Do I need to unzip a KMZ before opening it?

No. Drop the .kmz file in as it is. The archive is expanded in the browser and the KML inside is parsed directly.

Is a KMZ file uploaded to your servers?

No. Unzipping and parsing both happen in the browser. The original archive is parsed locally. Saving or publishing uploads the converted map data. Address lookups send address text to the selected geocoder.

Why do my Google Earth icons look different here?

Because MapCrafter draws crisp vector markers instead of the raster icons stored in the archive. They stay sharp at any zoom and can be recoloured, which the originals cannot.

KMZ · format guide

KMZ viewer online

A KMZ is a zip archive containing a KML file plus any icons and images it references. MapCrafter unzips it in the browser, parses the KML inside, and renders the geometry the same way it renders a plain KML. Nothing is uploaded and nothing needs installing.

Open a KMZ file 1 worked KMZ examples

What a KMZ file is

KMZ is what Google Earth actually saves by default. It is a zip containing doc.kml and, usually, a folder of PNG icons. The compression is the whole point: a KML file with embedded images can be tens of megabytes, and the KMZ is a fraction of that.

Since a KMZ is just a zip with a known structure, opening one is not harder than opening a KML — the archive has to be read first. MapCrafter does that in the browser, without uploading the original archive for parsing. Saving or publishing uploads the converted map data.

One consequence worth knowing: because the icons travel inside the archive, a KMZ often looks right in Google Earth and wrong anywhere else. MapCrafter draws its own markers, so the map is consistent with every other layer you have.

What MapCrafter reads from it

A KMZ archive: The doc.kml inside is located and parsed
Multiple KML files in one archive: All of them are read and merged into layers
Everything a KML accepts: Placemarks, paths and polygons; folder hierarchy and original display styles are not reproduced

Mapping a KMZ file, step by step

1
Drop the .kmz file in
The archive is unzipped in the browser; nothing is uploaded.
2
The KML inside is parsed
Each KML file becomes a layer; folders are flattened and mixed geometry stays together.
3
Style it your way
The icons that travelled inside the archive are not used; MapCrafter draws its own markers so the map matches your other layers.
4
Export or share
PNG, GeoJSON, a share link or an iframe embed.

Things that go wrong with KMZ

Every one of these is a property of the format rather than a bug in a particular tool, which is why they keep happening.

The file is a KMZ but nothing opened.
Some exports name the archive .kml anyway, or wrap the KML in an extra directory level. Nested KML files are handled. Make sure the archive has a .kmz extension; a general .zip is treated as a Shapefile archive. Rename to .zip and look inside.
The custom icons from Google Earth are gone.
Expected, and deliberate. Icons inside a KMZ are raster images at one size, so they blur when zoomed. MapCrafter draws vector markers that stay sharp and can be recoloured to match the rest of the map.
A photo attached to a placemark does not show.
Images referenced by a placemark description are inside the archive but not extracted. Description markup is shown as text, so images and HTML links are not rendered in popups. Keep essential information in plain-text properties.

KMZ maps in the gallery

1 live map built from KMZ data, each showing its source columns and the geometry that was detected.

Square placemarksA KMZ export from Google EarthKMZ is a zipped KML file, which is what Google Earth produces by default. MapCrafter unzips it in the browser rather than asking you to expand it first, because the format people actually have is the one the tool has to accept.

KMZ questions

Do I need to unzip a KMZ before opening it?: No. Drop the .kmz file in as it is. The archive is expanded in the browser and the KML inside is parsed directly.
Is a KMZ file uploaded to your servers?: No. Unzipping and parsing both happen in the browser. The original archive is parsed locally. Saving or publishing uploads the converted map data. Address lookups send address text to the selected geocoder.
Why do my Google Earth icons look different here?: Because MapCrafter draws crisp vector markers instead of the raster icons stored in the archive. They stay sharp at any zoom and can be recoloured, which the originals cannot.