Free Online Shapefile Viewer
Drop a zipped shapefile (.shp + .dbf + .prj inside a .zip) to render it on a map. Free, secure, no upload to any server.
To open a .shp file online: put the .shp, .dbf, .shx and .prj files together in one .zip, drop that .zip on the box below, and the map draws immediately. Nothing is uploaded — the file is read inside your browser — and no account is needed.
What each file in a shapefile does
A shapefile is a small bundle of files that only works when they travel together and share the same base name. That is why a lone .shp almost never opens anywhere.
| Extension | Required? | What it holds |
|---|---|---|
| .shp | Yes | The geometry itself — the points, lines and polygons. |
| .dbf | Yes | The attribute table: names, IDs, areas, any column you would see in a spreadsheet. |
| .shx | Yes | An index that links each row of the table to its shape. |
| .prj | Strongly recommended | The coordinate system. Without it, projected data lands in the wrong place. |
| .cpg | Optional | Character encoding — needed when attributes use Bangla, Arabic or accented text. |
| .sbn / .sbx | Optional | Spatial index used by ArcGIS to speed up queries. Safe to omit. |
| .xml | Optional | Metadata: who made the data, when, and what the columns mean. |
If your shapefile will not open
Nearly every failure comes down to one of five things. Work through them in order — the fix is usually 30 seconds.
- You zipped only the .shp. Add at least the .dbf and .shx with the same base name and zip them again.
- Windows already unpacked the archive. Re-select the loose files and use "Send to → Compressed (zipped) folder"; do not re-zip the folder shortcut.
- The files sit inside nested folders. That is fine, but make sure all parts of one dataset are in the same folder inside the zip.
- The .prj is missing and the data uses UTM or State Plane, so the shapes land near the equator or vanish. Add the .prj and reload.
- The file is very large. Above roughly 20–50 MB the browser runs out of memory; use the signed-in shapefile workspace instead.
Why the map is blank or in the wrong country
Web maps expect longitude and latitude in WGS84 degrees. Survey and government shapefiles are usually stored in a projected system measured in metres or feet, so a coordinate like 512340, 4523110 is read as degrees and pushed off the map. The .prj file records which system was used, which is how the viewer knows to reproject the data. Missing .prj means missing instructions — there is no way to guess it reliably from the numbers alone.
Free version
- Supports zipped .shp + .dbf + .prj
- Auto-detects coordinate system and reprojects to WGS84
- Renders points, lines, and polygons
- Click features to inspect attributes
With a GeoDataMapper account
- Handle large shapefiles (50k+ features) with web workers
- Style by attribute, run spatial joins, export to GeoJSON
- Save, share with a public URL, and embed maps
- Combine with CSV and KML in the Shapefile Join tool
Frequently asked questions
What file should I upload?▾
A single .zip containing at least .shp and .dbf (.prj recommended for non-WGS84 coordinate systems). Do not upload .shp alone — it needs its sidecars.
Is my shapefile sent to your servers?▾
No. Everything is parsed in your browser using shpjs. Files never leave your device.
My polygons render in the wrong place — why?▾
Your shapefile likely uses a projected coordinate system (UTM, State Plane). Include the .prj file in the zip — we use it to reproject to WGS84.
What is the file size limit?▾
Browser memory is the cap, roughly 20–50 MB practical. For larger files use the signed-in /shapefile tool which streams with web workers.
Can I open a .shp file without QGIS or ArcGIS?▾
Yes. This viewer reads the shapefile format directly in the browser, so you do not need desktop GIS software, a licence, or admin rights on the machine.
Do I need to unzip the shapefile first?▾
No — upload the .zip as-is. If Windows already extracted it, select the loose .shp, .dbf, .shx and .prj files and compress them back into a single .zip.
Why do my attribute names show as strange characters?▾
The .dbf is using a non-Latin encoding. Include the .cpg file from the original dataset in your zip so the correct character set is applied.
Can I convert the shapefile to GeoJSON or KML here?▾
Create a free account to export what you loaded as GeoJSON, or use the free GeoJSON to KML converter after exporting.
Does it work on a phone or tablet?▾
Yes, in any modern mobile browser, though very large files are limited by the amount of memory the device gives the browser.