How to Migrate from Microsoft 365 to Google Workspace

Migrating from Microsoft 365 to Google Workspace means moving your email, contacts, calendars, and files from Microsoft to Google. The goal is simple: get everything across without losing data or leaving your team without email for a day.

Teams make this switch for many reasons. Google Workspace costs less for most small teams, works entirely in the browser with no desktop apps to manage, and makes real-time collaboration easy. Some studies show Google Workspace cuts IT support requests by up to 40% compared to on-premises Microsoft setups.

But a migration is still a big change. It touches email, files, calendars, and every tool your team uses. This guide covers the full process so you can do it right the first time.

What Gets Migrated

Know what you are moving before you pick a method.

Microsoft 365	Google Workspace	Migrates Easily?
Outlook (Exchange Online)	Gmail	Yes — all methods below handle this
Outlook Contacts	Google Contacts	Yes — most methods handle this
Outlook Calendar	Google Calendar	Yes — most methods handle this
OneDrive for Business	Google Drive (My Drive)	Needs its own step
SharePoint document libraries	Google Shared Drives	Needs its own step
Microsoft Teams chat	Google Chat	No native path — export by hand
SharePoint Sites	Google Sites	No native path — rebuild needed

Email, contacts, and calendar migrate well with Google's built-in tools. Files need a second step. Teams chat and SharePoint sites do not have clean migration paths.

Before You Start: Planning Checklist

1. Audit Your Microsoft 365 Setup

Take stock of what you have:

Count your users and mailbox sizes. Check in the Microsoft 365 Admin Center under Reports > Usage.
List all shared mailboxes. You will recreate these as Google Groups or Gmail delegation.
Note every app connected to Microsoft 365 — CRM, project tools, calendar apps. Each will need reconnecting.
Export your distribution lists. You will need to rebuild them as Google Groups.
Check for data retention rules or compliance holds. Make sure nothing gets lost when you decommission.

2. Set Up Google Workspace

Get the new home ready:

Sign up for Google Workspace (Business Starter, Business Standard, or Enterprise).
Add your domain in the Google Admin Console. Verify you own it, but do not change DNS yet.
Create user accounts matching your Microsoft 365 users. Keep email addresses the same where you can.
Assign licenses to each user.

3. Plan Your DNS Window

When you change MX records from Microsoft to Google, new email starts flowing to Gmail. Pick a quiet time — evenings or weekends.

Lower your MX record TTL to 300 seconds a few days before the switch. This speeds up how fast the change spreads across the internet.

4. Tell Your Team

Let everyone know what is changing:

The date and time of the switch
What they need to do (sign in to Gmail, install the Drive desktop app if needed)
How long email might be slow during the changeover
Who to contact if something goes wrong

Three Migration Methods

Google supports several ways to bring your data over.

Method	Best For	What It Moves	Speed	Cost
Google Data Migration Service	Most teams	Email, contacts, calendar	Fast — runs in batches	Free with Workspace
IMAP migration	Email-only moves	Email only	Slower	Free
Third-party tools (BitTitan, CloudFuze, CloudM)	Large teams, files + email	Everything	Fastest	$5-15 per user

For most teams, the Google Data Migration Service is the best choice. It is free, runs inside the Admin Console, and handles email, contacts, and calendars.

Use IMAP if you only need email. Use a third-party tool if you have hundreds of users or need to move OneDrive files at the same time.

Step-by-Step: Google Data Migration Service

This is Google's built-in tool. It works for teams of any size and handles Exchange Online well.

Step 1: Set Up Access in Microsoft 365

Google's tool needs to connect to your Microsoft tenant. You have two options:

Option A: Service account (recommended for larger teams)

Register an app in Azure Active Directory
Grant it the right API permissions (Mail.Read, Contacts.Read, Calendars.Read)
Generate a client secret
Note the Application ID, Directory ID, and client secret

Option B: Admin credentials (simpler for small teams)

Use a Microsoft 365 admin account with access to all mailboxes
Make sure the account has an Exchange Online license
Confirm multi-factor authentication is off for this account during migration (or use an app password)

Step 2: Start the Migration in Google Admin

Open Google Admin Console
Go to Account > Data migration
Pick Microsoft Exchange as the source
Enter your connection details from Step 1
Pick a migration start date — you can set it to start now or schedule it

Step 3: Add Users

Add users one by one or upload a CSV file
Map each Microsoft account to the matching Google Workspace account
Pick what to migrate: email, contacts, calendars, or all three
Set a date range if you only want recent email (for example, last 12 months)

Step 4: Watch the Progress

The Admin Console shows status for each user:

Not started — queued but not yet running
In progress — data is being copied
Complete — all data transferred

The tool runs in the background. Large mailboxes can take hours. You do not need to keep the browser open.

Step 5: Switch DNS Records

Once data is across, point your domain at Google:

Log in to your domain registrar
Change your MX records to Google's servers:
- ASPMX.L.GOOGLE.COM (priority 1)
- ALT1.ASPMX.L.GOOGLE.COM (priority 5)
- ALT2.ASPMX.L.GOOGLE.COM (priority 5)
- ALT3.ASPMX.L.GOOGLE.COM (priority 10)
- ALT4.ASPMX.L.GOOGLE.COM (priority 10)
Add TXT records for SPF (v=spf1 include:_spf.google.com ~all)
Set up DKIM in the Admin Console under Apps > Google Workspace > Gmail > Authenticate email
Remove Microsoft's MX records

New email now goes to Gmail. Run one last migration sync to catch anything that arrived during the switch.

Step 6: Verify and Clean Up

Have team members send and receive test emails
Check that calendar events came through with correct times
Confirm contacts are in Google Contacts
Run a final sync if anything looks off
Keep Microsoft 365 active for 30-90 days as a safety net

Moving Files: OneDrive to Google Drive

Email migration does not touch your files. You need a separate step for OneDrive and SharePoint.

Using Google's Migration Tool

Google added a file migration feature in early 2025 that moves files from OneDrive to Google Drive:

In Google Admin Console, go to Account > Data migration
Select OneDrive as the source
Connect your Microsoft tenant
Map users — each person's OneDrive maps to their Google Drive
Start the migration

The tool converts Word, Excel, and PowerPoint files to Google Docs, Sheets, and Slides if you choose. You can also keep the original Office format.

SharePoint to Google Shared Drives

SharePoint document libraries need more planning:

Map each SharePoint site to a Google Shared Drive
Decide which files to move and which to archive
Use a third-party tool (CloudFuze, BitTitan, or CloudM) for large SharePoint migrations — Google's native tools do not cover SharePoint directly

Things to Watch For

Macros and VBA. Excel macros do not work in Google Sheets. Export critical macro-driven files and keep them in Office format.
Deeply nested folders. Google Drive handles long paths better than SharePoint, but review the structure after migration.
File permissions. Sharing settings do not carry over one-to-one. Audit permissions after the move and set up new sharing rules.
OneNote notebooks. No Google equivalent. Export to PDF or keep access to OneNote through a free Microsoft account.

For a full side-by-side look at both platforms, see our Google Docs vs Office 365 guide.

Post-Migration Setup

Set Up Shared Email

If your team used shared mailboxes in Microsoft 365, you need to recreate that setup in Google Workspace. Google does not have a native shared mailbox feature. You have three options:

Gmail delegation — lets others send from a shared address. Simple but limited.
Google Groups as a Collaborative Inbox — routes email to a group. Good for basic needs.
A purpose-built shared inbox tool — adds assignment, tracking, and reporting.

Our guide on creating a shared mailbox in Google Workspace covers all three methods in detail.

For customer support teams, Google Groups falls short fast. It lacks ticket assignment, collision detection, and any kind of reporting. SupportBee works on top of Google Workspace to give your team a real shared inbox — assign conversations, add internal notes, track satisfaction, and keep your whole team on the same page. Start a free 14-day trial to see how it works.

Recreate Email Templates

If your team used Outlook templates or Quick Parts, rebuild them in Gmail. Our guide on creating email templates in Gmail walks through the steps.

Reconnect Your Tools

Go through every app that was connected to Microsoft 365:

CRM — reconnect calendar sync and email integrations
Support tools — update forwarding rules and API connections
Calendar apps — reconnect Calendly, SavvyCal, or other scheduling tools
Chat bots — update any workflows that talked to Teams

Fix customer-facing tools first. A gap in support email during migration costs you trust.

Help Your Team Adjust

Gmail works differently from Outlook. The biggest changes:

Labels vs. Folders. Gmail uses labels. One email can have many labels. Outlook uses folders where each email lives in one place.
Search. Gmail search is powerful but uses different operators than Outlook. Share a quick reference with your team.
Keyboard shortcuts. Gmail has its own set. Turn them on in Settings > General > Keyboard shortcuts.
No desktop app. Gmail runs in the browser. Teams used to the Outlook desktop app need time to adjust.

For tips on keeping Gmail organized, see our guide on organizing your Gmail inbox. And for power users, our post on automating emails in Gmail covers filters, auto-replies, and more.

Common Problems and Fixes

Problem	Likely Cause	Fix
Migration tool cannot connect to Microsoft	Wrong credentials or MFA blocking access	Use an app password or register an Azure AD app
Some emails missing	Large mailbox or timeout	Re-run migration for affected users — the tool picks up where it left off
Calendar events show wrong times	Timezone mismatch	Set correct timezone in Google Calendar settings first
File permissions lost after Drive migration	Sharing rules do not carry over	Audit and reset permissions in Google Drive after migration
Email delivery fails after DNS switch	Old MX records cached	Wait 24-48 hours; check SPF and DKIM records
Distribution lists missing	They do not migrate from Exchange	Recreate as Google Groups in the Admin Console
Outlook rules not working	Mail filters do not migrate	Recreate rules as Gmail filters under Settings > Filters

If you are also switching your support tools, our help desk migration guide covers that process.

Frequently Asked Questions

How long does a Microsoft 365 to Google Workspace migration take?

For a team of 50 users with average mailbox sizes (2-5 GB), expect 1-3 days for email. File migration adds another day or two. The DNS switch itself takes minutes, but full propagation can take up to 48 hours. Plan a full week from start to finish.

Can I migrate for free?

Yes. Google's Data Migration Service is free with any Google Workspace plan. You only pay extra if you choose a third-party tool for file migration or very large teams.

Will I lose any emails?

Not if done right. Google's tool runs follow-up syncs to catch new messages that arrive during the copy. Keep both systems live until the DNS switch and final check are complete.

Do Office files turn into Google Docs?

Only if you choose to convert them. Google's migration tools give you the option to convert Word to Docs, Excel to Sheets, and PowerPoint to Slides. You can also keep the original format. Complex files with macros or advanced formatting should stay in Office format.

What happens to shared mailboxes?

They do not migrate directly. Export the mailbox contents from Microsoft 365, then set up the equivalent in Google Workspace using delegation, Google Groups, or a shared inbox tool. See our guide on shared mailboxes in Google Workspace for all three options.

Should I keep Microsoft 365 running during migration?

Yes. Keep it active through the DNS cutover and for 30-90 days after. This gives your team a fallback and ensures nothing was missed.

Can I move just email and skip files?

Yes. Google's Data Migration Service handles email, contacts, and calendars only. File migration is a completely separate step. Many teams do email first, then files in a second phase.

What about Teams chat history?

Microsoft Teams chat does not migrate to Google Chat. Export important conversations from Teams before you close accounts. Microsoft provides an export tool in the compliance center for admin-level exports.