Free online CSV to GPI converter

What the CSV format is

CSV (Comma-Separated Values) is a plain-text table format used for addresses, coordinates, inventory, contact lists, and other structured records. Microsoft Excel, LibreOffice Calc, Google Sheets, database systems, GIS applications, and GPS data services commonly create CSV files.

For Garmin POI conversion, each record normally contains longitude, latitude, name, and description, in that order. A typical record is -122.4194,37.7749,Example location,San Francisco. The Garmin format expects longitude before latitude, decimal-degree coordinates, and usually WGS 84 geographic coordinates.

What the GPI format is

GPI is Garmin's compiled binary format for custom points of interest. It can contain locations, names, descriptions, proximity alerts, and optional linked icons or audio files. Garmin navigation devices and some Garmin applications use GPI files for categories such as speed cameras, fuel stations, campsites, or customer locations.

Unlike CSV, GPI is not intended for manual editing. Its advantage is direct compatibility with Garmin POI storage and device search functions, with optional alert and multimedia metadata preserved during compilation.

How to actually convert CSV to GPI

Using Garmin POI Loader

1. Open the CSV in a spreadsheet editor and remove blank rows, merged cells, and unsupported columns.
2. Arrange each row as longitude,latitude,name,description. Use decimal degrees, for example -73.9857,40.7484,Example POI,New York.
3. Save the file as a standard comma-delimited .csv file. Keep the file in a folder containing only the POI data you want to compile.
4. Install and start Garmin POI Loader, then choose the connected Garmin device or select a computer as the destination.
5. When prompted for the source folder, select the folder containing the CSV file.
6. Choose Express mode for automatic processing, or Manual mode when setting proximity alerts or custom distances.
7. Let POI Loader create the output file. When saving to a computer, it normally produces a .gpi file; when targeting a device, it places the compiled data in the device's Garmin POI folder.

To add an icon, place a suitably named bitmap beside the CSV, such as Example.bmp. To add an alert sound on supported devices, use the corresponding Garmin-compatible audio file and confirm that the filename matches the POI source name. Garmin POI Loader may apply device-specific restrictions to these attachments.

Using the built-in online converter

You can also convert the file on 101convert.com for free without installing software. Upload the CSV, choose GPI as the output format, run the conversion, and download the generated file. Verify the coordinate order and the resulting POI data before copying the file to a Garmin device.

Compatibility and limitations

GPI is primarily a Garmin-specific output format; converting a CSV to GPI does not make the file generally usable by other GPS brands. A malformed row, text header, missing coordinate, swapped latitude and longitude, or coordinate outside the valid ranges can cause a location to be skipped or placed incorrectly.

Use UTF-8 when the CSV contains accented characters, but check the target device because older Garmin models have limited character support. Keep longitude between -180 and 180 and latitude between -90 and 90. Back up the device's existing Garmin/POI folder before replacing files, and test several locations on the device because desktop validation cannot confirm how every Garmin model interprets alerts, descriptions, or encoding.