Online Shapefile Viewer

Open, inspect, and validate ESRI Shapefile archives in seconds. Upload zipped shapefiles and explore layers on an interactive map.

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Shapefile Viewer Tool

Why GIS teams use our Shapefile Viewer

Secure, local parsing

Shapefile archives are extracted and parsed in your browser so boundaries never leave your device.

Layer-aware visualization

Preview SHP geometries with styling and toggle attribute tables for each layer.

Reliable QA workflow

Validate projections, geometry types, and attributes before sharing data downstream.

What is a Shapefile?

The ESRI Shapefile format stores geospatial vector data across a set of related files. It remains a common standard for desktop GIS workflows.

A complete shapefile dataset must include at least these three files, often packaged together in a .zip archive for sharing.

SHP geometry

The .shp file contains the point, line, or polygon geometries for each feature.

SHX index

The .shx file indexes geometry records so software can quickly locate each feature.

DBF attributes

The .dbf file stores the tabular attribute data that belongs to every feature.

How to use the Shapefile Viewer

  1. 1

    Collect your files

    Zip together the .shp, .shx, .dbf, and optional .prj files before uploading.

  2. 2

    Upload the archive

    Drag the .zip file into the viewer or use the file picker to select it.

  3. 3

    Inspect layers

    Explore the map, browse the attribute table, and export data when you are ready.

Best practices for managing shapefiles

Keep projection metadata

Include the .prj file to preserve coordinate reference information and avoid misaligned maps.

Validate encoding

Ensure the attribute table uses UTF-8 or a consistent code page to prevent garbled text.

Simplify before sharing

Clip or simplify complex geometries to reduce file size and improve performance for collaborators.

Frequently asked questions

Which files do I need to upload?

Add at minimum the .shp, .shx, and .dbf files zipped together. Including .prj helps maintain projection information.

Is my data sent to a server?

No. The viewer processes files directly in your browser, so your spatial data stays on your device.

Can I export to GeoJSON?

Yes. After inspecting the shapefile you can export the features to GeoJSON for web mapping tools.

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