Google Workspace to Office 365: Moving Mailboxes and Drives
Switching from Google Workspace to Office 365 is like moving to a new house with all your things, it sounds good but can be typical also. No matter you are a small business or a large organization, this guide will explain the manual process to migrate from Google Workspace to Office 365 along with your drive data. Manual process can move your emails, contacts, calendars, notes and rules. Also using SharePoint migration manager, you can move your drives, shared drive with the permissions.
Why Migrate from Google Workspace to Office 365?
As we know Microsoft 365 and Google Workspace both provides similar services like email management, cloud storage and more. Peoples are more familiar with Microsoft 365 products like excel, word, Outlook and more and it is the main reason to move. Also, on the other hand Microsoft provides better security and drive storage compared to Google Workspace. Google Workspace only offers web applications, but Microsoft 365 offers web as well as desktop applications that makes it a better choice also.
Step-by-Step Guide to Manual Migration
Follow the below mentioned procedure to manually migrate from Google Workspace to Office 365. Do not miss anything or you will get errors in performing the migration.
Add Your Domain to Your Microsoft 365 Account
To create user accounts specific to your domain, you need to add your domain in Microsoft 365
Log in to the Office 365 with your admin credentials.
Go to Settings then click on the Domains and click Add Domain.
Type your domain name and follow the instructions to add and verify your domain.
Once verified, you can create user accounts in that domain.
Add Users and Assign Licenses
Now, add users in Microsoft Office 365 and assign them licenses and proper permissions.
In the Microsoft 365 Admin Center, go to Users then Active Users.
Either choose to add a user or add multiple users. Fill all the details and add your users.
Assign them proper licenses so that they can have mailboxes.
This step prepares accounts for email and file migration.
Create a Project in Google Cloud Console
As per the Microsoft 365 migration requirements, we need to create a project in our Google Workspace organization.
Open console.cloud.google.com and login with your super admin credentials.
Click on Create Project, provide any name, choose your organization and create.
This project connects Google Workspace to Office 365 for data transfer.
Create a Service Account
A service account acts like a “middleman” to access Google Workspace data.
In the Google Cloud Console, go to IAM & Admin > Service Accounts.
Click Create Service Account, name it (e.g., “Migration Account”), and save.
Grant the account “Owner” permissions for your project.
Create a Private JSON Key
The service account needs a key to work securely.
In the Service Accounts section, select your account and click Keys.
Click Add Key > Create New Key and choose JSON.
Download the JSON file and keep it safe—you’ll need it later.
Provide API Permissions
Now, allow the service account to access Google Workspace data.
In the Google Workspace Admin Console, go to Security > API Controls.
Under App Access Control, enable the APIs needed (Gmail and Drive, Contacts, Calendars and People).
Add Domain-Wide Delegation
This step lets the service account act on behalf of your users.
In the Google Workspace Admin Console, go to Security then API Controls then Domain-Wide Delegation.
Add the client ID and scopes for Gmail, contacts, calendars and more. You can find the scope on Microsoft website or CloudBik’s blog.
Save the changes.
Add a Migration Batch in Microsoft 365
Now, it’s time to move your data.
In the Microsoft 365 Admin Center, go to Setup > Data Migration.
Choose to migrate to Microsoft 365. Select Google Workspace as the source.
Create a migration batch, choosing what to move (emails, calendars, or Google Workspace Drive to OneDrive).
Start the batch and monitor its progress.
This step may take time depending on how much data you’re moving.
Update MX Records
Finally, point your email delivery to Office 365 by updating your MX records.
Go to your domain registrar.
Update the MX records to Microsoft’s values (found in the Microsoft 365 Admin Center under Domains).
Once done, your emails will flow through Outlook instead of Gmail.
Google Workspace Drive to OneDrive for Business
Microsoft 365 offers SharePoint Migration tab to migrate your Google Workspace drive content to Office 365 OneDrive accounts. This process is very simple, you just need to create connection with Google Workspace by adding a migration application. After that scan your drives and migrate them. For complete process, check out this guide on migrate Google Workspace drive to OneDrive.
Final Thoughts
This guide describes the manual process to move your data from Google Workspace to Office 365. The process is simple but can be time taking if migrating lots of users with huge data. Follow the complete process for error free migration. Also, you can choose third-party migration services if having issues with the manual migration. Feel free to comment down if you have any questions.