What KML elements does this support?

Everything the @tmcw/togeojson library's kml() function supports, which covers the common Placemark geometries (Point, LineString, Polygon and their Multi variants) along with names and basic properties. Highly specialized KML extensions may not carry over perfectly.

Why did I get a parse error?

The browser's XML parser doesn't throw on malformed XML, it silently embeds a hidden parsererror element instead, so this tool checks for that and surfaces it as a friendly error. The most common cause is an unclosed tag or an unescaped special character in the source KML.

Can I upload a .kmz file?

No, .kmz is a zipped KML file and this tool only reads plain KML XML text. Unzip the .kmz first (most archive tools can open it) and paste or upload the .kml file inside.

Does converting change my coordinates or geometry?

No, the conversion only changes the file's structure and syntax from KML's XML tags to GeoJSON's JSON structure, the underlying coordinate values are carried over as-is.

KML to GeoJSON Converter - Convert KML XML to GeoJSON

Overview

Introduction

KML is the XML format behind Google Earth and Google My Maps exports, but most web mapping libraries, geospatial APIs, and modern GIS tooling expect GeoJSON instead. This tool bridges that gap.

Paste or upload KML text and get back a pretty-printed GeoJSON FeatureCollection, converted entirely in your browser.

What Is KML to GeoJSON Converter?

A client-side KML-to-GeoJSON converter built on @tmcw/togeojson, a widely used, well-tested library for exactly this conversion, rather than a hand-rolled parser.

It reads KML's Placemark elements (points, lines, polygons and their multi-part variants) and produces the equivalent GeoJSON Feature for each one, wrapped in a single FeatureCollection.

How KML to GeoJSON Converter Works

The pasted or uploaded KML text is first parsed into an XML Document using the browser's built-in DOMParser, since @tmcw/togeojson operates on a parsed DOM tree, not raw text.

That Document is checked for a hidden parsererror element (DOMParser's silent way of reporting malformed XML) before being handed to the kml() conversion function, which walks the Placemark tree and builds a GeoJSON FeatureCollection.

When To Use KML to GeoJSON Converter

Use this whenever you have a KML export, from Google Earth, Google My Maps, or another GIS tool, and need GeoJSON for a web map, API, or another tool downstream.

It's also useful for simply inspecting what's inside a KML file, since GeoJSON's structure is often easier to skim than nested KML XML tags.

Often used alongside GPX to GeoJSON Converter, GeoJSON to KML Converter and GeoJSON Viewer.

Features

Advantages

Runs entirely client-side, your KML data never leaves your browser.
Built on a mature, well-tested conversion library rather than an approximate hand-rolled parser.
Friendly error messages for malformed XML instead of a cryptic parser crash.

Limitations

Doesn't support .kmz (zipped KML), only plain KML XML text.
Highly KML-specific extensions (custom styling, network links, ground overlays) may not have a clean GeoJSON equivalent and can be dropped or simplified during conversion.

Examples

A single Placemark point

Input

<Placemark><name>Home</name><Point><coordinates>-122.4,37.8</coordinates></Point></Placemark>

Output

{
  "type": "Feature",
  "properties": { "name": "Home" },
  "geometry": { "type": "Point", "coordinates": [-122.4, 37.8] }
}

The Placemark's name becomes a GeoJSON property, and its Point geometry converts directly to a GeoJSON Point with the same coordinates.

Best Practices & Notes

Best Practices

If your source is a .kmz, unzip it first and feed the plain .kml file inside to this tool.
Check the feature count after conversion against what you expect, a mismatch can point to unsupported KML elements being skipped.
Pipe the output into GeoJSON Viewer to visually sanity-check the converted geometry before using it downstream.

Developer Notes

`convertKmlToGeoJson` in `kml-to-geojson-converter.ts` is a thin, defensively-wrapped call around `@tmcw/togeojson`'s `kml()`: it parses text to a `Document` via `DOMParser`, explicitly checks for a `parsererror` element (since `DOMParser` never throws), and only then calls `kml(doc)`, catching any unexpected conversion error so the component always gets a typed `{success, geojson?, error?}` result rather than a thrown exception.

KML to GeoJSON Converter Use Cases

Converting a Google Earth or Google My Maps KML export to GeoJSON for a web map
Feeding KML-sourced geometry into a GeoJSON-only API or geospatial pipeline
Inspecting a KML file's contents in GeoJSON's more compact, easier-to-skim structure

Common Mistakes

Uploading a .kmz file directly, this tool expects plain KML XML text, not the zipped format.
Assuming custom KML styling (icons, colors, line widths) carries over, GeoJSON has no native styling concept so that information is dropped.

Tips

If conversion fails, open the KML in a text editor and check for an unclosed tag near wherever the source was last hand-edited.
Use the feature count shown after conversion as a quick sanity check against how many Placemarks you expect the source to contain.

KML to GeoJSON Converter