Geodocs Tools
Shapefile Viewer
Upload a .zip file containing a Shapefile (.shp, .dbf, .prj) and explore features on an interactive map. 100% browser-side processing — your files never leave your device.
Need more than a viewer?
Geodocs organizes your field data with maps, reports, and dynamic forms. Built for teams working on surveys, inspections, and geospatial projects.
Try GeodocsA Shapefile is a geospatial data format created by Esri in the early 1990s and is now one of the most widely supported formats in GIS software. Despite the name, a Shapefile is actually a set of files: the .shp file contains the geometries, the .dbf file stores attributes in a database format, the .prj file defines the coordinate reference system (CRS/projection), and the .shx file is an index that speeds up reading. All these files must be present for the data to be interpreted correctly. The format is dominant in government agencies, environmental bodies, engineering firms, and any sector that works with legacy geospatial data.
Because a Shapefile consists of multiple files (.shp, .dbf, .prj, .shx and sometimes others), the standard way to distribute it is to compress all files into a single .zip archive. This makes it easy to email, download from open data portals, and transfer between systems. This viewer accepts a .zip file containing a Shapefile — simply compress the files together and drag them into the tool.
This tool lets you open and visualize Shapefiles directly in your browser, without installing QGIS, ArcGIS, or any other GIS software. It is ideal for quickly inspecting data received from a vendor, checking the contents of an open data download, or sharing a visualization with someone who does not have access to GIS software. Beyond visualization, you can explore each feature's attributes in the table and export to GeoJSON or KML for integration with other tools.
Shapefiles are widely used by civil and environmental engineers, surveyors, infrastructure managers, government agencies, GIS companies, and urban planners. Zoning boundaries, municipal limits, drainage networks, property cadastres, and transmission line routes are frequently distributed in this format. If you work with GIS, you have almost certainly encountered a Shapefile.
Compress the Shapefile files (.shp, .dbf, .prj, .shx) into a single .zip archive. Drag the .zip onto the upload area, or click to select the file. The file is processed directly in your browser — no data is sent to any server. After loading, features appear on the map and the detected projection is shown. Click any feature to see its attributes in the side panel. Use the export buttons to download data as GeoJSON, KML, or CSV.
Shapefile is a multi-file legacy binary format from Esri, dominant in desktop GIS software like ArcGIS and QGIS and in data exchanges between government bodies and engineering firms. Its main drawback is that a single dataset is split across multiple files, complicating sharing. GeoJSON is a modern text-based format using JSON, defined by RFC 7946 — it is the standard for web APIs, interactive maps, and open data tooling. It is a single, human-readable file that is easy to generate programmatically. KML is Google Earth's XML format, widely used by field teams — it supports rich visual styles and is natively supported by tools like Google Maps and Geodocs. If you received a Shapefile and want to integrate it with a web platform or API, the simplest path is to convert it to GeoJSON — which this tool does directly with the export button. Use our KMZ Viewer if you have .kmz or .kml files.
All processing happens locally, in your own browser. Your files are never sent to any server — not even ours. You can use this tool with confidential files without any concern about privacy or data security.