You can search Planet Explorer for imagery over an Area of Interest (AOI) by uploading a file that contains its geometry. This article lists the supported file types and the rules your file needs to follow.

How to upload an AOI

The map tools are available on the bottom right corner of the page. Hover over the AOI icon to see the Draw or upload a geometry tooltip. Click the tool to view the options menu to create an AOI. The tooltip changes when you hover over each icon in the group.

Supported file types

Supported file types include shapefile, GeoJSON, JSON, Keyhole Markup Language (KML), Well Known Text (WKT), GPX, DBF, SHX, PRJ, and ZIP files.

Guidelines

• Only polygons and multipolygons are supported. Only polygons and multipolygons may be used to search for items. Lines, points, tracks, curves, or buffers are not yet supported.
• GeoJSON files should adhere to the GeoJSON standard. For more information, see RFC 7946: The GeoJSON Format. Projections inside GeoJSON files have limited support, based on the draft standard. Avoid using them.
• Shapefile .PRJ files are honored. If your shapefile has a .PRJ file, Planet Explorer parses it and uses it to reproject your features.
• Zip files can include any other dataset. Planet Explorer inspects any zip file for any supported file format including Shapefiles, GeoJSON, or KML.
• Only one source is used at a time. If multiple GeoJSON, Shapefiles, or KML files are uploaded at once, Planet Explorer uses the first one in the list to import features.