Bounding Box Tools Online — GeoJSON, Shapefile, KML and more
Bounding box tools generate rectangular extent polygons from your geospatial data — either a single rectangle covering the entire dataset, or one envelope per feature. Use these free browser-based tools with GeoJSON, Shapefile, KML, GeoPackage, or GML.
What is buffering?
A bounding box (also called an extent, envelope, or minimum bounding rectangle) is the smallest axis-aligned rectangle that completely encloses a geometry. It is defined by four coordinates: minimum X (west), minimum Y (south), maximum X (east), maximum Y (north) — often written as [minX, minY, maxX, maxY] or in WGS 84 terms as [west, south, east, north].
These tools offer two modes. **Dataset extent** returns a single rectangle covering all features in the file — useful as a spatial index or for querying which tiles to fetch. **Per-feature envelope** returns one rectangle per feature, which can serve as a coarse bounding geometry for each record.
Bounding boxes are always axis-aligned (sides parallel to latitude and longitude lines). For features that span the antimeridian (±180° longitude), results may be unreliable.
Common use cases
Spatial indexing
Generate a quick bounding box to use as a coarse spatial filter before a more expensive exact intersection query.
Tile and extent queries
Extract the dataset extent to pass as a BBOX parameter to WMS, WFS, or tile server requests.
Data coverage visualisation
Show the geographic coverage of each dataset as a rectangle on an overview map.
Feature footprints
Create a simple rectangular footprint for each feature to use in search indexes or metadata records.
Processing region definition
Define a rectangular area of interest to pass to crop, clip, or download tools.
How to use
- 1
Upload your file — drop a GeoJSON, Shapefile (ZIP), KML, GeoPackage, or GML file onto the upload zone.
- 2
Choose mode — select "Dataset extent" for a single rectangle, or "Per-feature envelope" for one rectangle per feature.
- 3
Download the result — the bounding box layer is returned in the same format as your input.
Supported formats
| Format | Best for |
|---|---|
| GeoJSON | Best for web maps and JavaScript tooling. Single UTF-8 text file, no auxiliary files. |
| Shapefile | Best for legacy GIS software. Upload as a ZIP containing .shp, .dbf, and .prj. |
| KML | Best for Google Earth and Google Maps sharing. |
| GeoPackage | Best for modern GIS workflows. Single SQLite file supporting multiple layers. |
| GML | Best for OGC web services and enterprise GIS interoperability. |
Frequently asked questions
What is the difference between dataset extent and per-feature envelope?
Dataset extent returns a single rectangle that encloses all features in the file. Per-feature envelope returns one rectangle for each feature, tightly enclosing that feature's geometry.
Are the original attributes preserved?
In per-feature mode, all original attributes are copied to the output envelope polygon. In dataset extent mode, the single output rectangle has no attributes.
What coordinate order does the bounding box use?
Coordinates are in WGS 84 (EPSG:4326) longitude/latitude. The rectangle vertices are placed at the four corners: (minLon, minLat), (maxLon, minLat), (maxLon, maxLat), (minLon, maxLat).
Can I get the bounding box as numbers rather than a polygon?
The output is always a polygon geometry. If you need the numeric extent values (west, south, east, north), you can read the coordinates of the output polygon's vertices.
Does it work with point and line features?
Yes — for point features the bounding box degenerates to a single point (or a very small rectangle if the point has no extent). For line features it encloses the full path of the line.