View GML Online — Free Map Preview
Upload a GML file and Maparz renders it on an interactive map instantly. GML (Geography Markup Language) is the OGC standard format used by EU INSPIRE datasets, government WFS services, and national spatial data infrastructures. Preview and convert GML files without QGIS or ArcGIS.
GML viewer & converter
About the GML format
Geography Markup Language (GML) is an XML-based OGC standard for encoding geographic features. It is the mandatory format for the EU INSPIRE directive and is commonly used in Web Feature Services (WFS) to deliver geospatial data over the web. GML files are highly interoperable across GIS platforms and are natively supported by GDAL, QGIS, ArcGIS, and GeoServer. GML can represent complex geometries, coordinate reference systems, and rich attribute schemas, making it the format of choice for authoritative government and infrastructure datasets.
Strengths
- +OGC standard — maximum interoperability
- +Mandatory for EU INSPIRE datasets
- +Supports complex geometries and CRS metadata
- +Native support in QGIS, ArcGIS, and GeoServer
Limitations
- −Verbose XML — large file sizes for big datasets
- −Complex schema can be difficult to parse manually
- −Less common in consumer and web mapping workflows
Frequently asked questions
Q.What is GML used for?
GML is the OGC standard for encoding geographic features in XML. It is mandatory for EU INSPIRE datasets and is commonly delivered by Web Feature Services (WFS). Many national mapping agencies publish data in GML.
Q.My GML file is very large — will it load?
The preview renders up to 500 features for browser performance. Files up to 50 MB are supported. GML can be verbose XML, so consider converting to GeoPackage for smaller file sizes.
Q.Can I convert GML to Shapefile or GeoJSON?
Yes. After the map preview loads, select your output format and click Convert. GML → GeoJSON and GML → Shapefile are common conversions when bringing INSPIRE data into desktop GIS.
Q.Is GML the same as KML?
No. GML (Geography Markup Language) is an OGC standard for data exchange, while KML (Keyhole Markup Language) is a Google-originated format for visualisation. Both are XML-based but serve different purposes and have different schemas.