> ## Documentation Index > Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://docs.valar.space/llms.txt > Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further. # KML and KMZ Files > The KML and KMZ geometry VALAR accepts when you import an Area of Interest > For the complete documentation index, see [llms.txt](/llms.txt). When you create an Area of Interest with the **KML** method (see the [KML upload](/features/areas-of-interest/create-aoi#kml) in the AOI creation dialog), VALAR reads a single area out of a `.kml` or `.kmz` file and converts it to the same typed geometry the [GeoJSON](/file-formats/aoi-geojson) flow produces. This page catalogues what geometry is accepted, what is silently dropped, the file-size limits, and what each import error means. KML is an [OGC standard](https://www.ogc.org/standard/kml/) originally created for Google Earth. A `.kmz` file is a ZIP archive containing a KML document — it is the default format Google Earth exports. ## Supported Geometry VALAR imports exactly **one area per file**. That area is either a single polygon or a set of polygons: | KML geometry | Result | | ----------------------------- | --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | | **Polygon** | A single `` in one `` becomes a Polygon AOI. Exterior ring only. | | **MultiGeometry of Polygons** | A `` whose members are all `` becomes a MultiPolygon AOI (one AOI made of several disjoint pieces). | The imported polygons follow the same vertex and area rules the [GeoJSON subset](/file-formats/aoi-geojson) enforces — an exterior ring of 3 to 500 distinct vertices per piece, positive area, no self-intersection, and at most a hemisphere of extent. See the [Validation Errors](/features/areas-of-interest/create-aoi#validation-errors) catalogue for the full list. ## Rejected Geometry Anything that is not a single polygonal area is rejected before the area reaches the map: | Input | Why it is rejected | | ----------------------------------------------------- | --------------------------------------------------------------------------- | | **Point** or **LineString** | AOIs are areas — a point or a line has no area to import. | | **A MultiGeometry mixing polygons with non-polygons** | Only all-polygon geometries convert to an AOI. | | **Multiple placemarks / multiple areas** | One area per file. Split a multi-area file and import each area separately. | ## What Is Dropped on Import VALAR keeps only the area outline. The following are dropped without failing the import: | Dropped | Behaviour | | ----------------------------- | -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | | **Holes (inner rings)** | A polygon with a hole is accepted; only its outer ring is kept. The hole is silently discarded. | | **Altitude (3rd coordinate)** | If a coordinate carries a `,altitude` value, it is dropped. AOIs are 2D Earth-surface regions. | | **Name and styling** | The KML file's own placemark name, description, colour, and style are ignored. You name and colour the AOI in the creation form. | ## File Types and Size Limits | Constraint | Limit | | ------------------------------ | ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | | **Accepted extensions** | `.kml` (plain KML) and `.kmz` (zipped KML — the Google Earth default export). | | **Maximum `.kmz` file size** | **5 MB** compressed. Larger archives are rejected before being read. | | **Maximum extracted KML size** | **1 MB** of KML text (the same cap as a pasted or uploaded GeoJSON body). This bound is enforced while the `.kmz` is unzipped, so a small archive that expands to a huge document is still rejected. | ## Import Errors Each failure surfaces a single inline message on the KML card. No area is placed on the map until the file passes every check. | Message | Cause | Remediation | | -------------------------------------------------------------- | -------------------------------------------------------------------------- | ------------------------------------------------------------ | | `The file could not be read as KML` | The file is not valid KML, or carries an XML `DOCTYPE` declaration. | Re-export the area as plain KML from your GIS tool. | | `The KML area must be a Polygon or set of Polygons` | The file's geometry is a point, a line, or a mix that is not all polygons. | Export the area as a polygon (or a set of polygons). | | `This KML file contains multiple areas — import a single area` | The file has more than one placemark / area. | Keep one area per file and import each separately. | | `No supported area (Polygon) was found in the KML` | The file (or `.kmz` archive) has no importable polygon inside. | Check that the file actually contains a polygon area. | | `The KML or KMZ file is too large to import` | The `.kmz` exceeds 5 MB, or the KML text exceeds 1 MB. | Simplify the geometry in a desktop GIS tool, then re-export. | | `This KML/KMZ file is encrypted and cannot be read` | The `.kmz` archive is password-protected. | Re-export an unencrypted `.kml` or `.kmz`. | ## Worked Example Below is a valid KML file describing a small AOI over the Tuscany coast near Livorno — one placemark, one polygon, a closed outer ring, no hole, no altitude. ```xml theme={null} Tuscany Coast 10.20,43.80 10.40,43.80 10.40,43.60 10.20,43.60 10.20,43.80 ``` Save this as `tuscany.kml`, pick **KML** in the AOI creation dialog, upload the file, fill in the rest of the [Create an AOI](/features/areas-of-interest/create-aoi) form, and **Save** — the AOI lands in the workspace and an automatic recompute follows. To try the `.kmz` path, zip the same file (Google Earth's **Save Place As… → .kmz** does this for you) and upload the archive instead. ## Related Pages * [Create an AOI](/features/areas-of-interest/create-aoi) — the creation dialog where the **KML** method lives. * [GeoJSON file format](/file-formats/aoi-geojson) — the sibling import format; KML areas convert to the same accepted geometry. * [Areas of Interest overview](/features/areas-of-interest/overview) — read and edit an AOI once it is imported.