How to Create a KML File

A step-by-step guide to drawing your area of interest and exporting it as KML for use with TreeSight.

Background

What is KML?

KML (Keyhole Markup Language) is an XML-based format for geographic data. It's the standard format used by Google Earth, and it's what TreeSight uses to define your area of interest.

A KML file contains one or more polygons — shapes drawn on the map that define exactly where you want satellite imagery analysed. TreeSight also supports KMZ files, which are compressed archives containing KML.

You don't need any GIS experience. If you can draw a shape on Google Maps, you can create a KML file.
Recommended Tool

Google Earth Pro (Free)

We recommend Google Earth Pro — it's free, runs on Windows, macOS, and Linux, and makes it easy to draw polygons and export KML.

  1. Download from google.com/earth/about/versions — choose "Google Earth Pro on desktop"
  2. Install and open the application
  3. Sign in with a Google account (or skip — it's optional)
Already have QGIS, ArcGIS, or another GIS tool? Any software that exports standard KML polygons will work with TreeSight.
Step by Step

Creating Your KML File

1 Navigate to your area

Use the search bar in Google Earth Pro to find the area you're interested in. You can search by place name, coordinates, or simply zoom and pan to the right location.

2 Draw a polygon

Click Add → Polygon in the menu bar (or press Ctrl+Shift+G). A dialog box will appear.

Give your polygon a name (e.g., "Farm boundary" or "Forest plot"), then click on the map to place each corner of your shape. Click the first point again to close the polygon.

3 Refine your selection

Drag the corner points to adjust the shape. You can also right-click on an edge to add more points for a more precise boundary.

When you're happy with the shape, click OK in the dialog.

4 Save as KML

Right-click the polygon in the Places panel on the left, then select Save Place As…

In the save dialog:

  • Choose KML or KMZ from the "Save as type" dropdown
  • Pick a location on your computer and click Save

5 Upload to TreeSight

Go to the Live Demo section, drag your KML/KMZ file onto the upload area (or paste the KML text), and click Run Pipeline.

TreeSight will extract the polygons, find matching satellite imagery, and deliver your analysis in minutes.

Tips & Limits

Getting the Best Results

Polygon size

TreeSight works best with areas between 1 hectare and 10,000 hectares. Very small polygons may not intersect enough satellite tiles; very large ones may take longer to process.

Multiple polygons

You can include multiple polygons in a single KML file. TreeSight will process each one individually and return results for all of them.

Coordinate system

KML files always use WGS 84 (EPSG:4326) coordinates. Google Earth Pro handles this automatically — no manual CRS configuration needed.

Avoid self-intersecting polygons (figure-eight shapes). TreeSight validates geometry and will reject invalid shapes with a clear error message.

KML vs KMZ

KML is plain XML text — you can open it in any text editor. KMZ is a compressed ZIP archive containing KML and optional assets. TreeSight supports both.

Alternative tools

  • Google My Maps — draw shapes in your browser, export as KML
  • QGIS — free professional GIS, export any vector layer as KML
  • geojson.io — draw polygons online, then convert GeoJSON to KML

Ready to try it?

Upload your KML file and see satellite analysis in minutes.

Try the Demo Request Early Access