Skip to main content

Google Earth

Google Earth remains one of the easiest tools for exploring whenua visually. Its strongest current experience is increasingly Google Earth in the browser, where Google is concentrating new development.

Use Google Earth web when the main value is:

  • Google's satellite and aerial imagery
  • 3D terrain and buildings
  • historical imagery
  • historical Street View where available
  • rapid orientation around a place
  • simple placemarks, lines and polygons
  • distance and area measurement
  • lightweight projects and sharing
  • quick visual kōrero rather than full GIS analysis

Google Earth Pro desktop is now a legacy application. Google has announced that new downloads of Google Earth Pro desktop will stop on 25 June 2027, although existing installations can continue after that date.

For a new installed Windows desktop globe, especially when you need KML/KMZ, local spatial files or offline use, this guide now recommends ArcGIS Earth rather than building a new workflow around Google Earth Pro.

Read Google Earth Pro desktop is becoming legacy for the full comparison and migration guidance.

Open Google Earth​

Google Earth web: https://earth.google.com/web/

Google Earth documentation: https://developers.google.com/maps/documentation/earth

Google Earth Pro desktop information: https://support.google.com/earth/answer/168344

Where Google Earth fits​

Google Earth is best treated as a visual exploration and communication tool rather than the main store of important GIS data.

A practical pattern is:

  1. Open Google Earth web to explore the landscape and imagery.
  2. Use it to orient around the kaupapa and identify questions.
  3. Add only public, approved or low-risk content needed for the discussion.
  4. Use historical imagery or Street View where those sources help explain change.
  5. Move important data preparation, editing and analysis into QGIS or ArcGIS Pro.
  6. Use ArcGIS Earth when you want a free installed Windows globe for local files and KML/KMZ.

What Google Earth web is especially good at​

Seeing the landscape quickly​

Google Earth is excellent for moving rapidly between places and understanding broad landscape context.

Useful examples include:

  • locating a marae in relation to roads, awa and surrounding settlements
  • understanding ridgelines, valleys and coastal form
  • looking across a catchment in 3D
  • orienting around a whenua block before opening detailed GIS data
  • explaining a project area during an online hui

It is often useful precisely because many people already understand how to move around it.

Historical imagery​

Google Earth web now carries imagery-over-time capabilities that were historically associated strongly with Google Earth Pro.

This can support kōrero about:

  • changing land use
  • urban expansion
  • forestry cycles
  • river movement
  • coastal change
  • new roads and infrastructure
  • vegetation change

Historical imagery is evidence, not an explanation by itself. Use it alongside local knowledge, archive material, maps and other sources where the kaupapa requires interpretation.

Historical Street View​

Historical Street View can be useful for understanding visible change along public roads and accessible places.

Examples include:

  • changes to access points
  • buildings and infrastructure
  • roadside vegetation
  • river crossings
  • coastal roads
  • development around marae and kāinga

Coverage and dates vary by location.

Simple drawing​

Google Earth web can create:

  • placemarks
  • paths
  • polygons

That is useful for lightweight planning and discussion.

Do not let the ease of drawing a polygon turn an uncertain or relational geography into a hard boundary. A rough discussion area should be labelled as such.

Measurement​

The browser supports distance and area measurement and Google continues to add capabilities such as elevation profiles.

Use these for orientation and exploratory work. For formal calculations or repeatable analysis, use QGIS or ArcGIS Pro and record the method and source data.

Importing data​

Google has been adding more data-import capability to the web version, including KML and shapefile workflows.

This can be useful when somebody sends a simple spatial file and the immediate question is visual rather than analytical.

If the file is important operational data, keep the maintained source in a proper GIS format and treat the browser copy as a viewing or project copy.

Google Earth projects​

The browser can create projects that combine locations, shapes, text and other material.

This works well for:

  • a simple public story about a project
  • approved educational material
  • a small set of generalised locations
  • a lightweight project where several people need browser access
  • a visual briefing that depends heavily on Google imagery

Treat a Google Earth project as publication or shared cloud content when it leaves the private working context.

Before adding Māori-held information, ask whether the web copy is necessary for the kaupapa.

Māori GIS considerations​

Google Earth is visually compelling, which can make it easy to assume that everything useful should be placed into it.

That is not always appropriate.

Before uploading or drawing locally held information in a browser project, ask:

  • What is the kaupapa?
  • Who has authority to decide whether this information is put into the service?
  • Is the exact location necessary?
  • Could a generalised or public version do the job?
  • Does the information need to leave the organisation's local environment?
  • Will the browser project become a copy that needs to be managed later?

Some information is perfectly suitable for Google Earth. Some belongs in a controlled local GIS. Some should remain in kōrero, archives or other systems rather than becoming a map feature.

Related guidance:

KML and KMZ​

KML and KMZ remain useful exchange formats across Google Earth, ArcGIS Earth and many GIS applications.

Use them for:

  • simple placemarks
  • paths and routes
  • generalised areas
  • lightweight overlays
  • visual exchange between organisations

Do not make KML the master format for a complex operational dataset simply because it is easy to open.

For maintained GIS data, consider:

  • GeoPackage for QGIS-oriented workflows
  • file geodatabase for ArcGIS workflows
  • PostGIS for shared database workflows

Then create KML/KMZ as an output when needed.

KML reference: https://developers.google.com/kml/documentation

Historical aerial photos from Aotearoa​

Google Earth imagery is useful, but it is not the only source for understanding change over time.

For older Aotearoa imagery, also use:

Many historical aerial photographs need proper georeferencing before they can support accurate spatial analysis.

Use QGIS when you need to align historic imagery carefully rather than relying on a visual overlay.

When to use ArcGIS Earth instead​

Prefer ArcGIS Earth on Windows when you want:

  • an installed desktop globe
  • local KML/KMZ
  • shapefiles
  • GeoJSON
  • local raster imagery such as GeoTIFF
  • CSV, GPX and other local spatial files
  • WMS or WMTS services
  • ArcGIS map, feature, image or scene services
  • offline or disconnected use
  • line-of-sight or viewshed exploration
  • a workflow that does not require uploading local data to a browser service

ArcGIS Earth is free and an Esri account is not required for basic local-file and public-content use.

ArcGIS Earth: https://www.esri.com/en-us/arcgis/products/arcgis-earth/overview

Read Google Earth Pro desktop is becoming legacy for the detailed comparison.

When to use QGIS instead​

Use QGIS when you need:

  • proper data editing
  • spatial analysis
  • georeferencing
  • data cleaning
  • joins and queries
  • coordinate-system control
  • cartographic layouts
  • repeatable workflows
  • managed project structure

Google Earth is excellent for seeing. QGIS is much better for building and maintaining the GIS behind what you see.

Google Earth Pro desktop​

If you already use Google Earth Pro desktop, you do not need to uninstall it.

Google says existing installations can continue after the 25 June 2027 download cutoff.

It may remain useful for existing workflows involving:

  • historical imagery
  • KML/KMZ archives
  • image overlays
  • saved My Places folders
  • familiar hui presentations

But start preparing for the future now:

  1. Export important My Places material to KML or KMZ.
  2. Identify workflows that depend specifically on Google imagery.
  3. Test important KML/KMZ files in ArcGIS Earth.
  4. Move maintained operational datasets into proper GIS formats.
  5. Use Google Earth web where its imagery and browser features are the actual requirement.

Full migration guidance: Google Earth Pro desktop is becoming legacy

Bottom line​

Use Google Earth web for the things Google Earth remains exceptionally good at: imagery, 3D landscape exploration, historical imagery, Street View and lightweight browser projects.

Use ArcGIS Earth as the preferred free Windows desktop alternative when you need an installed globe, local files, KML/KMZ and offline capability.

Use QGIS or ArcGIS Pro when the work needs to become managed GIS rather than visual exploration.

Last reviewed: 26 August 2026

Last updated on