Microsoft 365 to
Google Workspace Migration

What actually migrates

A Microsoft 365 to Google Workspace migration covers the same four core categories, moving in the other direction:

• Email — Exchange Online mail moves to Gmail, with Outlook folders mapping to Gmail labels
• Calendar — Outlook Calendar events move to Google Calendar, including recurring meetings
• Contacts — Outlook Contacts move to Google Contacts
• Files — OneDrive and SharePoint content moves to Google Drive (personal files) and Shared Drives (team content), with Office documents convertible to Google's native formats

For the full detail on the file and collaboration side, see our guide on what happens to OneDrive, SharePoint, and Teams data during migration to Google Workspace.

Why organisations move this direction

The reasons vary, but a few come up consistently: organisations that want a simpler, more centralised admin experience than Microsoft 365's broader (and sometimes more complex) admin surface; teams that are already heavily invested in real-time collaborative editing workflows Google Workspace is built around; and businesses looking to reduce licensing complexity by consolidating onto Google's more consolidated plan structure. See our companion piece on why companies switch from Microsoft 365 to Google Workspace for a fuller look at the actual decision drivers.

Prerequisites before you start

• Google Workspace licensing purchased and provisioned for every user ahead of migration.
• Domain verification in Google Workspace, completed before user provisioning can proceed.
• Admin access on both sides — a Microsoft 365 Global Administrator and a Google Workspace Super Admin, ideally dedicated migration accounts.
• A complete inventory of mailboxes, OneDrive/SharePoint storage volumes, shared mailboxes, and distribution groups.

Common complications worth planning for

• Folder-to-label mapping. Outlook folders hold a message in one place; Gmail labels allow multiple. This affects how your existing Outlook organisation translates into Gmail's structure.
• Teams data. Microsoft Teams channel conversations and chat history need a specific migration path into Google Chat or an equivalent destination — this isn't a simple file copy.
• SharePoint permissions. SharePoint's more granular permission model needs to be deliberately mapped to Google Drive's sharing structure, not assumed to translate automatically.
• Third-party integrations. Tools wired into Outlook, Teams, or SharePoint (CRM sync, e-signature platforms, scheduling tools) need to be reconnected to their Google Workspace equivalents post-migration.

Timeline

Timelines are broadly comparable to a Google Workspace to Microsoft 365 migration of similar size — most small to mid-size organisations complete the process in two to four weeks. Environments with significant SharePoint customisation, large Teams usage, or many third-party integrations take longer, since those pieces need individual planning rather than a straightforward file copy.

What we look at during discovery

Environment audit. Full inventory of mailboxes, OneDrive/SharePoint content, Teams usage, and any shared mailboxes or groups.

Google Workspace setup. Licensing, domain verification, and user provisioning completed ahead of migration.

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

Batched migration and cutover. Users migrated in planned groups, with final validation before the source environment is decommissioned.

This direction of migration is handled through our migration consulting and data migration services — get in touch to discuss your specific environment.