A Shapefile is a coordinated set of files, usually delivered as ZIP. Missing components, code-page ambiguity, archive abuse, and absent projection metadata are common blockers.
A practical preparation workflow
- 1
Inspect the archive and required sidecar files.
- 2
Read projection and attribute metadata.
- 3
Normalize supported features while retaining source evidence.
What to check
- .shp, .shx, and .dbf presence
- Safe archive paths
- .prj CRS evidence
- Attribute encoding and plot key
Keep this limitation visible
The free browser tools do not process Shapefile ZIP; use the authenticated Geo Validator pipeline.