GDAL-VECTOR-CONVERT(1) GDAL GDAL-VECTOR-CONVERT(1)
gdal-vector-convert - Convert a vector dataset
Added in version 3.11.
Usage: gdal vector convert [OPTIONS] <INPUT> <OUTPUT>
Convert a vector dataset.
Positional arguments:
-i, --input <INPUT> Input vector datasets [required]
-o, --output <OUTPUT> Output vector dataset [required]
Common Options:
-h, --help Display help message and exit
--json-usage Display usage as JSON document and exit
--config <KEY>=<VALUE> Configuration option [may be repeated]
-q, --quiet Quiet mode (no progress bar)
Options:
-l, --layer, --input-layer <INPUT-LAYER> Input layer name(s) [may be repeated]
-f, --of, --format, --output-format <OUTPUT-FORMAT> Output format ("GDALG" allowed)
--co, --creation-option <KEY>=<VALUE> Creation option [may be repeated]
--lco, --layer-creation-option <KEY>=<VALUE> Layer creation option [may be repeated]
--overwrite Whether overwriting existing output is allowed
--update Whether to open existing dataset in update mode
--overwrite-layer Whether overwriting existing output is allowed
--append Whether appending to existing layer is allowed
Mutually exclusive with --upsert
--output-layer <OUTPUT-LAYER> Output layer name
--skip-errors Skip errors when writing features
Advanced Options:
--if, --input-format <INPUT-FORMAT> Input formats [may be repeated]
--oo, --open-option <KEY>=<VALUE> Open options [may be repeated]
--output-oo, --output-open-option <KEY>=<VALUE> Output open options [may be repeated]
--upsert Upsert features (implies 'append')
Mutually exclusive with --append
gdal vector convert can be used to convert data data between
different formats.
The following options are available:
-f, --of, --format, --output-format <OUTPUT-FORMAT>
Which output vector format to use. Allowed values may be given
by gdal --formats | grep vector | grep rw | sort
--co, --creation-option <NAME>=<VALUE>
Many formats have one or more optional dataset creation
options that can be used to control particulars about the file
created. For instance, the GeoPackage driver supports creation
options to control the version.
May be repeated.
The dataset creation options available vary by format driver,
and some simple formats have no creation options at all. A
list of options supported for a format can be listed with the
--formats command line option but the documentation for the
format is the definitive source of information on driver
creation options. See Vector drivers format specific
documentation for legal creation options for each format.
Note that dataset creation options are different from layer
creation options.
--lco, --layer-creation-option <NAME>=<VALUE>
Many formats have one or more optional layer creation options
that can be used to control particulars about the layer
created. For instance, the GeoPackage driver supports layer
creation options to control the feature identifier or geometry
column name, setting the identifier or description, etc.
May be repeated.
The layer creation options available vary by format driver,
and some simple formats have no layer creation options at all.
A list of options supported for a format can be listed with
the --formats command line option but the documentation for
the format is the definitive source of information on driver
creation options. See Vector drivers format specific
documentation for legal creation options for each format.
Note that layer creation options are different from dataset
creation options.
--overwrite
Allow program to overwrite existing target file or dataset.
Otherwise, by default, gdal errors out if the target file or
dataset already exists.
--update
Whether the output dataset must be opened in update mode.
Implies that it already exists. This mode is useful when
adding new layer(s) to an already existing dataset.
--overwrite-layer
Whether overwriting existing layer(s) is allowed.
--append
Whether appending features to existing layer(s) is allowed
-l, --layer <LAYER>
Name of one or more layers to inspect. If no layer names are
passed, then all layers will be selected.
--output-layer <OUTPUT-LAYER>
Output layer name. Can only be used to rename a layer, if
there is a single input layer.
--skip-errors
Added in version 3.12.
Whether failures to write feature(s) should be ignored. Note
that this option sets the size of the transaction unit to one
feature at a time, which may cause severe slowdown when
inserting into databases.
--oo, --open-option <NAME>=<VALUE>
Dataset open option (format specific).
May be repeated.
--output-open-option, --output-oo <NAME>=<VALUE>
Added in version 3.12.
Dataset open option for output dataset (format specific).
May be repeated.
--if, --input-format <format>
Format/driver name to be attempted to open the input file(s).
It is generally not necessary to specify it, but it can be
used to skip automatic driver detection, when it fails to
select the appropriate driver. This option can be repeated
several times to specify several candidate drivers. Note that
it does not force those drivers to open the dataset. In
particular, some drivers have requirements on file extensions.
May be repeated.
--upsert
Added in version 3.12.
Variant of --append where the OGRLayer::UpsertFeature()
operation is used to insert or update features instead of
appending with OGRLayer::CreateFeature().
This is currently implemented only in a few drivers: GPKG --
GeoPackage vector, Elasticsearch: Geographically Encoded
Objects for Elasticsearch and MongoDBv3 (drivers that
implement upsert expose the GDAL_DCAP_UPSERT capability).
The upsert operation uses the FID of the input feature, when
it is set (and the FID column name is not the empty string),
as the key to update existing features. It is crucial to make
sure that the FID in the source and target layers are
consistent.
For the GPKG driver, it is also possible to upsert features
whose FID is unset or non-significant (the --unset-fid option
of gdal vector edit can be used to ignore the FID from the
source feature), when there is a UNIQUE column that is not the
integer primary key.
Example 1: Converting file poly.shp to a GeoPackage
$ gdal vector convert poly.shp output.gpkg
Example 2: Add new layer from file line.shp to an existing GeoPackage,
and rename it "lines"
$ gdal vector convert --update --output-layer=lines line.shp output.gpkg
Example 3: Append features from from file poly2.shp to an existing layer
poly of a GeoPackage, without a progress bar
$ gdal vector convert --quiet --append --output-layer=poly poly2.shp output.gpkg
Even Rouault <even.rouault@spatialys.com>
1998-2026
March 20, 2026 GDAL-VECTOR-CONVERT(1)
NAME
gdal-vector-convert - Convert a vector dataset
Added in version 3.11.
SYNOPSIS
Usage: gdal vector convert [OPTIONS] <INPUT> <OUTPUT>
Convert a vector dataset.
Positional arguments:
-i, --input <INPUT> Input vector datasets [required]
-o, --output <OUTPUT> Output vector dataset [required]
Common Options:
-h, --help Display help message and exit
--json-usage Display usage as JSON document and exit
--config <KEY>=<VALUE> Configuration option [may be repeated]
-q, --quiet Quiet mode (no progress bar)
Options:
-l, --layer, --input-layer <INPUT-LAYER> Input layer name(s) [may be repeated]
-f, --of, --format, --output-format <OUTPUT-FORMAT> Output format ("GDALG" allowed)
--co, --creation-option <KEY>=<VALUE> Creation option [may be repeated]
--lco, --layer-creation-option <KEY>=<VALUE> Layer creation option [may be repeated]
--overwrite Whether overwriting existing output is allowed
--update Whether to open existing dataset in update mode
--overwrite-layer Whether overwriting existing output is allowed
--append Whether appending to existing layer is allowed
Mutually exclusive with --upsert
--output-layer <OUTPUT-LAYER> Output layer name
--skip-errors Skip errors when writing features
Advanced Options:
--if, --input-format <INPUT-FORMAT> Input formats [may be repeated]
--oo, --open-option <KEY>=<VALUE> Open options [may be repeated]
--output-oo, --output-open-option <KEY>=<VALUE> Output open options [may be repeated]
--upsert Upsert features (implies 'append')
Mutually exclusive with --append
DESCRIPTION
gdal vector convert can be used to convert data data between
different formats.
The following options are available:
Standard options
-f, --of, --format, --output-format <OUTPUT-FORMAT>
Which output vector format to use. Allowed values may be given
by gdal --formats | grep vector | grep rw | sort
--co, --creation-option <NAME>=<VALUE>
Many formats have one or more optional dataset creation
options that can be used to control particulars about the file
created. For instance, the GeoPackage driver supports creation
options to control the version.
May be repeated.
The dataset creation options available vary by format driver,
and some simple formats have no creation options at all. A
list of options supported for a format can be listed with the
--formats command line option but the documentation for the
format is the definitive source of information on driver
creation options. See Vector drivers format specific
documentation for legal creation options for each format.
Note that dataset creation options are different from layer
creation options.
--lco, --layer-creation-option <NAME>=<VALUE>
Many formats have one or more optional layer creation options
that can be used to control particulars about the layer
created. For instance, the GeoPackage driver supports layer
creation options to control the feature identifier or geometry
column name, setting the identifier or description, etc.
May be repeated.
The layer creation options available vary by format driver,
and some simple formats have no layer creation options at all.
A list of options supported for a format can be listed with
the --formats command line option but the documentation for
the format is the definitive source of information on driver
creation options. See Vector drivers format specific
documentation for legal creation options for each format.
Note that layer creation options are different from dataset
creation options.
--overwrite
Allow program to overwrite existing target file or dataset.
Otherwise, by default, gdal errors out if the target file or
dataset already exists.
--update
Whether the output dataset must be opened in update mode.
Implies that it already exists. This mode is useful when
adding new layer(s) to an already existing dataset.
--overwrite-layer
Whether overwriting existing layer(s) is allowed.
--append
Whether appending features to existing layer(s) is allowed
-l, --layer <LAYER>
Name of one or more layers to inspect. If no layer names are
passed, then all layers will be selected.
--output-layer <OUTPUT-LAYER>
Output layer name. Can only be used to rename a layer, if
there is a single input layer.
--skip-errors
Added in version 3.12.
Whether failures to write feature(s) should be ignored. Note
that this option sets the size of the transaction unit to one
feature at a time, which may cause severe slowdown when
inserting into databases.
Advanced options
--oo, --open-option <NAME>=<VALUE>
Dataset open option (format specific).
May be repeated.
--output-open-option, --output-oo <NAME>=<VALUE>
Added in version 3.12.
Dataset open option for output dataset (format specific).
May be repeated.
--if, --input-format <format>
Format/driver name to be attempted to open the input file(s).
It is generally not necessary to specify it, but it can be
used to skip automatic driver detection, when it fails to
select the appropriate driver. This option can be repeated
several times to specify several candidate drivers. Note that
it does not force those drivers to open the dataset. In
particular, some drivers have requirements on file extensions.
May be repeated.
--upsert
Added in version 3.12.
Variant of --append where the OGRLayer::UpsertFeature()
operation is used to insert or update features instead of
appending with OGRLayer::CreateFeature().
This is currently implemented only in a few drivers: GPKG --
GeoPackage vector, Elasticsearch: Geographically Encoded
Objects for Elasticsearch and MongoDBv3 (drivers that
implement upsert expose the GDAL_DCAP_UPSERT capability).
The upsert operation uses the FID of the input feature, when
it is set (and the FID column name is not the empty string),
as the key to update existing features. It is crucial to make
sure that the FID in the source and target layers are
consistent.
For the GPKG driver, it is also possible to upsert features
whose FID is unset or non-significant (the --unset-fid option
of gdal vector edit can be used to ignore the FID from the
source feature), when there is a UNIQUE column that is not the
integer primary key.
EXAMPLES
Example 1: Converting file poly.shp to a GeoPackage
$ gdal vector convert poly.shp output.gpkg
Example 2: Add new layer from file line.shp to an existing GeoPackage,
and rename it "lines"
$ gdal vector convert --update --output-layer=lines line.shp output.gpkg
Example 3: Append features from from file poly2.shp to an existing layer
poly of a GeoPackage, without a progress bar
$ gdal vector convert --quiet --append --output-layer=poly poly2.shp output.gpkg
AUTHOR
Even Rouault <even.rouault@spatialys.com>
COPYRIGHT
1998-2026
March 20, 2026 GDAL-VECTOR-CONVERT(1)