Convert Excel to Shapefile
From a spreadsheet of coordinates to a shapefile QGIS and ArcGIS open directly.
Nothing is uploaded
QGIS plugin
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How it works, formats and limits.
About this tool
From a spreadsheet of coordinates to a shapefile QGIS and ArcGIS open directly. Free, and the file never leaves your browser.
How the conversion works
- Choose an .xlsx file or drop it on the page. The first sheet is read, its first non-empty row is the header.
- The page finds the latitude and longitude columns by name, builds one point per row and writes the other columns to the DBF. A wkt column gives lines or polygons instead.
- Download the .zip with .shp, .shx, .dbf, .prj and .cpg, and add it in QGIS or ArcGIS.
How each column is used
Header names are matched after lowercasing and stripping spaces and underscores.
| Column names recognised | Where it goes |
|---|---|
| latitude, lat, y, northing | The latitude of the point. Decimal degrees, WGS 84. A decimal comma is accepted. |
| longitude, lon, lng, long, x, easting | The longitude of the point. |
| name, title, label, id | The name of the feature. |
| description, desc, notes, comment | The description. |
| wkt, geometry, geom, the_geom | Well-known text for lines and polygons, used when there is no latitude and longitude pair. |
| Everything else | Kept as an attribute, named after the column header. |
What it does not do
- DBF field names are cut to 10 characters, the format's limit. The renamed fields are listed after the conversion.
- Only .xlsx, and only its first sheet.
- Coordinates must be latitude and longitude in decimal degrees; the output is in WGS 84.
- Files up to 50 MB.
Frequently asked questions
Short answers to what people ask most.
Does my file get uploaded?
No. The conversion runs in your browser tab. Nothing is sent, and closing the tab clears it.
Why are my column names shortened?
A shapefile stores attributes in a DBF, which allows 10 characters per field name. Longer names are cut, and a numeric suffix is added when two would collide, as ogr2ogr does.
What coordinate system is the shapefile in?
WGS 84 (EPSG:4326), and the .prj says so. Reproject it in QGIS if you need a national system such as Lambert 93 or a UTM zone.
Can I do the same in QGIS?
Yes: save the sheet as CSV, add it as a delimited text layer, then Export, Save Features As, ESRI Shapefile. This page does it in one step.
My sheet has easting and northing in metres. Will it work?
No, the columns must hold degrees. Convert the coordinates first with the coordinate converter, or load the table in QGIS with its projected CRS.