[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":-1},["ShallowReactive",2],{"extension:v3:en:shp":3},{"resolvedFromAlias":4,"canonicalExt":5,"ext":5,"name":6,"category":7,"categoryName":8,"updatedAt":9,"popularity":10,"summary":11,"howToOs":12,"quickAnswer":18,"answerIntro":19,"whatIs":20,"description":21,"furtherReading":22,"openInstructions":41,"commonIssues":55,"securityNotes":74,"faq":78,"aliases":88,"mimeTypes":89,"relatedExtensions":91,"breadcrumbs":136,"categoryAnchor":146,"categoryFuturePath":147,"metaDescription":148,"availableHowToOs":149,"openOnDeviceLinks":150,"cannotOpenReasons":166,"cannotOpenFixes":167,"convertOptions":168,"securityAffiliateMessaging":169,"securityAffiliates":170},false,"shp","Esri Shapefile (geometry file)","gis","GIS","2026-06-12T08:55:57.988Z",72,".shp is the main geometry file in an Esri Shapefile dataset used to store vector GIS features. You typically open it in GIS software (for example ArcGIS Pro) together with its companion files such as .dbf and .shx.",[13,14,15,16,17],"windows","mac","linux","ios","android","To open .SHP files on Windows, confirm the shapefile components are together: at minimum, the matching .shp, .shx, and .dbf files must be in the same folder with the same base name (for example, roads.shp + roads.shx + roads.dbf).","To open a .shp file, use GIS software that supports the Esri Shapefile format (for example ArcGIS Pro) and make sure the other shapefile components (especially .dbf and .shx) are in the same folder with the same base name. A .shp by itself is usually not enough to fully view the dataset’s attributes.","A .shp file is the required “main file” of an Esri Shapefile and contains the feature geometry (points, lines, or polygons). A complete shapefile dataset is stored as multiple files with the same base name, commonly including .shp (geometry), .shx (shape index), and .dbf (attributes). The format is defined by Esri’s Shapefile Technical Description and is widely supported via GIS tools and libraries such as GDAL/OGR.","The Esri Shapefile is a long-standing, widely supported GIS vector data format. In practice, people often say “a shapefile” even though it is a collection of files; the .shp is the core geometry file, but you typically need at least the matching .shx and .dbf to use it effectively.\n\nShapefiles are commonly used for exchanging and publishing vector layers such as administrative boundaries, roads, hydrography, and other mapped features. Because the dataset is split across multiple files, sharing and archiving shapefiles often involves bundling all components together (for example in a single download), keeping the same base name for all parts.\n\nArcGIS Pro documentation describes working with shapefiles directly in the application, and GDAL/OGR provides a dedicated “ESRI Shapefile” driver for reading and writing shapefile datasets. Esri’s technical description is the canonical specification for the file structure and related components.",[23,26,29,32,35,38],{"title":24,"url":25},"Shapefile - Wikipedia","https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shapefile",{"title":27,"url":28},"ESRI Shapefile Technical Description (PDF)","https://www.esri.com/library/whitepapers/pdfs/shapefile.pdf",{"title":30,"url":31},"ArcGIS Help 10.1 - Shapefile file extensions","https://resources.arcgis.com/en/help/main/10.1/0056/005600000003000000.htm",{"title":33,"url":34},"Shapefiles in ArcGIS Pro—ArcGIS Pro | Documentation","https://pro.arcgis.com/en/pro-app/3.4/help/data/shapefiles/working-with-shapefiles-in-arcgis-pro.htm",{"title":36,"url":37},"ESRI Shapefile — GDAL/OGR driver documentation","https://gdal.gloobe.org/ogr/formats/shapefile.html",{"title":39,"url":40},"shapefile (Q278934) - Wikidata","https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q278934",{"windows":42,"macos":45,"linux":48,"ios":51,"android":53},[43,44],"Confirm the shapefile components are together: at minimum, the matching .shp, .shx, and .dbf files must be in the same folder with the same base name (for example, roads.shp + roads.shx + roads.dbf).","Open ArcGIS Pro and add the shapefile to a map (for example, use the catalog/browse workflow described in ArcGIS Pro documentation).",[46,47],"Check that the companion files (.shx and .dbf at minimum) are present next to the .shp and share the same base name.","If you do not have ArcGIS Pro available on your Mac, open the dataset using a GIS tool that supports the “ESRI Shapefile” format via GDAL/OGR, or transfer the full set of files to a Windows machine with ArcGIS Pro.",[49,50],"Verify the shapefile dataset is complete (at least .shp, .shx, and .dbf with the same base name).","Open or convert it using software built on GDAL/OGR (the GDAL “ESRI Shapefile” driver supports reading and writing shapefiles).",[52],"iOS typically won’t handle shapefiles as a multi-file dataset reliably; transfer the complete shapefile set (.shp/.shx/.dbf, etc.) to a desktop GIS tool (for example ArcGIS Pro or a GDAL/OGR-based tool) to view it.",[54],"Android typically won’t handle shapefiles as a multi-file dataset reliably; transfer the complete shapefile set (.shp/.shx/.dbf, etc.) to a desktop GIS tool (for example ArcGIS Pro or a GDAL/OGR-based tool) to view it.",[56,62,68],{"title":57,"description":58,"steps":59},"The .shp opens but features or attributes are missing","A shapefile is a set of files; the .shp stores geometry but attributes are stored in the .dbf and the index is in the .shx. If those files are missing or don’t match the .shp’s base name, software may show incomplete data or fail to load properly.",[60,61],"Make sure at least .shp, .shx, and .dbf are present in the same folder and have the exact same base name.","Re-download or re-export the dataset if you only received a single .shp file.",{"title":63,"description":64,"steps":65},"“Failed to open dataset” or “cannot find .shx” error","Many readers expect the .shx shape index file alongside the .shp. If it’s missing, corrupted, or renamed, the dataset may not open.",[66,67],"Check that the .shx file exists and matches the .shp base name (for example parcels.shp and parcels.shx).","If you received the file via email or cloud storage, ensure the provider did not drop “unknown” companion files; repackage and resend all shapefile parts together.",{"title":69,"description":70,"steps":71},"The layer draws but looks in the wrong place (coordinate system confusion)","Shapefile datasets often rely on an accompanying .prj file to describe the coordinate reference system. If it is missing or incorrect, GIS software may display the layer in an unexpected location.",[72,73],"Look for a matching .prj file in the shapefile set and keep it with the other components.","If the .prj is missing, set/define the correct coordinate reference system in your GIS software based on the data source information.",[75,76,77],"A shapefile is a collection of files; treat the whole set as untrusted input when it comes from unknown sources because GIS parsers must process binary geometry (.shp) and indexes (.shx).","Be careful with partial downloads or “single-file” shares: missing companion files can lead to misleading results (for example, geometry without attributes) even if the layer appears to load.","Because shapefiles are commonly distributed in bundles, verify you received all expected components with the same base name before opening in GIS software.",[79,82,85],{"question":80,"answer":81},"Is a .shp file the whole “shapefile”?","No. The .shp is the required main geometry file, but a shapefile dataset is made up of multiple files with the same base name. Common required/expected companions include .shx (shape index) and .dbf (attributes).",{"question":83,"answer":84},"What does .dbf do in a shapefile?","In a shapefile dataset, .dbf stores the attribute table (non-spatial data) for the features whose geometry is stored in .shp.",{"question":86,"answer":87},"Why do I need a .prj file?","The .prj file is used to store projection/coordinate reference system information for the shapefile. Without it, software may not know how to place the layer correctly on a map.",[],[90],"application/vnd.shp",[92,97,103,109,114,119,124,130],{"ext":93,"name":94,"category":7,"categoryName":8,"popularity":10,"summary":95,"howToOs":96},"geojson","GeoJSON (RFC 7946) geospatial data",".geojson is a JSON-based format for exchanging geographic features (points, lines, polygons) and their properties. It is widely used in GIS and web mapping tools and follows the GeoJSON standard (RFC 7946).",[13,14,15,16,17],{"ext":98,"name":99,"category":7,"categoryName":8,"popularity":100,"summary":101,"howToOs":102},"kml","Keyhole Markup Language (KML)",70,"KML is an XML-based GIS format for showing geographic features (placemarks, paths, polygons, overlays) on maps and virtual globes. It’s commonly opened in Google Earth and is also supported by GIS tools such as ArcGIS.",[13,14,15,16,17],{"ext":104,"name":105,"category":7,"categoryName":8,"popularity":106,"summary":107,"howToOs":108},"gpkg","OGC GeoPackage (SQLite) geospatial database",55,".gpkg is an OGC GeoPackage: a SQLite 3 database file with a standardized schema for geospatial data. It commonly stores vector layers and can also store raster/tiles in the same single file.",[13,14,15,16,17],{"ext":110,"name":111,"category":7,"categoryName":8,"popularity":106,"summary":112,"howToOs":113},"osm","OpenStreetMap OSM XML (map data)",".osm is an OpenStreetMap dataset stored as OSM XML, containing map features like nodes, ways, and relations. It’s commonly opened or imported into GIS tools such as QGIS, GDAL-based software, or data-integration tools like FME.",[13,14,15,16,17],{"ext":115,"name":116,"category":7,"categoryName":8,"popularity":106,"summary":117,"howToOs":118},"prj","ESRI/Shapefile Projection (WKT CRS) File",".prj is a plain-text “projection” sidecar file most commonly used with ESRI Shapefiles to store the dataset’s coordinate reference system in Well-Known Text (WKT). You typically open it in GIS software (as part of the shapefile) or a text editor to inspect the CRS definition.",[13,14,15,16,17],{"ext":120,"name":121,"category":7,"categoryName":8,"popularity":106,"summary":122,"howToOs":123},"shx","Esri Shapefile Index (SHX)",".shx is the index component of an Esri Shapefile dataset, used alongside .shp (geometry) and .dbf (attributes). You typically open it by opening the shapefile dataset (the .shp) in a GIS app rather than opening the .shx by itself.",[13,14,15,16,17],{"ext":125,"name":126,"category":7,"categoryName":8,"popularity":127,"summary":128,"howToOs":129},"kmz","KMZ (Zipped KML) geospatial archive",45,"A KMZ file is a ZIP-compressed package used to share KML map content (places, paths, overlays), often for viewing in Google Earth and other GIS tools.",[13,14,15,16,17],{"ext":131,"name":132,"category":7,"categoryName":8,"popularity":133,"summary":134,"howToOs":135},"mbtiles","MBTiles (SQLite tile set)",35,".mbtiles is a single-file map tile package used to store tiled maps (raster or vector tiles) in a SQLite database. It’s commonly opened in GIS and mapping tools such as QGIS, GDAL-based tools, and MapTiler Desktop.",[13,14,15,16,17],[137,140,143],{"label":138,"to":139},"Home","/",{"label":141,"to":142},"File Extension Index","/file-extension",{"label":144,"to":145},".SHP","/file-extension/shp","category-gis","/category/gis","Learn what .SHP files are, how to open them on every platform, common fixes, and security best practices.",[13,14,15,16,17],[151,154,157,160,163],{"os":13,"label":152,"to":153},"Open .SHP on Windows","/how-to/open-shp-on-windows",{"os":14,"label":155,"to":156},"Open .SHP on Mac","/how-to/open-shp-on-mac",{"os":15,"label":158,"to":159},"Open .SHP on Linux","/how-to/open-shp-on-linux",{"os":16,"label":161,"to":162},"Open .SHP on iOS","/how-to/open-shp-on-ios",{"os":17,"label":164,"to":165},"Open .SHP on Android","/how-to/open-shp-on-android",[57,63,69],[60,61],[],"untrusted_source",[171,175],{"name":172,"description":173,"affiliateUrl":174},"Avast","Avast offers free and premium antivirus software that protects against viruses, malware, ransomware, and phishing. Scan files before opening them to ensure safety.","https://www.avast.com/lp-aff-consumer-store?expid=inf601",{"name":176,"description":177,"affiliateUrl":178},"Norton","Norton 360 delivers comprehensive antivirus protection, VPN, and identity theft monitoring. Scan files for threats before opening to keep your device secure.","http://buy.norton.com/aff_home?utm_campaign=en-ww_nor_n36_aff_nas_nau_nah_cj_nad_low:_sec_nat_mktc_norton_360"]