KMZ (zipped KML)

A compressed KML file (ZIP) commonly exported from Google Earth and shared as a single file.

Category: Files & Data · Also known as: zipped KML, KML zip, Google Earth KMZ

Definition (expanded)

KMZ packages KML (and sometimes images/icons) into one zipped file. Many workflows convert KMZ → KML → GeoJSON/WKT. If an import fails, it may be because the KMZ contains multiple layers or non-geometry elements.

Common mistakes

Assuming KMZ is plain text (it’s a zip).
Expecting styles/icons to survive conversion (many converters drop styling).

Related terms

KMLAn XML-based format used in Google Earth and many mapping workflows for points, lines, and polygons.GeoJSONA JSON format for geographic features, using objects like Feature, FeatureCollection, and geometry types like Polygon and MultiPolygon.WKT (Well-Known Text)A plain-text format for geometries (e.g., POLYGON, MULTIPOLYGON) widely used in GIS and spatial databases.ShapefileA legacy GIS file format (actually multiple files) often distributed as a .zip.