How to fix boundary upload errors
Most failed uploads are the wrong format (KML, Shapefile or TopoJSON instead of GeoJSON), coordinates in the wrong order or in meters, or a file without a polygon. Convert or re-export the file with mapshaper.org or QGIS as GeoJSON in WGS 84, then upload it again.
Step by step
Read the message in the upload dialog
When a file can’t be used, the Upload your own boundary dialog shows a short title and an explanation. Find the title in the table below.
Fix the file and try again
Apply the fix, then drop the corrected file on the dialog again. Nothing on your map changes until you click Replace boundary or Add boundary.
Error messages and fixes
| Message | What it means | How to fix it |
|---|---|---|
| This looks like KML or XML | The file is KML, not GeoJSON. | Convert it with mapshaper.org and upload the .geojson file. |
| KML / KMZ / GPX / Shapefile / ZIP / CSV / GeoPackage / WKT files aren’t supported | Only GeoJSON can be uploaded. | Convert it to GeoJSON first (mapshaper.org or QGIS). |
| TopoJSON isn’t supported | TopoJSON stores shapes differently. | Open it in mapshaper.org and export as GeoJSON. |
| This isn’t valid JSON | The text has a syntax error, like a missing bracket or comma. | Re-export the file, or copy the GeoJSON again in full. |
| This isn’t GeoJSON / This isn’t valid GeoJSON | The JSON doesn’t follow the GeoJSON structure. | Use a Feature, a FeatureCollection, or a Polygon / MultiPolygon geometry. |
| No boundary shape found | The file only has points or lines. | Draw or export an area (Polygon or MultiPolygon). |
| Coordinates aren’t longitude and latitude | Values look like meters from a projected system. | Re-export it in WGS 84 (EPSG:4326) from the tool that made it. In the mapshaper.org console, also name the file’s current system, e.g. -proj wgs84 init=EPSG:3857 (use your file’s own EPSG code; Mappi’s message shows it in parentheses when the file names one). |
| Latitude out of range | Coordinates may be in [latitude, longitude] order. | Swap them: GeoJSON uses [longitude, latitude]. |
| The shape has too few points | A polygon needs at least 3 different points. | Redraw the shape with more points. |
| This is too large | The file is over 25 MB. | Simplify it in mapshaper.org, then export again. |
| Drop one file at a time | Several files were dropped at once. | A stop has one boundary. Drop a single file. |
| Couldn’t read your clipboard | The browser blocked clipboard access. | Press ⌘ V / Ctrl V to paste, or upload a file instead. |
| Your clipboard is empty / Nothing to import | There’s no text on the clipboard, or the file or dropped text is empty. | Copy the GeoJSON text again and paste it, or check that the file isn’t empty. |
| This file type isn’t supported | The file is an image, video, audio file or PDF. | Upload a GeoJSON file (.geojson or .json). |
| This file couldn’t be read | The browser couldn’t open the file, for example because it was moved after you chose it. | Choose the file again. |
| This GeoJSON is incomplete | A Polygon or MultiPolygon has no coordinates list. | Re-export the file from the tool that made it. |
| Some coordinates are invalid | A point isn’t a [longitude, latitude] pair of numbers, or a shape has no rings or isn’t a list of rings. | The message names the shape and shows the value it found. Fix it, or re-export the file. |
| Longitude out of range | A longitude is far outside -180 to 180. | Check that the coordinates are in degrees (WGS 84), and fix the value the message shows. |
| This GeoJSON couldn’t be read | The GeoJSON’s structure is too unusual to import. | Re-export it as GeoJSON with mapshaper.org or QGIS. |
Warnings on the Review step
- A warning that names your stop, such as “Far from the Paris pin”: the camera centers on the stop’s pin, so the boundary may be off screen. Check the area and the coordinate order.
- Larger than the camera view: parts may be cut off. Zoom out with Adjust view after applying it.
- Notes such as “Simplified from 18,000 to 5,000 points” are informational: Mappi trimmed the shape so the video stays smooth.
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Open MappiRelated guides
0:43Map styles & themes
How to upload your own boundary (GeoJSON polygon)
Draw any shape around a stop on your map animation: upload a GeoJSON polygon of a district, park, delivery zone or region and review it before applying.
Where to find GeoJSON boundary files for your map
Get a GeoJSON polygon for any country, state, city, neighborhood or custom area: draw one free, download open boundary data, or convert KML and Shapefiles.
Map styles & themes
0:34Animation & camera
How to zoom the camera in or out on a destination
Frame each stop of your map animation: zoom the camera closer or wider and move the pin off-center with Adjust view, then save the framing for that stop.
