Convert Excel to KML and view spreadsheet locations as placemarks over Google Earth imagery. Your workbook is read by the page itself, with no copy sent anywhere.
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KML, KMZ, SHP (.zip), GeoJSON, GPKG, GML, GPX, DXF, CSV, Excel, and more
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 KML, and what to watch for.
| What | Excel → KML | |
|---|---|---|
| Geometry | Kept | Points, lines and polygons are preserved exactly, including multi-part shapes. |
| Attributes | Kept | Every column and full field name moves from Excel 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 | Excel 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 | 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 .kml file you can move around on its own. |
You do not need to be a GIS expert to convert Excel 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. Excel 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 field records, site lists and survey results in Excel because typed columns, multiple sheets and formulas make data entry easy. However, a spreadsheet cannot show where those points sit on the ground. KML fixes that. It is the plain-text XML format Google Earth and Google Maps read, so each row with coordinates becomes a placemark on satellite imagery. So teams convert Excel to KML to drop points onto a map, share a simple link or email by, and let non-GIS colleagues explore the data visually without any special software.
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.
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 Excel data is in the wrong place" surprise; the guide on coordinate systems and EPSG codes goes deeper.
Check that your Excel sheet actually has latitude and longitude columns. Without them, there is no geometry to build. Also remember KML always stores coordinates as WGS84 longitude then latitude, so if your points landed in an ocean, your lon and lat values are probably swapped. Finally, expect charts, colors and formulas to vanish, since only computed cell values carry across.
Excel files typically come out of Microsoft Excel, LibreOffice, Google Sheets. 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.
An Excel workbook keeps your locations as rows of typed cells, while KML renders those same rows as placemarks you can see in Google Earth. A typical workflow starts with a team logging site visits, sensor readings or survey stops in a spreadsheet. Each row that carries a latitude and longitude becomes a labeled point on satellite imagery. That pairing bridges office data entry and visual field review, so colleagues who never open GIS can still explore the map.
Yes. Each row becomes a placemark, and your other columns are carried along as attributes you can view in Google Earth. However, charts, cell formatting and formulas are dropped, since only computed cell values are read.
You need latitude and longitude columns in your sheet. Those values build each point in KML, which stores coordinates as WGS84 longitude then latitude. Rows without both values cannot be placed on the map.
Only the latitude and longitude columns build the point geometry. Every other column is kept as an attribute, and Google Earth shows those values in the placemark's description balloon when you click it. Give one column a clear label, such as Site or Name, so each point is easy to identify.
Point the converter at the sheet that holds your coordinate columns. Formulas are read at their computed value, so a cell that calculates a latitude still works. Charts, cell colors and pivot tables are dropped, because KML stores geometry and text rather than spreadsheet formatting.
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.
You can also convert Excel to KMZ for a smaller Google Earth file, or push the sheet to a shapefile for GIS. To reverse it, extract KML back into Excel. The Spreadsheet to map tool and the CSV and Excel to Google Earth guide cover the finer points.