GeoJSON to Shapefile Converter failed or looks wrong? Troubleshooting guide
Troubleshoot extensions, file structure, dependencies, encoding, memory, and output error in GeoJSON to Shapefile Converter while preserving the source.
Preserve the source first
Do not rename and overwrite the original, and do not treat a browser preview as the only acceptance record. Use a small copy and record size, producer, version, browser, and exact error.
The easy-to-miss fact for this format
For a WGS84 polygon FeatureCollection, a field such as building_height may need a shortened DBF name, while nested objects cannot be written losslessly.
Recommended troubleshooting order
- Test the page example or a smaller known-good file to confirm the tool runs.
- Check extension, signature, companion files, remote URL, and CORS; exclude a downloaded HTML error page.
- Supply the input again according to the workflow:
- Choose a valid GeoJSON FeatureCollection.
- Inspect geometry type, coordinate bounds, and property fields.
- Resolve mixed geometry, long field names, and nested values when prompted.
- Download the ZIP and sample attributes and coordinates in the target GIS.
- Close memory-heavy tabs and retry in current Chrome or Edge.
- If it still fails, re-export from the producing application and validate in the receiving system.
Common questions and answers
Why are properties missing?
Arrays, objects, and long fields cannot be represented losslessly in DBF; review normalization warnings.
Can points and polygons be mixed?
Not in one reliable SHP; split by geometry type first.
Is GeoJSON uploaded?
Processing runs in this browser tab; the file is not uploaded to FreeTool to perform the task.
Limits that must not be bypassed
- One Shapefile reliably holds one geometry type
- DBF names are commonly limited to 10 characters and cannot hold nested objects
- Output assumes WGS84; CRS is not inferred from plain GeoJSON
Privacy handling
Local input is not uploaded to FreeTool for processing; remote IIIF/DZI URLs are requested by the browser from their source. Troubleshooting images, OCR text, model summaries, and converted files may contain sensitive or copyrighted content. De-identify and confirm rights before sharing.