1. Open QGIS and load your layers
Make sure all the layers you want to merge are added to your project. You can drag them into QGIS or use the Layer → Add Layer menu.
2. Open the Merge tool
Go to the top menu and click:
Vector → Data Management Tools → Merge Vector Layers...
Tip: All layers must have the same geometry type (e.g., all polygons or all points).
3. Select the input layers
Click the ... button next to Input layers, and choose all the layers you want to merge.
Use Ctrl or Shift to select multiple layers.
4. Set the output location
Choose where to save the merged layer. You can either:
Save as a temporary layer, or
Click
...next to Merged and choose a file path (e.g., a new shapefile or GeoPackage).
5. Click "Run"
After you click Run, QGIS will process the layers and display the merged result in the Layers panel.
How to save the merged layer as a shapefile
If you chose to save the merged layer as a temporary file, follow these extra steps to export it as a shapefile:
6. Right-click the merged layer
In the Layers panel, right-click the merged layer and choose
"Export" → "Save Features As..."
7. Choose the format and location
In the Format field, choose ESRI Shapefile.
Click the
...button next to File name and choose where to save the file.Click OK to export the layer.
You can also export to other formats like GeoJSON, GPKG, or CSV depending on your use case.
Common questions
What happens if the attribute tables are different?
→ QGIS will keep all columns and fill missing fields with NULLs.
Can I merge layers with different CRS?
→ It's best to reproject them to the same CRS first to avoid issues.
Exporting for different machinery brands
You can export your merged data in different formats depending on the technical requirements of your equipment brand.
Some brands accept Shapefiles, while others may require ISOXML, GeoJSON, or KML.
Always check the documentation or support of your specific machinery provider to choose the correct format.