How to migrate a Google Workspace account

Google Workspace is a powerful suite of collaboration software, email, cloud computing, and business-focused products. Setting up new accounts is a breeze but how does one migrate data on Google Workspace? This guide will show you how to migrate from Gmail or webmail, move to new email addresses, and export data to other services. This guide assumes you have super administrator privileges on the Google Workspace account.

Migrate an external account to Google Workspace

Creating new Google Workspace accounts and using data imported from Gmail or other email providers is painless. So long as the existing account is with a provider Google can work with, you shouldn’t have any trouble getting everything sorted.

1. Check the user’s existing provider is supported.
2. Log into the Google WorkSpace admin console.
3. Create a new Google Workspace account.
4. Go to Account > Data migration on the Google Workspace admin console.

5. Click Set up data migration.
6. Select the user’s existing email provider from the drop-down menu.

   

7. Select the type of items to be transferred.
8. Enter the user’s source email credentials.

You’ll now be able to move through and have the migrator tool move data across. The user may have to manually export and import contacts and calendars, depending on which service they’re using. You can achieve this, should they entrust you with their credentials for migration.

Migrate from another Google Workspace organization

If your user has an existing Google Workspace account from another organization, Google can handle the entire process for you.

1. Log into the Google WorkSpace admin console.
2. Create a new Google Workspace account.
3. Have the user set an email forwarder on the existing provider to the new email address.
4. Have the user export calendars and contacts from the existing account and import them to their new Google Workspace account.
5. Go to Account > Data migration on the Google Workspace admin console.

   

6. Click Go to Data Migration (New).

   

7. Enter the user’s existing email address in the Source email address field.
8. Click Request authorization.
9. Create and upload a mapping file.

   

10. Enter a start date for the migrator to use as a base (it will move emails between the start date and the migration date).
11. (Optional) Set whether spam and deleted emails are to be migrated.
12. Click Start Migration.

The migrator will commence the process and show a real-time updated status with details on any issues or successful transfers.

Migrate within the same Google Workspace organization

There’s no need to migrate a Google Workspace if it’s within the same organization. If all you need to do is change an email address, Google Workspace can handle setting up an alias for the old address to keep everything running smoothly. Everything stays the same. Their credentials, storage, calendars, contacts, and everything else available through Google Workspace.

1. Log into the Google WorkSpace admin console.
2. Click Manage under Users.
3. Select the user you wish to change the email address.

   

4. Select Update user.
5. Enter the new email address.

Google Workspace will create an alias for the old email address. Email delivery won’t be interrupted, but the user may not be able to access Google Chat for a few days. Just something to consider should your business rely on the communications app.

Export everything from Google Workspace

Google allows for the exporting of all the Workspace organization data through Takeout. This service should not be used to transfer to another Workspace account as there’s a migration service for this. When moving away from Google Workspace, there are a few requirements for exporting data:

• You must have super admin permissions for at least 30 days (not required if the organization is less than 30 days old).
• You must have two-step verifications enabled on your Google Workspace account starting the export.
• You must have Google Cloud activated for the Google Workspace account starting the export.
• Your organization must have fewer than 1,000 users.

Once you’re good to go, exporting Google Workspace accounts is easy. Exported data includes Google Calendar, Chat, Chrome, Classroom, Cloud Search, Contacts, Drive, Gemini, Gmail/Hangouts, Groups, Keep, Reminders, Tasks, Vault, and Voice.

1. Log into the Google WorkSpace admin console.
2. Expand the right-side menu.

   

3. Click Data Export under Tools.

Follow the export wizard and you’ll begin the process. You should receive an export completion email once everything has finished. Access to the Data Export Tool will provide additional details about the export and whether any errors were encountered.

Related

Google Takeout: A complete guide to downloading your Google data

You can download all kinds of data from your Google account with Google Takeout.