# Download observation data as points in a KML / KMZ file

**URL:** <https://forum.inaturalist.org/t/download-observation-data-as-points-in-a-kml-kmz-file/84918>\
**Category:** Feature Requests\
**Tags:** web\
**Created:** [September 3, 2026, 5:41pm UTC](https://forum.inaturalist.org/t/download-observation-data-as-points-in-a-kml-kmz-file/84918 "2026-09-03T17:41:16Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 3\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![scarnoncunce](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex016/user_avatar/forum.inaturalist.org/scarnoncunce/32/58266_2.png) [@scarnoncunce](https://forum.inaturalist.org/u/scarnoncunce)\
**Post date:** [September 3, 2026, 5:41pm UTC](https://forum.inaturalist.org/t/download-observation-data-as-points-in-a-kml-kmz-file/84918/1 "2026-09-03T17:41:16Z")

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**Platform(s)** website  
When downloading observation data, give an option to download as filetypes other than CSV, specifically KML or KMZ.  
Allows users to import observations from Inaturalist and directly place them in whatever map software they happen to use rather than having to copy + paste them from excel.

 ![image_2026-09-03_214020614](https://us1.discourse-cdn.com/flex016/uploads/inaturalist/original/3X/f/c/fc1b9f29a260ba27fe063fc56dc216d82c5c32a6.png)

What observations will look like after importing them to Google Maps:

 ![sasdasd](https://us1.discourse-cdn.com/flex016/uploads/inaturalist/original/3X/e/4/e4803605d35f042646c61db357bf36901ad9c46e.jpeg)

 ![image_2026-09-03_214629362](https://us1.discourse-cdn.com/flex016/uploads/inaturalist/original/3X/c/9/c9847424a7428a983470833802e561e8c5f8f647.jpeg)

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**Author:** ![thomaseverest](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex016/user_avatar/forum.inaturalist.org/thomaseverest/32/63220_2.png) [@thomaseverest](https://forum.inaturalist.org/u/thomaseverest)\
**Post date:** [September 3, 2026, 9:08pm UTC](https://forum.inaturalist.org/t/download-observation-data-as-points-in-a-kml-kmz-file/84918/2 "2026-09-03T21:08:00Z")

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Every mapping software I know of, including Google My Maps, allows you to import directly from a CSV.

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**Author:** ![earthknight](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex016/user_avatar/forum.inaturalist.org/earthknight/32/32879_2.png) [@earthknight](https://forum.inaturalist.org/u/earthknight)\
**Post date:** [September 4, 2026, 6:54am UTC](https://forum.inaturalist.org/t/download-observation-data-as-points-in-a-kml-kmz-file/84918/3 "2026-09-04T06:54:24Z")

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CSV is a lot more versatile than KML/KMZ, and given the weird projection Google Earth uses in my opinion it’s best to keep it as CSV rather than KML/KMZ.