Convert KML to CSV to lift placemark names, descriptions and coordinates out of Google Earth and into a spreadsheet. Extraction happens inside your browser; the KML file itself goes nowhere.
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KML, KMZ, SHP (.zip), GeoJSON, GPKG, GML, GPX, DXF, CSV, Excel, and more
No KML file to hand? Download a sample KML 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 KML to CSV, and what to watch for.
| What | KML → CSV | |
|---|---|---|
| Geometry | Changes | Point features become X and Y columns; lines and polygons are written to a WKT geometry column, so no shape is lost in the table. |
| Attributes | Kept | Every column and full field name moves from KML into CSV untouched. |
| Styling & labels | Dropped | KML colours, icons and description balloons are presentation, not data. CSV stores the underlying features, so styling is dropped (the geometry and attributes remain). |
| Coordinate system | Changes | CSV stores raw coordinates without a CRS tag, so note the coordinate system separately for whoever opens the file. |
| Elevation (Z) | Changes | Z values, if present, appear as an extra column rather than 3D geometry. |
| File structure | Kept | A single, self-contained .csv file you can move around on its own. |
People build KML in Google Earth, dropping placemarks and tracing paths over satellite imagery. However, that XML is awkward to analyze. So they convert KML to CSV to get one clean row per feature. Then the data opens straight in Excel or Google Sheets, ready for sorting, filtering and pivot tables. Analysts also load the CSV into pandas or feed it to scripts and APIs. For example, a field team collects sample points in Google Earth, then exports them as CSV to join with lab results. CSV turns a visual map into a workable table.
KML is already defined in WGS84 longitude/latitude (EPSG:4326), so no guessing is needed on the way in.
CSV stores raw coordinates without a CRS tag, so make a note of the coordinate system for whoever opens the file next. A quick CRS check before you download saves the classic "my KML data is in the wrong place" surprise; the guide on coordinate systems and EPSG codes goes deeper.
KML stores coordinates as longitude then latitude in WGS84. So check the column order in your CSV output. Many spreadsheet workflows and geocoders expect latitude first, so a swap sends points to the wrong hemisphere. Also, KML lines and polygons hold many vertices, while a CSV row wants a single point. Confirm how paths and shapes are flattened before you trust the numbers.
KML files typically come out of Google Earth, Google Maps, QGIS, ArcGIS. Once you convert to CSV, the file opens in Microsoft Excel, Google Sheets, LibreOffice Calc, and any script or database import. The CSV output follows the standard specification exactly, so those programs read it without any special import settings.
KML is where your map lives inside Google Earth: placemarks, paths and polygons wrapped in styled XML. CSV is where that same data becomes analysis-ready rows for a spreadsheet. Converting one to the other pulls each placemark out of the drawing and lists it as a plain line of values. In practice, people do this to count features, sort by name, or hand a colleague coordinates they can open in Excel without touching Google Earth.
Yes. Placemark names and description text become regular columns in the CSV, alongside the coordinates. You can then read and edit them in any spreadsheet.
No. CSV is a plain table of values, so it drops icons, line colors and other KML styling. Only the coordinates and attribute text carry across.
A row needs a single coordinate pair, so point placemarks map cleanly to latitude and longitude columns. For a path or polygon, the geometry is written as WKT text in one cell instead. That keeps the full shape, but a spreadsheet will not plot it as an outline the way it plots simple points.
Yes. Each placemark's name and description become their own columns beside the coordinates. Because KML also carries styling like icon and line colour, those visual settings are dropped, since a CSV row has nowhere to store them. Open the result in Google Sheets or pandas and every attribute sits in a tidy column.
A CSV file opens in Excel, Google Sheets, LibreOffice and any database. Because the output follows the standard specification, any tool that supports CSV will read it without special settings.
No conversion is perfectly loss-free because each format stores different things, but Google Earth styling (colours and icons) is dropped because CSV stores the underlying data, not its presentation; the placemarks and their information are kept.
