Google Maps and Google My Maps sound like two screens in the same product. They behave more like cousins who share a surname but never call each other.
Your saved lists live in Google Maps. Custom layers, marker styles, drawing tools, and public map sharing live in My Maps. A place starred in one does not appear in the other, and there is no “turn this list into a My Map” button.
A KML file bridges the gap. Export the saved list as placemarks, import those placemarks into a My Maps layer, and you have an editable custom map without searching for every place again.
When My Maps is worth the move
Stay with an ordinary Google Maps list when you only need personal bookmarks and everyday navigation. Move a copy to My Maps when you want to:
- use different colors or icons for groups of places;
- put several lists on separate layers;
- draw lines, areas, or routes around the points;
- publish or embed a custom map;
- let collaborators edit the map;
- export the finished map again later.
My Maps is a presentation and light editing tool, not a second view of your saved lists. The imported layer becomes its own copy.
Why KML is the easiest one-time import
Google's My Maps import documentation accepts KML, KMZ, GPX, CSV, TSV, XLSX, and Google Sheets, among other sources.
For a one-time move, KML has the least friction. Every placemark already contains a name and coordinates, so My Maps can put it on the map immediately. ExportMyMap also uses the Google Maps list name as the KML document name and can carry your note in the placemark description.
CSV and Excel preserve more spreadsheet-like fields, but My Maps asks which columns identify the location and which column should name the marker. They are better when the attributes matter more than a quick, clean transfer.
Step 1: Export the Google Maps list as KML
Open Google Maps in Chrome, Edge, Brave, or Arc on a computer.
- Install the ExportMyMap Chrome Extension.
- Sign in and click Saved.
- Open Starred places, Want to go, Favorites, Travel plans, or a custom list.
- Launch ExportMyMap and wait for the scan to finish.
- Select KML and download the file.
Include notes only if the people who may see the My Map should also see those notes.
The free version covers the first 10 places; a paid plan is required for the full list. If Starred places appears to end around 200 entries on desktop, follow the Google Takeout method before exporting.
The KML export guide describes the file in detail. In short, each place becomes a named placemark with coordinates and an optional note.
Step 2: Create the map and layer
On a computer, open Google My Maps, sign in, and create a new map.
Before importing anything, rename both the map and the first layer. A practical structure looks like this:
- map: Japan 2027;
- layer: Food from Google Maps.
The map is the whole project. A layer is one group inside it. If you plan to bring over several Google Maps lists, give each one its own layer instead of throwing every pin into the first bucket.
Step 3: Import the KML
Under the layer name, click Import. Upload or drag in the .kml file and wait for My Maps to process it. The placemarks should appear both on the map and in the layer list.
Google currently documents an uncompressed KML/KMZ limit of 5 MB and also says not to import files containing more than 2,000 rows. “Rows” clearly describes CSV and spreadsheet data; Google does not say whether the same number is a hard placemark limit for KML. A saved list near 2,000 places is nevertheless close enough to the documented boundary that it should be split into smaller files and layers instead of relying on an ambiguous edge case. A point-only ExportMyMap KML is unlikely to reach 5 MB first.
Check a few pins immediately:
- one place with a common name;
- one outside a city;
- one with a personal note, if notes were included.
KML contains coordinates, so My Maps should not need to guess from the name or address. If a pin is wrong, compare it with the original Google Maps place before editing the whole layer.
Step 4: Style the layer
My Maps can apply one uniform style, assign individual styles, or group markers by a data field. A simple KML import is usually best styled by hand at layer level or by splitting meaningful groups into separate layers.
Use color for something people can explain without a legend essay:
- red for must-see;
- blue for accommodation;
- green for food;
- gray for optional stops.
Do not create a unique icon for every category just because the button exists. Four clear groups are easier to scan than 23 tiny symbols nobody remembers.
For separate source lists — food, hikes, hotels — repeat the export and import into a new layer. The boundary between lists then remains visible, and each layer can be toggled independently.
Step 5: Share only when the map is ready
Keep the map private while checking notes and removing personal addresses. When it is ready, use My Maps' sharing controls to choose the intended audience.
A My Map can be useful for a trip group because everyone sees the same layers and marker styles. Editing permission is a different decision from viewing permission. Give edit access only to people who should be able to move, rename, or delete features.
If the goal is simply to send an ordinary saved list without creating a custom map, a shareable list page is quicker and works for recipients who do not use My Maps.
Already have a finished My Maps project and need the data back in a table? That is the reverse workflow: export one My Maps layer to CSV or convert the whole map to Excel.
KML or CSV for later updates?
KML is ideal for the initial snapshot. For a recurring project, CSV or Google Sheets may be more convenient because My Maps supports reimporting and merging those tabular sources.
ExportMyMap CSV contains coordinates and place details. During a My Maps CSV import, choose the latitude and longitude columns for position and the name column for marker titles. The CSV guide explains what is in the file.
There is still no live sync with Google Maps. “Reimport” means supplying a newer file and choosing how to replace, add, or merge data. It does not watch the original saved list.
What does not carry over neatly
A simple KML is built for map placemarks. It reliably carries the point, name, and optional note. It is not intended to recreate Google's entire place card.
Expect these differences:
- ratings and review counts do not become live My Maps data;
- opening hours and photos are not recreated as native fields;
- Google Maps list order is not a route order;
- saved-list icons and visibility settings do not transfer;
- changes made on either side do not sync back.
Keep an Excel copy if the richer business details matter. The My Map handles the visual project; the workbook handles sortable information.
Troubleshooting
Import finishes but no pins are visible
Zoom out and inspect the layer list. If the layer contains zero places, validate the source with the KML validator. A place without coordinates cannot become a KML point.
My Maps rejects the file
Confirm that you selected the .kml file, not the whole Google Takeout ZIP or an unrelated JSON file. Check the 5 MB KML limit and validate the XML. If the source approaches 2,000 places, split it into smaller selections: Google documents a 2,000-row ceiling, even though its wording does not explicitly map that ceiling to KML placemarks.
The map has become difficult to manage
Split it by purpose. My Maps works better as a small set of understandable layers than as one enormous imported layer. Keep the original KML files so you can rebuild a cleaner version without returning to Google Maps.
Keep the import as a snapshot
My Maps gives the places a new job: they become an editable, presentable map. The KML remains the portable backup between the two products. Save it even after the import succeeds.
That leaves you with three independent pieces: the original Google Maps list, the KML snapshot, and the custom My Map. A change or accidental deletion in one no longer has to ruin the others.