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Convert CSV to a shapefile

MapGeoData turns a CSV of latitude/longitude points into a shapefile right in your browser. Drop in your .csv, see the points on the map, and download a Shapefile ZIP with the .shp, .shx, .dbf, and .prj bundled together. It's free, needs no account, and there's nothing to install.

Convert a CSV to a shapefile in your browser

MapGeoData turns a spreadsheet of coordinates into a shapefile, with no desktop GIS or scripting. Drop your .csv onto the map, confirm the points land where they should, and download a Shapefile ZIP that opens in QGIS, ArcGIS, or anything else that reads shapefiles. The conversion runs locally, with no account and nothing to install.

Why turn a CSV into a shapefile

A CSV is the easiest way to collect points, but plenty of GIS tools and data submissions want a shapefile specifically:

How to convert (3 steps)

  1. Add your CSV. Drag your .csv onto the page, or use the Convert a file button. It needs a latitude column and a longitude column.
  2. Preview it. The points render on the map so you can confirm they land in the right place before exporting.
  3. Export as a Shapefile ZIP. Choose Shapefile from the export options and download the .zip.

What to know

MapGeoData reads the header row for a latitude column (latitude, lat, or y) and a longitude column (longitude, lon, lng, long, or x), and turns each row into a point. Every other column comes across as a field in the .dbf, keeping its values; names longer than 10 characters are shortened, which is a limit of the shapefile format. A CSV of coordinates always makes a point shapefile, written in WGS84 with a matching .prj.

When you're ready, you can also send the same data out as GeoJSON or FlatGeobuf from the same export menu.

Free, no account, no install. Runs right in your browser.

Convert your CSV

Frequently asked questions

Which columns become the coordinates?

MapGeoData looks for a latitude column (latitude, lat, or y) and a longitude column (longitude, lon, lng, long, or x). Each row becomes a point at those coordinates.

Do I need to install anything or sign up?

No. The conversion runs in your browser, so there's nothing to install and no account to create. MapGeoData sets no tracking cookies and never sells or shares your data.

Do my other columns become attributes?

Yes. Every other column in the row becomes a field in the shapefile's .dbf. Because the format caps field names at 10 characters, longer column names are shortened to fit.

What's in the download?

A single .zip holding the shapefile set: the .shp (points), .shx (index), .dbf (your columns), and .prj (coordinate system). QGIS, ArcGIS, and other GIS tools open it directly.

What coordinate system does it use?

A CSV of lon/lat is treated as WGS84, so the shapefile is written in WGS84 with a matching .prj file.

Is there a file-size limit?

Files up to 128MB convert in your browser. Larger files still work, using a temporary server to help process them.