How to Migrate From Google Workspace to Office 365 or Microsoft 365

During the planning stage:

1. Determine what types of data you will be migrating.

   Some companies need to migrate only Google Workspace emails to Microsoft 365, while others may need to transfer Google Drive files, contacts, and calendars as well. Decide what content you need to bring over to your new Microsoft 365 account before setting up a migration.

2. Decide what users to migrate.

   If you have multiple user accounts in Google Workspace, create a full list of all active and inactive accounts. Then, decide which user accounts must be transferred to Microsoft 365 and which are no longer required. Note that while you may no longer be using some old mailboxes, you may need to retain them for future reference anyway. In this case, you can migrate them all into one mailbox in Microsoft 365 for archival purposes.

   Additionally, reviewing the contents of smaller accounts in your organization would be helpful. If a small account contains little to no content, not migrating it may reduce costs and migration time.

3. Decide on the schedule and estimate the time needed for the migration.

   While migration of a couple of small accounts can be completed within several hours, larger organizations typically need several days or even more.

   The migration time depends not only on the size of the accounts but also on their performance. Google Workspace and Microsoft 365 may temporarily limit the speed of migrations when the accounts use too much of their processing power for a prolonged period of time. In cases like this, none of the migration tools can override the limitations imposed by the service providers.

   We recommend beginning the process early and allowing extra time for unexpected delays.

4. Decide whether to keep or change the domain.

   You can switch service providers without changing the domain (i.e., your domain can continue working with Microsoft 365). However, you will also have the option of changing it. If you choose to change the domain, purchase it through Google Workspace or your preferred provider before setting up a migration.

5. Select your subscription and purchase user licenses.

   Microsoft 365 provides a variety of business plans starting at just $6 per user per month. To help you choose the best option for your needs, Microsoft offers a handy tool: Find the right plan for your business.

   Remember that the amount of free storage space available to users may vary depending on a Microsoft 365 package. If some of your users have extra large accounts in Google Workspace, you may need to account for that when selecting your plan in Microsoft.

To prepare for the Google Workspace to Microsoft 365 migration:

1. Sign up for Microsoft 365.

   To begin, navigate to Microsoft 365 for Business. During the sign-up process, you will need to provide information about your organization and verify the ownership of the domain.

   After adding the domain, set up the admin account and configure the security settings of your Microsoft 365 account by adding SPF, DKIM, and DMARC records.

   

   If you are not changing your domain name and user email addresses, do not change the MX records at this point. Otherwise, new emails will start arriving in Outlook immediately, and Gmail accounts will stop working.

   

   Signing up for Microsoft 365 and configuring the admin account are critical tasks that may require more time than expected. Plan at least several days for this.

2. Create and activate user accounts.

   Remember that OneDrive accounts are not fully functional immediately after you create them. You or your users need to sign in to their OneDrive accounts before migration to activate them. For instructions on activating OneDrive for user accounts as an admin, see this article: Pre-provision OneDrive for users in your organization.

3. Ensure that users with large accounts have sufficient storage space in Microsoft 365 for their migrated data.

   Most Microsoft 365 business users have up to 100 GB of Outlook storage space and 1 TB of OneDrive storage space. If some users have over 50 GB of email and 1 TB of Drive files in the source accounts, modify their storage limits in Microsoft 365 before the migration or choose a different Microsoft 365 package.

4. Consider possible migration challenges.

   Depending on your situation, these challenges may include:

• Temporary downtime or limited access to data. While data migrations do not typically limit the users' ability to access their data, the source and destination accounts may respond slower during the transfer. For this reason, we recommend setting up migrations during the weekends or holidays and minimizing the use of accounts during the migration.

  Remember that you should not temporarily deactivate the accounts during the transfer to prevent users from working with them since this will disrupt the migration process.

• Email migration complexities. Gmail uses labels, so each email in Gmail may have multiple labels, while Outlook uses folders, where each email can only be stored in one folder. Gmail labels may not translate directly to Outlook's folder-based system, and users must be prepared for that.

• Formats compatibility. Google Docs, Sheets, and Slides need to be converted to Microsoft formats (Word, Excel, PowerPoint), which can lead to formatting inconsistencies. Third-party migration software typically helps avoid these issues.

• Data loss. Where applicable, data loss can occur during migration due to interruptions or improperly configured free tools. Paid third-party tools allow you to avoid risks associated with data loss.

5. Notify users of the change.

   Let users know that your company will switch from Google Workpsace to Microsoft 365 soon and explain what will change. You should also let them know that their accounts may respond slower during the migration and instruct them to avoid using their accounts when possible while the migration is running.

6. Back up any critical data (optional).

   While neither VaultMe for Admins nor Microsoft's native migration services remove the content from the source accounts, it's a good practice to back up any critical data during the transition period.

To transfer emails, files, contacts, and calendars from G Suite to Microsoft 365:

1. Go to the app.

2. Select "Migrate or archive multiple user accounts (advanced)."

   

   (If you have only one or two user accounts, you can use VaultMe for Individuals and migrate your accounts one by one. In this case, select “Migrate a single user account to another account” to be redirected.)

3. Create a VaultMe for Admins account.

4. Select your source and destination service providers. For the source provider, select Google Workspace. For the destination provider, select Microsoft 365.

5. Decide how you want to connect your source and destination accounts. We recommend using domain authorization for both Google Workspace and Microsoft 365. If you don't have super admin permissions, you can use other options (i.e., connect each user account individually or instruct the users to connect their accounts).

6. Create a migration plan by mapping source user accounts to destination user accounts. If you have over 20 user accounts, we recommend migrating them in smaller batchers (10-15 accounts each).

7. Select the types of data that you want to copy.

8. Decide how you want to organize the content in the destination account. You can either merge the copied content with the content in the destination accounts or put it into a new folder.

9. Review the fee breakdown and proceed to checkout. To adjust the price, you can reduce the migration scope or exclude certain user accounts from the migration. Our prices are outlined on this page: VaultMe's Pricing (refer to the VaultMe for Admins pricing).

10. Start your migration. Feel free to close your browser.

11. Check back to see the progress of your migration (optional). You’ll receive an email notification when it's complete.

12. Download your migration report(s).

The following resources may be helpful:

• For instructions on migrating user mailboxes, see Ways to migrate multiple email accounts to Microsoft 365 or Office 365.

• For instructions on using Microsoft Migration Manager to transfer files to OneDrive, refer to How to use Migration Manager.

• For advanced deployment guides, refer to Advanced deployment guides for Microsoft 365 and Office 365 products.

Take the following actions after you migrate user data:

1. Evaluate the migration results.

   After you migrate user data from G Suite to O365, compare the data in the source accounts with the migration results in the destination accounts. If you’ve used VaultMe for Admins to transfer user data, download the migration reports within 30 days of the migration date. These reports contain complete lists of all items copied to the destination and their locations in the old and new accounts.

2. Educate your users.

   Before completely switching from Google Workspace to Microsoft 365, ensure that your users know how to work with their new accounts and all services that you'll be using. Training users before making the switch will help you avoid disruptions in daily work. You can use the following learning materials to help your team: Microsoft 365 basics video training.

3. Update DNS records.

   When you are ready to start using Microsoft 365 instead of Google Workspace, modify your domain’s DNS records to point email to Microsoft 365. After you update the DNS records in your domain registrar, emails will start arriving in Outlook.

4. Finalize Microsoft 365 settings.

   Adjust any final settings in Microsoft 365, such as adding the company logo and setting up email forwarding, auto-replies, and signatures. At this stage, you may also choose to create shared libraries for collaboration.

5. Cancel your Google Workspace subscription.

   Avoid deactivating user source accounts immediately after the migration. First, ensure that you are happy with the results of the migration and nothing has been overlooked. We recommend waiting at least 30 days before permanently deleting the old system.