Google Workspace to
Microsoft 365 Migration

What actually migrates

A Google Workspace to Microsoft 365 migration moves four core categories of content:

• Email — Gmail mail moves to Exchange Online, with Gmail labels mapping to Outlook folders
• Calendar — Google Calendar events move to Outlook Calendar, including recurring meetings
• Contacts — Google Contacts move to Outlook Contacts
• Files — Google Drive content moves to SharePoint Online (shared/team content) and OneDrive (personal files), with Google Docs, Sheets, and Slides converting to their Microsoft Office equivalents

For the storage side specifically, see our dedicated guide on what happens to Google Drive files during migration.

Prerequisites before you start

A small number of things need to be in place before migration work begins:

• Microsoft 365 licensing purchased and assigned for every user who will be migrated, ahead of the actual migration.
• Domain verification in Microsoft 365 — your domain needs to be added and DNS-verified before Microsoft will proceed with mailbox provisioning.
• Admin access on both sides — a Google Workspace Super Admin and a Microsoft 365 Global Administrator, ideally accounts dedicated to the migration itself.
• A complete inventory of users, mailbox sizes, Drive storage volumes, shared drives, and any distribution groups or shared mailboxes.

The coexistence period

Most migrations run a coexistence phase rather than an instant cutover — both environments active in parallel, with mail routing split between them, so users can be migrated in planned batches rather than all at once. This typically involves temporary subdomain-based mail routing so that migrated and not-yet-migrated users both continue receiving mail correctly during the transition.

Common complications worth planning for

• Label-to-folder mapping. Gmail allows one email to carry multiple labels; Outlook folders hold a message in one place. See our Gmail to Outlook migration guide for how this is typically handled.
• Shared Drive permissions. Google Shared Drive permission structures need to be deliberately mapped to SharePoint's permission model — they don't translate automatically.
• Third-party integrations. Tools connected to Gmail or Google Calendar (e-signature platforms, scheduling apps, CRM email sync) need to be reconnected to Microsoft 365 post-migration.
• Email authentication. SPF, DKIM, and DMARC records need to be correctly configured for the new sending infrastructure before MX cutover, not after — see our guide on SPF, DKIM & DMARC for Microsoft 365 migration.

Timeline

Most small to mid-size organisations complete a Google Workspace to Microsoft 365 migration in two to four weeks, covering discovery, a pilot batch, full migration, and cutover. Larger or more complex environments — significant Shared Drive structures, many third-party integrations, compliance requirements — extend that timeline. See our guide on how long a Microsoft 365 migration takes for a fuller breakdown by company size.

What we look at during discovery

Environment audit. Full inventory of mailboxes, Shared Drives, calendars, and any groups or shared mailboxes.

Microsoft 365 tenant setup. Licensing, domain verification, and user provisioning completed ahead of migration.

Pilot migration. A representative group migrated first to validate the plan end to end before the full rollout.

Batched migration and cutover. Users migrated in planned groups, with a final delta sync catching anything sent during the transition window.

For pricing specifics, see our Google Workspace migration cost guide, or explore our Google Workspace to Microsoft 365 migration service directly.