or run spatial analysis. So the CSV stays your working copy while the Shapefile becomes the exchange layer.
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.
On output, the coordinate system is written into the Shapefile .prj file. By default the data is reprojected to WGS84, or you can choose another EPSG code if your workflow needs one. 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.
First, make sure your CSV actually has coordinate columns, such as latitude and longitude or geometry as WKT. Rows without valid coordinates get skipped. Then watch your column headers. A Shapefile stores attribute names in a .dbf, and those names are capped at 10 characters, so longitude_reading gets truncated. Also, one Shapefile holds one geometry type, so keep points separate from lines.
CSV files typically come out of Excel, Google Sheets, QGIS, pandas. Once you convert to Shapefile, the file opens in ArcGIS Pro, QGIS, MapInfo and GeoServer, the whole desktop-GIS world. The Shapefile output follows the standard specification exactly, so those programs read it without any special import settings.
A CSV is where point data usually starts life: a coordinate table someone maintained in a spreadsheet. A Shapefile is where desktop GIS wants it next. This conversion reads your latitude and longitude columns, builds real point geometry, and folds the remaining columns into the .dbf attribute table. In practice, that turns an editable list of places into a layer ArcGIS or QGIS can style, query, and join. The spreadsheet stays your source of truth; the shapefile becomes the map-ready copy.
A Shapefile is not one file. It is a set, at minimum the .shp, .dbf and .shx, usually with a .prj too. They must stay together, so the converter bundles them into a single .zip for you.
Mostly, but names longer than 10 characters get shortened, because the .dbf attribute table enforces that limit. Rename long headers before converting if you need them to stay readable in ArcGIS or QGIS.
Not always. The shapefile attribute table caps field names at 10 characters, so a header like "observation_date" gets truncated. Rename long CSV columns to short, unique names first if the exact labels matter downstream in ArcGIS or MapInfo.
No. A shapefile stores a single geometry type per file, so points and lines cannot share one layer. Split the data into separate CSVs by geometry, then convert each one into its own shapefile.
A Shapefile file opens in ArcGIS Pro, QGIS, MapInfo and most desktop GIS. Because the output follows the standard specification, any tool that supports Shapefile will read it without special settings.
No conversion is perfectly loss-free because each format stores different things, but the only change to watch is that shapefile field names are shortened to 10 characters; your geometry, coordinates and values are all preserved.
A CSV of coordinates converts just as readily to a KML for Google Earth, a KMZ, or a GeoJSON layer. The Spreadsheet to map tool maps them all, Excel included.