Developer tool

KML to KMZ Converter

Compress a KML document into a Google Earth KMZ archive, with styles and folders preserved exactly.

KML KMZ
PrivConvert
Privacy-first conversion
No files stored
In-memory processing
Deleted instantly
No sign-up needed

Complete the security check to begin

About Converting KML to KMZ

This is a container change rather than a data conversion, and that distinction is the point. KMZ is simply a ZIP archive whose main entry is named doc.kml — the filename Google Earth looks for first. Because your KML is already in the right language, nothing about the map data needs to be reinterpreted, so the document is validated and then wrapped exactly as it is. Styles, folder structure, screen overlays, icon references, extended data and every other part of the KML that a re-emitting converter would quietly flatten all survive byte for byte.

That fidelity is worth being explicit about, because many converters parse a KML into their own internal model and write a fresh one on the way out — which silently loses anything their model does not represent. Here the only change is compression. KML is verbose XML with long runs of repeated coordinate text, so the archive is typically much smaller than the source, and it travels as one file instead of a document plus its icons.

Common use cases

  • Shrinking a large KML before emailing it or attaching it to a report
  • Distributing a styled Google Earth document as a single file that opens with a double-click
  • Meeting an upload limit on a portal or ticketing system that rejects the raw KML’s size
  • Packaging a map for someone who should not have to keep a folder of files together
  • Archiving a finished map in the compact form Google Earth itself saves to

Tips for best results

  • Compression is where the win is: KML repeats coordinate text heavily, so a large document often shrinks dramatically inside the archive.
  • Your styles survive intact. Because the document is wrapped rather than re-emitted, LineStyle colours, IconStyle references and folder hierarchies come through unchanged.
  • The entry is named doc.kml, which is what Google Earth treats as the document root — a KMZ with a differently named KML can still work but is less portable.
  • The same KML always produces the identical archive: the entry carries a fixed timestamp and permission bits, so no upload metadata ends up in the file.

How to Convert KML to KMZ Online

You can convert KML to KMZ right in your browser in under a minute. What you gain with KMZ: one self-contained file including icons and overlays.

1
Upload your KML file

Drag and drop your file into the upload area, click to browse your device, or paste a URL to a file hosted online. You can upload files up to 250 MB and batch convert up to 20 files at once.

2
Automatic conversion

Once uploaded, the conversion from KML to KMZ starts automatically. The process runs entirely in an isolated environment - your data never leaves the secure pipeline.

3
Download your KMZ file

Your converted file is ready instantly. Click the download button to save it to your device. The file is deleted from memory immediately after download.

A more private way to convert KML files

Plenty of sites convert KML files. Very few promise never to keep them — PrivConvert does, and backs it up with how the service is built.

Fast in-memory processing

Each job runs in an isolated in-memory sandbox, so most conversions finish in seconds instead of waiting in a queue.

Nothing is stored

We never keep a copy. Once your KMZ is delivered, both the original and the result are gone — there is nothing left to leak or misuse.

Isolated sandbox

Every conversion runs in its own locked-down process with no network access, so files can never leak or interfere with one another.

No human ever sees it

Your files are handled entirely by automated code. No staff, partner or AI model ever reads, stores or trains on your data.

KML vs KMZ - Format Comparison

FeatureKMLKMZ
File extension.kml.kmz
Supported by PrivConvertYes (as input)Yes (as output)
Privacy-safe conversionIn-memory, zero storage
Max file size250 MB per file
Batch supportUp to 20 files simultaneously

A converter you do not have to worry about

PrivConvert handles thousands of conversions every day for developers, designers and privacy-conscious people who need a file converted without handing over a permanent copy.

250 MB Max file size
450+ Conversion tools
0 sec File retention
100% Free to use

Frequently Asked Questions

How do I convert KML to KMZ?
Upload your .kml file above, complete the quick security check, and a KMZ archive with your document stored as doc.kml is generated instantly.
Will my styles and folders survive?
Yes, exactly. This is a container change, so the document is validated and then wrapped verbatim rather than re-emitted - LineStyle colours, icon references and folder hierarchies all come through unchanged.
Does converting to KMZ change how my map looks?
Not at all. The KML is stored inside the archive unchanged, so Google Earth renders it exactly as before — the only difference is file size and that it is now one file.
Can I get the KML back out?
Yes, and identically. Because nothing was re-emitted on the way in, unwrapping the KMZ returns the same document you started with.
What about icons and images my KML references?
References are preserved as written. If they point at local files you will want those in the archive too; if they point at URLs, Google Earth fetches them as it always did.
Is my file inspected or stored?
It is validated as safe XML with a kml root — that check rejects documents carrying DTD or entity payloads — and then discarded once your download is ready. Nothing is retained.

Further Reading