# KML

This topic provides  info about, KML an XML-based language for geographic visualization and annotation.

## Content



**KML** or **Keyhole Markup Language** is a file format used to render geographic data in an Earth browser such as Google Earth. KML is a global standard maintained by the Open Geospatial Consortium. It uses a tag-based structure with nested elements and attributes. KML is based on the XML standard, and all tags are case-sensitive and must appear exactly as they are listed in the KML Reference. The Reference shows which all tags are optional, and within a given element, tags must appear in the order shown in the Reference. KML files can be created to pinpoint locations, expose rich data in new ways and add image overlays.

## See Also

[Import/Export](/componentone/docs/wpf/online-maps5/kml/import-export)

[Vector Data](/componentone/docs/wpf/online-maps5/kml/vector-data)

[Display Shapes](/componentone/docs/wpf/online-maps5/kml/display-shapes)