Tools › CSV to shapefile
Convert a spreadsheet (CSV) to a shapefile — free
Turn a spreadsheet of coordinates into a point shapefile for ArcGIS or QGIS. Drop the CSV here, check the points land in the right place, and download.
Drop your CSV file here
or
✓ Opened in a new tab
Switch to the DropMaps tab to see your map.
Your file stays on your computer — it opens in your browser, not on our servers.
Free · No signup · Nothing to install
How to do it
- Make sure your spreadsheet has a latitude and a longitude column (or easting and northing), then save it as .csv.
- Drop your CSV file into the box above — or click “choose a file” to pick it from your device.
- Click “Convert to Shapefile”. DropMaps opens in a new tab with your file on the map, so you can check it looks right.
- The save options open by themselves, with Shapefile highlighted. Click it and the file downloads straight away.
Questions
What should my columns be called?
Common names like lat / lon, latitude / longitude, x / y or easting / northing are picked up automatically. If yours are called something else, DropMaps asks you which columns to use.
Will anything change in the shapefile?
Shapefiles only allow column names up to 10 characters, so longer names are shortened. A shapefile also holds one kind of shape (points, lines or areas), so keep those in separate layers before converting.
What do I get?
A .zip with the .shp, .shx, .dbf and .prj files inside — ready for ArcGIS, QGIS, AutoCAD and most other mapping software.
Is my file uploaded anywhere?
No. The file is opened right in your browser, on your own computer. Nothing is sent to us unless you choose to save the map to a DropMaps account.
Other free tools
Viewers
Converters
Map functions
See what else DropMaps can do
It’s a full map maker in your browser — colour and label your data, draw and edit shapes, measure, stack files on top of each other, and share a map with a link anyone can open.
Explore the features