GPX file format: elements

GPX is XML defined by an XML Schema from TopoGrafix. This page follows the GPX 1.1 schema and the GPX 1.0 schema, read 2026-11-12. Version 1.1 uses the namespace http://www.topografix.com/GPX/1/1. Child elements must appear in the order listed; all are optional unless marked.

`gpx` (root)

Item	Type	Meaning
@`version`	required, fixed `1.1`	Schema version.
@`creator`	required string	The program or device that made the file.
`metadata`	metadataType	About the file.
`wpt`	wptType, any number	Waypoints.
`rte`	rteType, any number	Routes.
`trk`	trkType, any number	Tracks.
`extensions`	extensionsType	Elements from other namespaces.

`metadata`

Element	Type	Meaning
`name`	string	Name of the file.
`desc`	string	Description.
`author`	personType: `name`, `email` (@`id`, @`domain`), `link`	The person or organisation that made it.
`copyright`	copyrightType: @`author` (required), `year`, `license` (URI)	Copyright and licence.
`link`	linkType: @`href` (required), `text`, `type` (MIME type); any number	Related web pages.
`time`	dateTime	When the file was made, in UTC (ISO 8601).
`keywords`	string	For search engines.
`bounds`	boundsType: @`minlat`, @`minlon`, @`maxlat`, @`maxlon` (all required)	Extent of the data.
`extensions`

Points: `wpt`, `rtept`, `trkpt`

All three are wptType.

Item	Type	Meaning
@`lat`	required latitudeType	Degrees, −90 to 90, WGS 84.
@`lon`	required longitudeType	Degrees, −180 up to but not including 180.
`ele`	decimal	Elevation in metres.
`time`	dateTime	UTC time of the point.
`magvar`	degreesType (0 to under 360)	Magnetic variation.
`geoidheight`	decimal	Height of the geoid above the WGS 84 ellipsoid, in metres (as in NMEA GGA).
`name`	string	The GPS name of the point.
`cmt`	string	GPS comment, sent to the device.
`desc`	string	Description for the user.
`src`	string	Source of the data, such as a map or device.
`link`	linkType, any number	Links about the point.
`sym`	string	Symbol name shown on the device.
`type`	string	A classification.
`fix`	fixType	`none`, `2d`, `3d`, `dgps` or `pps` (military signal). `none` means no fix; absence means unknown.
`sat`	non-negative integer	Satellites used.
`hdop`, `vdop`, `pdop`	decimal	Horizontal, vertical and position dilution of precision.
`ageofdgpsdata`	decimal	Seconds since the last DGPS update.
`dgpsid`	dgpsStationType (0 to 1023)	DGPS station ID.
`extensions`		Any elements from other namespaces (processed laxly).

Routes and tracks

rte and trk share their first elements: name, cmt, desc, src, link (any number), number (GPS route or track number), type and extensions. Then rte has any number of rtept, and trk any number of trkseg.

trkseg holds trkpt elements in order, then extensions.

Other types

The schema also defines ptType (@lat, @lon, ele, time) and ptsegType (a list of pt); no core element uses them.

GPX 1.0

Version 1.0, namespace http://www.topografix.com/GPX/1/0, version="1.0", differs in these ways:

No metadata element: name, desc, author, email, url, urlname, time, keywords and bounds are children of gpx.
url and urlname instead of link.
Track points may have course and speed.
No extensions element: elements from other namespaces may appear directly.

.GPX File Format – Elements

gpx (root)

metadata