You can create customized maps and stories about places around the world with text, photos, and videos. You can also share your maps and stories with others to collaborate.
Anyone with a Google Account can create projects. If you don't have an account, you can sign up for one .
Compare data types
Google Earth offers different ways to work with your geospatial data, each with unique capabilities:
- Map features:Individually editable items like placemarks, lines, and polygons stored within a Google Drive project. Best for creating and curating map content.
- Data layers:Read-only layers generated from larger datasets (KML, GeoJSON, SHP), also stored within a Google Drive project. Ideal for visualizing and analyzing large-scale data.
- Local KML files:KML/KMZ files stored in your computer's browser storage, independent of Google Drive projects. Best for quickly viewing KML data.
Capabilities
Map features
Data layers (Experimental)
Local KML file
Storage location
Google Drive
Google Drive (embedded in project)
Browser local storage
Collaboration and sharing support
Available using Google Drive project sharing. Editors can modify features.
Available using Google Drive project sharing. Editors can modify the layer within the project.
Not available. Must create copies by exporting and sending the KML file.
Supported formats for import
KML, KMZ
KML, KMZ, GeoJSON, SHP.zip
KML, KMZ
Supported KML features
Earth projects support KML features like:
- Placemarks, lines and paths, and polygons
- Image overlays
- Simple network links
Learn more about which imported KML features are supported in cloud projects.
Data layers support basic KML features like:
- Placemarks, lines and paths, and polygons
Local KML files support KML features like:
- Placemarks, lines and paths, and polygons
- Image overlays (ground overlays)
- Simple network links
- Super-overlays
- Simple KML tours without audio
Data scale and performance
Best for up to ~10,000 features. Performance degrades with additional features.
Optimized for very large datasets (1,000,000+ features). Higher performance.
Performance depends on file size and complexity. May be slow for large files.
Editability
Features are individually editable (geometry, attributes).
Layer data is not directly editable. Styled as a whole.
Features are individually editable (geometry, attributes).
Styling
Per-feature styling. Select several features to apply styling in bulk.
Per-feature styling. Select several features to apply styling in bulk.
Key use cases
Creating maps, adding placemarks, drawing routes, defining areas.
Visualizing large vector datasets (for example, parcels, boundaries, points of interest) along other project content and Google's data.
Quickly viewing KML or KMZ files
Bring data into Google Earth
You can import KML files from your device or Google Drive into a cloud-based project, which are saved in your Google Drive. For more information, see Import KML
.
You can open KML files that stay local to your device. These are not loaded into Google Drive or a cloud project.
Access and manage projects and files
You can find both cloud-based projects and local KML files in the Google Earth home screen. To learn more about how to create, copy, and manage your projects and files, see Manage your projects on the Google Earth home screen
.
