Extract text from QGIS projects (QGS)
To convert QGS projects to another format, you need QGIS or other GIS software.
To convert other file formats to the "GIS Project File" file type, you need software like QGIS or a similar tool.
The .qgs file extension is a project file created by QGIS, a leading open-source Geographic Information System. It stores map layouts, layer styling, coordinate reference systems (CRS), and file paths to external spatial datasets. Under the hood, it uses an XML/HTML-based markup structure, meaning the raw file is technically readable in a standard text editor.
The critical disadvantage of the .qgs format is that it does not contain any actual geographic data. It only holds references. If you share a .qgs file without the accompanying shapefiles or databases, the recipient will open a broken project with missing layers. Furthermore, viewing the actual map requires installing heavy desktop GIS software.
To share projects effectively, convert .qgs to the modern QGZ format, which compresses the data and can bundle auxiliary files. If your goal is to share the visual map with non-technical users, you must render the project into a PDF or PNG. To extract layer names or fix broken file paths, convert it to XML or TXT. Just drag and drop your file here to analyze its dependencies and convert it securely right in your browser.
Convert.Guru analyzes your QGS file, detects the exact format, and lets you read the text inside.
Users also converted QGZ, QGS_, SHP, KML, DBF, DB, GPKG, DXF, CPG, JPG, KMZ, PDF and ASPX files.
If you want to convert QGS file to SHP, KML, KMZ, GPX, GEOJSON, TOPOJSON, TIF, TIFF, ECW, SID, IMG or DEM, you can use QGIS or similar software from the "GIS Project State Storage" category. In the File menu, look for Save As… or Export….
To convert LAZ, KMZ, DTM, CSV, DEM, PRJ, LAS, GPX, DSM, SHP, DBF or KML files to QGS, try QGIS or another comparable tool in the "GIS Project State Storage" category.
The history of Convert.Guru began over 25 years ago in California with Tom Simondi’s file-format database. A former contributor to Space Shuttle development and a software pioneer of the 1980s, Simondi established a trusted resource for file type analysis that was even referenced by Microsoft Windows XP. Today, we use modern technology to process and convert thousands of file formats while continually improving our QGS converter.