How to Find the Projection of a Shapefile (When .prj is Missing or Wrong)
Complete guide to finding and fixing shapefile projections. Learn how to identify unknown CRS when the .prj file is missing, wrong, or you don't trust it.
GIS Projection Guides
Learn how to identify and fix coordinate system problems in your GIS files
How to Find the Projection of a GeoJSON File (When Coordinates Are Wrong)
Guide to fixing GeoJSON files with wrong projections. Learn why GeoJSON coordinates in meters appear in the ocean, and how to identify the actual CRS.
How to Find the Coordinate System of a CSV File (Lat/Lon vs Projected)
Guide to identifying coordinate systems in CSV files with X/Y columns. Learn to detect if your CSV has lat/lon (WGS84), UTM, or other projections.
How to Find the Coordinate System of an Excel File (XLSX with XY Columns)
Guide to identifying coordinate systems in Excel spreadsheets with latitude/longitude or XY columns. Import XLSX coordinates correctly into GIS.
How to Find the Projection of a GeoTIFF File (Read CRS from Raster)
Guide to finding the coordinate system of GeoTIFF raster files. Extract embedded GeoKeys, identify unknown projections, and verify CRS.
How to Convert WKT to EPSG Code (Well-Known Text Lookup)
Convert Well-Known Text projection strings to EPSG codes. Learn to extract EPSG from .prj files and WKT definitions.
Fix: "The CRS of a Map Projection Could Not Be Parsed" (QGIS Error Guide)
Getting a CRS parse error in QGIS? This error means your .prj file has corrupt or unrecognised WKT. Step-by-step fix for QGIS and ArcGIS.
Why Is My GIS Data Showing at 0,0? (Null Island Problem)
Fix GIS data appearing at 0,0 coordinates off the coast of Africa. Diagnose whether it's null values or a projection mismatch.
NAD83 vs WGS84: Why Your Data Has a Slight Offset (1-2 Meters)
Understand the difference between NAD83 and WGS84 datums. Learn when the 1-2 meter offset matters and how to handle it.
What Is a .prj File? (And How to Read, Fix, or Create One)
A .prj file defines a Shapefile's coordinate reference system in WKT format. Learn how to open, read, fix, or generate a correct .prj file.
GeoTIFF Missing Projection — How to Find and Assign the Correct CRS
Got a GeoTIFF with no projection information? Learn why GeoTIFFs lose their CRS and how to identify and assign the correct one.
Reproject Shapefiles Online — Change CRS Without Desktop GIS
Need to reproject a Shapefile but don't have QGIS or ArcGIS? Free online tools and command-line options to change CRS.