Convert Excel to GPX and send a workbook of waypoints to a Garmin or navigation app. The conversion is local to the tab, quick enough to iterate until the waypoint list is right.
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No Excel file to hand? Download a sample Excel 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 Excel to GPX, and what to watch for.
| What | Excel → GPX | |
|---|---|---|
| Geometry | Changes | Points and lines transfer directly. GPX has no polygon type, so polygons are converted to their boundary as line tracks rather than being dropped. |
| Attributes | Changes | GPX has a fixed schema, so only its native fields (name, description, elevation, time) are filled. Extra columns are not written. |
| Styling & labels | Kept | Neither Excel nor GPX stores visual styling, so there is nothing to lose, the geometry and data carry straight over. |
| Coordinate system | Changes | Excel carries no coordinate system, so values are read as WGS84 longitude/latitude (EPSG:4326), which GPX requires. Set a source CRS if your data is in metres. |
| Elevation (Z) | Kept | Excel 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 .gpx file you can move around on its own. |
You do not need to be a GIS expert to convert Excel to GPX. Your sheet needs just two things: a column of latitudes and a column of longitudes, and each row then becomes a GPS waypoint you can load onto a device. 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. Excel to GPX 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 field data in Excel because it is easy to type, sort and share with colleagues who never touch GIS. However, a Garmin unit or a phone app cannot read a workbook. So you convert the sheet to GPX, the language every handheld GPS and fitness app speaks. For example, you might collect a list of trailheads, sample sites or checkpoints in columns, then turn each row into a waypoint. GPX also holds routes and tracks, so an ordered set of rows can become a path you load onto the device before heading out.
A spreadsheet has no coordinate system of its own. Excel 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.
GPX 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 Excel data is in the wrong place" surprise; the guide on coordinate systems and EPSG codes goes deeper.
Give each row real coordinate columns before you convert. Excel holds only cell values, so rows without a valid latitude and longitude get skipped, and they must be plain WGS84 degrees, not projected meters. Also remember GPX carries limited fields. Your extra columns like notes, dates or measurements may be simplified or dropped, since waypoints keep little beyond name, position and elevation.
Excel files typically come out of Microsoft Excel, LibreOffice, Google Sheets. Once you convert to GPX, the file opens in Garmin devices (via Garmin Express or BaseCamp), Strava, Komoot, and phone apps like OsmAnd. The GPX output follows the standard specification exactly, so those programs read it without any special import settings.
An Excel workbook is where a waypoint list usually starts life. You type site names, notes, and latitude/longitude columns into rows, then need those points out on a device. GPX is what a Garmin unit or a Strava import expects instead. This conversion reads each spreadsheet row and writes it as a GPX waypoint. In practice it turns an office planning sheet into something a handheld GPS can navigate from in the field.
Only partly. GPX waypoints hold a small set of tags like name, elevation and description, so most spreadsheet columns are simplified or left out. Keep the full attribute table in Excel if you need it.
Put a clear label column, such as site or point name, next to your latitude and longitude. That text maps to the GPX name tag, which is what shows on a Garmin, Strava or Komoot.
A GPX waypoint holds a fixed set of fields, mainly a name, coordinates and elevation. This tool maps a name column to the waypoint name. Columns like category, phone or status have no native GPX slot, so they are folded into the description or left out.
The converter reads one sheet of rows, so put your coordinate table on the first tab. Give the columns clear latitude and longitude headers. Combine or remove unrelated tabs before converting, otherwise rows from the wrong sheet may be skipped for lacking valid coordinates.
A GPX file opens in Garmin devices, Strava, Komoot and phone navigation apps. Because the output follows the standard specification, any tool that supports GPX will read it without special settings.
No conversion is perfectly loss-free because each format stores different things, but GPX keeps points, lines and elevation, but it has a fixed set of fields, so extra attribute columns are not carried across, keep a CSV copy if you need them.