Draw geographic features directly on satellite imagery or a street map, then export your digitized data as GeoJSON, KML, or GPX — instantly, in your browser, with no software required. Perfect for land mapping, route planning, environmental surveys, urban planning, and GIS education. Open full screen ↗
Create GIS Vector Data Without Any Software
GIS digitization has traditionally required expensive software licences, powerful workstations, and hours of training. This tool changes that equation: open it in your browser, click the drawing tool you need, and start placing features directly on high-resolution satellite imagery or a street map. Within minutes you can have a complete vector dataset — points, lines, and polygons — ready to download in the format your workflow requires.
The tool supports three geometry types that cover virtually every real-world mapping task. Points mark discrete locations: survey stations, sample sites, tree positions, building entrances, incident locations. Lines trace linear features: roads, rivers, utility corridors, hiking trails, fence lines, property edges. Polygons define enclosed areas: land parcels, administrative boundaries, habitat zones, flood extents, building footprints, field boundaries. All three can be freely mixed in a single session and exported together as one dataset.
Exporting Digitized Data
Three download formats are available from the sidebar:
- GeoJSON — A JSON-based open standard for vector geographic data. Every modern web mapping library (Leaflet, Mapbox GL JS, OpenLayers, deck.gl) reads GeoJSON natively. QGIS and ArcGIS Pro both import GeoJSON directly. GitHub renders GeoJSON files as interactive maps. The exported file is named digitized-data.geojson and contains a FeatureCollection with all drawn features and their auto-generated labels.
- KML — Google's Keyhole Markup Language, the format of choice for Google Earth and Google My Maps. The exported file (digitized-data.kml) contains Placemarks for points, LineString elements for lines, and Polygon elements for polygons, each with an auto-generated name. Open it in Google Earth Pro to see your features in 3D, or upload to Google My Maps to share via a link.
- GPX — The GPS Exchange Format, used by GPS devices, fitness apps, and navigation tools. GPX waypoints correspond to drawn points; GPX tracks correspond to drawn lines. Polygons have no standard GPX equivalent and are omitted from GPX exports. Use GPX to load a route into a Garmin device, import tracks into Strava, or open waypoints in OsmAnd or Komoot.
Style Settings and Basemap Selection
The sidebar provides colour pickers and sliders for each geometry type. Point colour controls the fill of the circle markers; the radius slider sets their size in pixels. Line colour and width control the polyline stroke. Polygon colour sets both the outline and fill, while the fill opacity slider (0–80%) controls transparency — lower opacity lets the basemap show through, higher opacity makes the polygon more solid.
Style changes apply immediately to all existing features on the map, not just future ones. This makes it easy to retheme the entire dataset: change all polygons to orange, or make all lines thicker, in a single slider movement.
Four basemaps are available. Satellite (Esri World Imagery) is the default and best for digitizing land features. Street (CartoDB Voyager) shows street networks and place names, ideal for urban mapping. Topo (OpenTopoMap) adds elevation contours and terrain shading. Dark (CartoDB Dark Matter) provides a high-contrast dark background great for screenshots and presentations.
Understanding GIS Digitization
Digitization is the process of converting geographic features from a source image (satellite imagery, aerial photography, scanned paper maps, or drone imagery) into vector format. In the vector model, the world is described as points (coordinate pairs), lines (ordered sequences of points), and polygons (closed lines enclosing an area). This representation is compact, scalable to any resolution, and suitable for spatial analysis like area calculation, buffering, intersection, and routing.
In professional GIS workflows, digitization is performed in ESRI ArcGIS Pro, QGIS, or AutoCAD Map. These tools offer snapping, topology checking, multi-layer editing, and geodatabase management. For quick tasks, field sketches, educational exercises, and small-scale projects, however, a browser-based tool is often faster and more practical. No installation, no licence, no waiting for IT to configure a workstation — just open the page and draw.
The coordinate reference system used here is WGS 84 (EPSG:4326) — the standard for GPS and web mapping. All exported GeoJSON and KML files use geographic coordinates (decimal degrees of latitude and longitude), which is the universal input format for every modern GIS platform and web mapping library.
Step-by-Step Guide
Step 1
Map Opens with Satellite Imagery
The tool loads with a world satellite basemap and a compact toolbar at the top of the map. The sidebar shows style controls for points, lines, and polygons, plus basemap options and export buttons. No sign-up or installation needed — everything runs in your browser.
Step 2
Select the Point Drawing Tool
Click the Point button in the toolbar to enter point drawing mode. The cursor changes to a crosshair and a hint bar appears at the bottom of the map. Single-click anywhere on the map to place a circular point marker at that location.
Step 3
Place Multiple Points on the Map
Each click places a new point marker. All placed points appear in the Features list in the sidebar. Click any marker on the map to see a popup with its label and coordinates. Stay in Point mode to keep placing markers one by one.
Step 4
Draw a Line by Clicking Vertices
Switch to the Line tool and click sequentially to add vertices. A dashed ghost line follows your cursor to preview the next segment. A growing polyline connects the placed vertices. The hint bar shows the current vertex count.
Step 5
Finish the Line with Double-Click
Double-click the final vertex (or press Enter, or click Finish) to complete the line. The dashed preview disappears and a solid styled line is added to the feature group. Press Escape at any time to cancel a drawing in progress.
Step 6
Draw a Filled Polygon
Click the Polygon tool and place three or more vertices. A live polygon preview updates with each click, showing the filled shape as it grows. Double-click or press Enter to close the polygon — it automatically connects the last vertex back to the first.
Step 7
Customise Colours and Sizes
Use the colour pickers and sliders in the sidebar to restyle all features at once. Change point fill colour and radius, line stroke colour and width, or polygon fill colour and opacity. Changes apply immediately to every feature on the map.
Step 8
Switch Basemap for Context
Toggle between Satellite (ideal for digitizing land features), Street (street network and labels), Topo (elevation contours and terrain), and Dark (high-contrast for presentations). The drawn features remain unchanged when the basemap switches.
Step 9
Export as GeoJSON, KML, or GPX
Click Download GeoJSON for a web-ready format compatible with Leaflet, Mapbox, QGIS, and GitHub. Click Download KML to open the data in Google Earth. Click Download GPX to load points and tracks into a GPS device or app. All formats capture every drawn feature.
Step 10
Open in Full-Screen Mode
Click the Full Screen link in the sidebar header to open the tool in a dedicated full-screen page. The map expands to fill your entire browser window. All drawing tools, style controls, the feature list, and export buttons remain fully functional. Use the X buttons to delete individual features, or Clear All Features to reset.
How to Draw Points, Lines, and Polygons
The drawing interface uses a floating toolbar at the top of the map area. Each tool behaves slightly differently:
- Point tool: Click once to place a point marker at that location. Stay in Point mode to keep placing points — each click adds a new marker. Double-clicking in Point mode still places just one point. Click any placed point to see its label and coordinates in a popup.
- Line tool: Click to place the first vertex, then click each subsequent vertex. A dashed ghost line tracks your cursor to preview the next segment. The growing line updates in real time. Double-click the final vertex, press Enter, or click Finish to complete the line. You need at least 2 vertices.
- Polygon tool: Click to place vertices just like the Line tool. The polygon preview updates as you go, showing the filled shape including a closing edge back to the first vertex. Double-click, press Enter, or click Finish to close the polygon. You need at least 3 vertices.
Keyboard shortcuts: Escape cancels an in-progress drawing without saving it. Enter finishes an in-progress line or polygon. Ctrl+Z (or the undo button in the toolbar) undoes the last vertex during drawing, or removes the most recently placed feature when not drawing.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do I add attribute data to my drawn features?
The tool currently assigns automatic labels (Point 1, Line 1, Polygon 1, etc.) stored as the label property in the GeoJSON. After downloading, open the file in a text editor or QGIS to add additional property fields (name, description, type, area, date) to each feature. In QGIS, use the attribute table editor to add columns and fill in values. In a text editor, add any key-value pairs to the GeoJSON properties object directly. The KML export also includes the auto-label as the Placemark name, visible in Google Earth.
Can I load existing GeoJSON or KML and edit it here?
This tool is designed for creating new features from scratch and does not currently support loading an existing file for editing. To edit existing GeoJSON, use geojson.io. For KML, Google Earth Pro allows vertex-level editing. To view existing KML on a map, use the KML KMZ Viewer on this site. For full editing capabilities across all GIS formats, QGIS is a free, open-source desktop application that supports snapping, topology, and multi-layer editing.
What is the difference between a line and a polygon in GIS?
A line (LineString) represents a linear feature — a road, river, fence, trail, or any feature where the path matters. Lines have a start and end but no enclosed area. A polygon represents a closed area — a land parcel, building footprint, lake, or any feature that encloses space. When choosing: does this feature have an interior area that matters? If yes, use polygon. If it is purely a path or boundary edge, use line. For administrative boundaries, polygon is typically preferred because the enclosed area defines the entity.
Can I undo mistakes while drawing?
Yes, at two levels. While actively drawing a line or polygon, press Ctrl+Z or click the undo button in the toolbar to remove the last placed vertex. After completing a feature, Ctrl+Z removes the most recently placed complete feature. You can also delete individual features from the Features list in the sidebar using the X button. To discard an in-progress line or polygon without finishing it, press Escape or click the cancel button in the toolbar.
How accurate is the digitizing on this tool?
Accuracy depends on the zoom level and basemap. Esri satellite imagery is generally accurate to within a few metres at high zoom levels (17–19) in well-mapped urban areas. Rural areas may have higher positional errors. Coordinates are captured with six decimal places of precision (about 11 cm on the ground). For high-accuracy work — surveying, engineering, or legal boundary demarcation — use a dedicated GPS instrument or professional GIS software. For planning, education, and field sketches, this tool provides practical accuracy.
How do I digitize land parcel or property boundary data?
Switch the basemap to Satellite for the clearest view of land boundaries. Zoom to the area and select the Polygon drawing tool. Click the corners of the boundary one by one — the tool shows a live preview as you add vertices. Ensure the last point aligns with the starting corner before double-clicking or pressing Enter to close the polygon. Adjust colour and fill opacity in the sidebar. Export as GeoJSON for QGIS analysis, or as KML to share in Google Earth.
Is my digitized data saved anywhere?
No. All drawing happens in your browser's memory only. The coordinates of every point, line, and polygon you draw are stored in the browser tab — they are never sent to a server, saved to a database, or linked to any account. If you close the tab or refresh the page, all features are lost. Always export your GeoJSON, KML, or GPX before closing. Because everything runs locally, this tool is safe for mapping sensitive locations, private boundaries, or confidential site data.
Which output format should I choose — GeoJSON, KML, or GPX?
Choose based on how you will use the data. GeoJSON is the modern standard for web mapping — it works natively in Leaflet, Mapbox GL JS, deck.gl, renders on GitHub, and imports into QGIS and ArcGIS. KML is best for Google Earth, Google My Maps, or sharing annotated maps in Google's ecosystem. GPX is the format for GPS devices and outdoor navigation apps (Garmin, Strava, OsmAnd, Komoot). Note that polygons are omitted from GPX exports since the format has no polygon element.
What are the practical applications of this GIS digitizing tool?
Applications are very broad. Urban planners sketch development zones, road alignments, and utility corridors over satellite imagery. Environmental teams digitize habitat boundaries and wetland extents. Farmers draw field boundaries and irrigation channels to calculate areas. Disaster coordinators rapidly digitize affected zones and evacuation routes. Students learn GIS concepts by creating their own datasets without costly licences. Real estate agents sketch parcel boundaries for client presentations. Archaeologists digitize site features from drone imagery.
What does it mean to digitize GIS data?
Digitization in GIS is the process of converting real-world geographic features into vector data — points, lines, and polygons stored in a standard format like GeoJSON, KML, or Shapefile. Traditionally done by tracing paper maps on a digitizing tablet, modern tools let you click directly on satellite imagery in a browser. The result is a vector layer you can analyse, edit, share, and load into any GIS software without installing anything.
Watch: Digitize GIS Data in Under 2 Minutes
Prefer to watch instead of read? This short walkthrough covers drawing points, lines, and polygons on the map, styling them, and exporting your data.
Common Use Cases
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Environmental & Conservation
Digitize habitat boundaries, wetlands, protected zones, and vegetation transects from current imagery to build datasets for environmental impact assessments and monitoring.
🏗️
Urban Planning & Infrastructure
Sketch proposed road alignments, utility corridors, development zones, and building footprints on a basemap to support planning documents and stakeholder presentations.
🛰️
Land & Property Mapping
Trace parcel boundaries, farm fields, or site extents over satellite imagery and export as GeoJSON for area calculation, planning submissions, or sharing with clients.
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Route & Track Planning
Draw walking, cycling, or driving routes as lines, export as GPX, and load directly into Garmin, OsmAnd, Strava, or any navigation app that accepts GPX files.
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Emergency Response Mapping
Rapidly sketch affected zones, evacuation routes, and resource locations during incidents. Export GeoJSON in seconds to share with coordinators and field teams in real time.
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GIS Education & Training
Let students practice digitizing without costly software licences. Draw features from satellite imagery, inspect the exported GeoJSON structure, and understand spatial data fundamentals hands-on.
Related Tools
Map tiles © OpenStreetMap contributors, drawn with Protomaps (hosted by KONAKTIVE), with CARTO as the fallback. Topographic map: OpenTopoMap. Satellite imagery: Esri. Map rendering: Leaflet. All calculations run in your browser, and nothing you enter is stored on a server.
