Convert KMZ to KML when you need the readable, editable text inside the archive: for hand-editing, version control or tools that reject compressed input. The unzip happens in-browser and the file stays with you.
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KML, KMZ, SHP (.zip), GeoJSON, GPKG, GML, GPX, DXF, CSV, Excel, and more
No KMZ file to hand? Download a sample KMZ 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 KMZ to KML, and what to watch for.
| What | KMZ → KML | |
|---|---|---|
| Geometry | Kept | Points, lines and polygons are preserved exactly, including multi-part shapes. |
| Attributes | Kept | Every column and full field name moves from KMZ into KML untouched. |
| Styling & labels | Kept | Neither KMZ nor KML stores visual styling, so there is nothing to lose, the geometry and data carry straight over. |
| Coordinate system | Changes | KML is defined in WGS84 (EPSG:4326), so data is reprojected to lon/lat on the way out. |
| Elevation (Z) | Kept | 3D Z values carry from KMZ into KML wherever the source records them. |
| File structure | Kept | A single, self-contained .kml file you can move around on its own. |
A KMZ is really a KML document zipped into an archive, so its map data hides inside a compressed container. Unpacking it back to plain KML gives you the raw XML text again. Then you can open it in any text editor, tweak placemarks, fix labels, or diff two versions line by line. People also do this when a tool reads KML but chokes on the zipped wrapper. For example, you might pull a shared Google Earth tour apart, edit the styling by hand, and hand the readable file to a colleague. Both formats describe the same points, lines, and polygons in WGS84 lon/lat.
KMZ is already defined in WGS84 longitude/latitude (EPSG:4326), so no guessing is needed on the way in.
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 KMZ data is in the wrong place" surprise; the guide on coordinate systems and EPSG codes goes deeper.
A KMZ can bundle more than geometry. It often packs custom icons, ground overlays, and images beside the KML. When you extract just the KML, those embedded assets stay behind, so any overlay or icon stored inside the archive can go missing. So check your placemarks still show their images. Coordinates stay in WGS84 lon/lat, so positions themselves will not shift.
KMZ files typically come out of Google Earth, Google Maps, QGIS, ArcGIS. 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.
KMZ is how a finished Google Earth map usually travels: one compact ZIP holding the KML plus any icons or overlays. This conversion cracks that container open and hands back the raw KML inside. That plain-text version is what you edit by hand, search through, or load into a tool that expects unzipped markup. In practice you convert when you need to read or change the placemarks, not just view them. Google Earth and QGIS both read either form equally well.
The KML keeps the geometry and styling references, but images and icons packed inside the KMZ archive are not embedded in a standalone KML file. Keep those asset files alongside the KML if you need them to display.
Yes. Google Earth, Google Maps, QGIS, and ArcGIS all read plain KML directly, the same as they read KMZ. The unzipped KML is just larger because it is no longer compressed.
A KMZ can bundle custom icons, ground overlays, and photos next to the KML. When it is unpacked to a single KML, the style references stay, but those image files no longer travel with it. Keep the assets alongside the KML, or the custom styling may fall back to defaults.
The KML inside is plain XML, so a text editor lets you tweak coordinates, names, and styling by hand. It also diffs cleanly in version control, which a zipped KMZ cannot. Once extracted, the file stays fully readable in Google Earth and ArcGIS.
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.
Need the data in another shape? The same KMZ can become a shapefile for QGIS or ArcGIS, a CSV table, or an Excel workbook. Browse them all under the KML & KMZ converter hub.
