You can view and share Google Earth information using KML files. KML (Keyhole Markup Language) is a file format created for storing geographic data and associated content with Google Earth. Learn what KML files are.
If you have a KML file from previous versions of Google Earth, you can view it in Google Earth for web browsers.
- Using the web browser on your computer, open Google Earth.
- On the left, click Projects
.
- Click the New Project button.
- To add a file directly to your computer, select Import KML File.
- To add a file from your Google Drive or a shared file, select Import KML file from Drive.
- Select the KML file you'd like to view.
.The files will be automatically saved to your KML files within Projects.
Info you can import and export
You can view most simple KML files using Google Earth for Chrome (version 9).
If you have trouble viewing more complex KML files, try using Google Earth for desktop (version 7), which supports all KML features.
What you can import now
- Placemarks, lines/paths and polygons
- Image overlays (a.k.a ground overlays)
- Simple network links
- Super-overlays
- Simple KML tours without audio
Notes:
- Some custom icons and overlay images hosted on other websites won’t work.
- For a detailed list of which KML features are available, learn more about KML support in Google Earth.
Report a problem
If you still have trouble with KML files, tell us about the problem.