Google Maps Takeout: Saved Places.json vs CSV — Which Format Should You Use?

You ran a Google Takeout export, and now you're staring at files you didn't expect. Maybe you got a Saved Places.json when you wanted CSVs. Maybe you got CSVs but can't figure out why there are no coordinates. Maybe you've exported twice and still can't work out why the two exports look completely different.

This confusion is one of the most common issues people run into with Google Maps exports — and it stems from a single root cause: Google Takeout has two separate export paths for saved places, and they produce completely different file types from completely different underlying data.

This article explains both paths clearly, so you can pick the right one for what you're trying to do.

The Two Export Paths

Google Takeout offers two distinct selections that relate to saved places:

1. "Maps (your places)" — produces a single GeoJSON file called Saved Places.json
2. "Saved" — produces one CSV file per list (Starred, Want to go, your custom lists)

These are not two formats of the same data. They come from different systems inside Google and contain different places, different fields, and have different limitations. Selecting the wrong one will give you a file that either doesn't contain what you expected, or can't be used by the app you're targeting.

Path 1: Saved Places.json (Maps > Your Places)

What it is

When you select "Maps (your places)" in Google Takeout and export, you receive a file named Saved Places.json. Despite the .json extension, this is actually a GeoJSON file — a structured geographic data format that includes coordinates.

What it contains

• Starred places (your default favorites)
• Some metadata like place names and addresses

Note on labeled places (Home, Work, custom labels): These are exported via a separate Takeout option — the plain "Maps" section, under "My labeled places" — not via "Maps (your places)". If you need labeled places, select both options in Takeout.

What it does NOT contain

• Custom saved lists ("Want to go", named travel lists, etc.)
• The full set of places from your modern Google Maps collections

The coordinate situation

This is the main advantage of this path: the file includes latitude and longitude coordinates for each place. Most apps can read it directly.

However, there is a significant catch.

The zero-coordinate bug

A well-documented issue with Saved Places.json is that some places export with coordinates of [0, 0] — a point in the Gulf of Guinea off the coast of West Africa. This happens when Google doesn't have coordinates stored for a saved place in this particular data model (usually older saves or places that have since changed). The place appears in the file but is geographically useless until you manually fix it.

How many places are affected varies by account. Some users report a handful; others find a large proportion of their places at [0, 0].

The missing-names bug

Places from custom lists that do appear in Saved Places.json sometimes export with generic or missing names, because the name as you labeled it lives in the "Saved" data model, not in "your places."

What it's good for

• Organic Maps — Rename the file to .geojson and you can import it directly. This is the fastest path if you primarily use starred places and don't care about custom lists.
• Quick backups — A single file with coordinates is easy to archive.
• Any app that accepts GeoJSON directly — You can drop it into QGIS, Kepler.gl, or any web map without geocoding.

Limitations

• Does not include custom lists
• The zero-coordinate bug means some places may be missing or misplaced
• Name inconsistencies for places that were saved to lists

Path 2: Per-List CSV Files (Saved)

What it is

When you select "Saved" in Google Takeout, you receive a folder containing one CSV file per list. If you have a "Starred" list, a "Want to go" list, and a custom "Tokyo 2024" list, you get three separate CSV files.

What it contains

Each CSV has these columns:

What it does NOT contain

Coordinates. There is no latitude or longitude in these files. This is the missing-coordinates problem that most guides describe when talking about Google Maps exports.

Why no coordinates?

Google's Saved lists system doesn't store coordinates in the underlying data that gets exported. The URLs in the CSV encode enough for Google to identify the place, but not in a way that other apps can use directly. You need a geocoding step to add coordinates before the data is useful in a mapping application.

What it's good for

• Complete coverage — Every custom list, every saved place, with notes preserved
• Geocoding and conversion — Upload to Takeout Tools, which geocodes the addresses and exports to GPX, KML, GeoJSON, or CSV with coordinates
• OsmAnd, Garmin, Gaia GPS, QGIS — All require coordinates, so the CSV-plus-geocode path is the reliable route for these destinations
• Spreadsheet analysis — The CSV structure is clean for import into Excel or Google Sheets

Limitations

• No coordinates out of the box — requires geocoding
• Addresses that are vague or have changed may geocode to the wrong location

Which Path Should You Use?

For most people, the CSV path via "Saved" is the more reliable choice. It covers all your lists, preserves your notes, and produces clean output once geocoded. The Saved Places.json path is useful when you specifically want a GeoJSON file with embedded coordinates and are comfortable accepting that some places may land at [0, 0].

Step-by-Step: How to Get Each Format

Path 1: Getting Saved Places.json

1. Go to Google Takeout
2. Click "Deselect all"
3. Scroll down and select "Maps (your places)"
4. Click "Next step"
5. Choose "Export once", .zip format, any file size
6. Click "Create export" and wait for the email
7. Download and unzip — look for Takeout/Maps (your places)/Saved Places.json

To use in Organic Maps: rename Saved Places.json to Saved Places.geojson and import via the Files app.

Path 2: Getting per-list CSV files

1. Go to Google Takeout
2. Click "Deselect all"
3. Scroll down and select "Saved"
4. Click "Next step"
5. Choose "Export once", .zip format, any file size
6. Click "Create export" and wait for the email
7. Download and unzip — look for Takeout/Saved/ — you'll see one .csv file per list

To add coordinates and convert to GPX/KML/GeoJSON: upload the CSV files to Takeout Tools.

Known Issues

Zero-coordinate bug in Saved Places.json

Some places in Saved Places.json export with "coordinates": [0, 0]. This is a known Google issue with no user-side fix. The places are in the file but appear in the Gulf of Guinea off the coast of West Africa. If you import this file into a mapping app, those places will be invisible or misplaced.

The CSV path doesn't have this problem — coordinates come from geocoding, which either succeeds or fails clearly.

Missing or wrong names in Saved Places.json

Places you saved to custom lists may appear in Saved Places.json without the name you gave them, or with a different name pulled from a separate system. This is because "your places" and "Saved lists" are maintained in separate databases inside Google. The CSV path preserves the exact title as it appears in your list.

Large exports take time

Google can take anywhere from a few minutes to several hours to prepare a Takeout export depending on how much data you have. If you only need saved places, always deselect everything else first — this dramatically reduces export time.

Frequently Asked Questions

I selected "Maps" in Takeout but I got a JSON file, not CSVs. What went wrong?

Can I get both coordinates and all my custom lists in a single export?

Why does Saved Places.json only have some of my places?

My Saved Places.json has places at coordinates [0, 0]. What do I do?

Does Takeout Tools work with both file types?

Which export includes notes I've written on saved places?

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Free Tools

• GeoJSON Validator
• GPX Validator
• GeoJSON to GPX Converter
• KML to GPX Converter

See Other Export Guides

• Export Google Maps Saved Places: Complete Guide (All Formats)
• Google Maps Takeout Export: What Fields Are Included
• How to Transfer Google Maps Saved Places to OsmAnd
• How to Transfer Google Maps Saved Places to Organic Maps
• How to Export Google Maps Saved Places as GeoJSON