Free online TIF to KML converter

What the TIF format is

TIF, also called TIFF, is a raster image format used by scanners, aerial-imaging systems, satellite-data providers, GIS applications, and digital cartography software. GIS TIF files commonly contain a world file such as map.tfw or internal GeoTIFF metadata defining the image’s coordinates, projection, pixel size, and geographic extent.

Programs including QGIS, ArcGIS Pro, Global Mapper, Adobe Photoshop, and remote-sensing software can create or edit TIF files. A regular picture exported as TIF is not automatically georeferenced; without spatial metadata, conversion software cannot place it correctly on a map.

What the KML format is

KML is an XML-based geographic format supported by Google Earth, Google Earth Pro, QGIS, ArcGIS, and many GPS and mapping applications. It stores placemarks, paths, polygons, labels, map extents, styles, and raster imagery through GroundOverlay elements.

For large raster maps, the appropriate output is usually a KML SuperOverlay. It stores a KML file plus a pyramid of smaller image tiles, allowing mapping software to load only the resolution needed for the current zoom level. KML uses WGS 84 geographic coordinates, EPSG:4326, so projected TIF data may need reprojection first.

How to convert TIF to KML

Using GDAL from the command line

GDAL is the most reliable choice for a georeferenced raster. Check the source metadata first:

gdalinfo input.tif

Confirm that the output includes a coordinate system and corner coordinates. If the TIF is already in EPSG:4326, create a KML SuperOverlay directly:

gdal_translate -of KMLSUPEROVERLAY input.tif output.kml

If the source uses a projected coordinate system, reproject it to WGS 84 before generating KML:

gdalwarp -t_srs EPSG:4326 -r bilinear input.tif wgs84.tif
gdal_translate -of KMLSUPEROVERLAY wgs84.tif output.kml

Use -r near instead of -r bilinear for categorical rasters such as land-cover classes, because bilinear interpolation can create invalid intermediate class values. The conversion creates output.kml and an associated tile directory; keep that directory with the KML when moving or sharing the result.

Using QGIS

1. Load the TIF and inspect its layer properties to verify the CRS and extent.
2. If necessary, choose Raster → Projections → Warp (Reproject), set the target CRS to EPSG:4326, and save a new GeoTIFF.
3. Open Processing → Toolbox → GDAL → Raster conversion → Translate (convert format).
4. Select the WGS 84 raster and choose the KML SuperOverlay output format if it is available in the installed GDAL version.
5. Open the resulting KML in Google Earth or add it as a vector/raster layer in a GIS application.

For a quick conversion without installing software, the file can be converted for free on 101convert.com. The source still needs embedded georeferencing or a correctly matched world file; an unreferenced image cannot be positioned accurately by any converter.

Quality, compatibility, and limitations

This process normally produces a georeferenced image overlay, not vector features. Roads, boundaries, and labels remain pixels and cannot be edited as KML lines or polygons. Converting raster content into editable vectors requires a separate digitizing or raster-to-vector workflow.

Large TIF files can generate many tiles and a sizeable output directory. JPEG tiles reduce size for aerial imagery but introduce compression artifacts; PNG preserves sharp labels and transparent areas but usually produces larger files. KML supports WGS 84 coordinates, so datum or projection transformations can shift the overlay if the source CRS is incorrect.

Google Earth and some GPS devices may have limits on image dimensions, tile counts, available memory, or KML feature support. Test the complete KML file together with its tile folder, and use relative paths rather than renaming or separating generated files.