Migrating your organization’s data from Microsoft Outlook to Google Workspace can seem like a daunting task, but with the right approach, it can be a smooth and efficient process.

Whether you’re looking to leverage Google Workspace’s collaborative tools, improve accessibility, or streamline your operations, this guide will walk you through moving your organisation’s data, including emails, calendars, contacts, folders, files, and permissions, from outlook to Google Workspace.

If you need additional technical help or have specific questions that aren’t covered in this guide, feel free to book a free discovery call with our IT experts.

Table of Content

• Important Step Before you begin Google Workspace Migration
• Possible Methods for Moving Data from Microsoft Outlook to Google Workspace
• How Users Migrate Their Own Data  
• Step 1: Download & Install GWMMO
• Step 2: Sign in and Set Up Google Workspace  
• Step 3: Select the Outlook Data to Import  
• Step 4: Start Importing Data  
• Step 5: Monitor Your Migration  
• Did Everything Migrate? – Review Progress 
• Next steps in Microsoft Outlook to Google Workspace Migration  

Important Step Before you begin Google Workspace Migration   

To ensure a smooth transition, ask your team members to set up automatic email forwarding in Outlook. This way, they’ll receive emails sent to their old accounts during the migration. Refer to Microsoft’s guidelines for step-by-step instructions.

Getting New Outlook Emails in Gmail  

To access new Outlook emails in Gmail, follow these easy steps:

1. Go to the “Check emails from other accounts” section.

2. Follow the prompts to connect your Outlook account to Gmail.

That’s it!

Possible Methods for Moving Data from Microsoft Outlook to Google Workspace  

Moving data from Microsoft Outlook to Google Workspace can be done in three main ways. We’ll break down each method to help you choose the best one for your needs.

Method 1: Self-Migration

Let each user move their own email, calendar, and contact data to Google Workspace.

Method 2: Admin-Led Migration

As an admin, you can move users’ data from PST archives to Google Workspace.

Method 3: Sync with Outlook

Users can keep using Outlook and sync their data (email, calendars, contacts, notes, and tasks) with Google Workspace.

This article focuses on Method 1, where users migrate their own data. If you’re an admin setting up Google Workspace for your team, you can find more resources in the GWMMO admin help section or contact us for technical support.

How Users Migrate Their Own Data  

If you want to allow your team members or users to migrate their own email, calendar, and contact data from Outlook to Google Workspace, here’s a 5-step process to help them do it.

Step 1: Get Started

Download and install the Google Workspace Migration Tool (GWMMO) on your computer.

Step 2: Set Up Your Account

Sign in to your Google Workspace account and follow the prompts to set it up.

Step 3: Select Your Data

Choose which Outlook data you want to transfer, such as emails, calendar events, or contacts.

Step 4: Start the Transfer

Begin the migration process and let the tool do the work.

Step 5: Track Progress

Keep an eye on the migration progress to ensure everything is transferred smoothly.

Now, let’s break this down for you step by step.

Step 1: Download & Install GWMMO  

Important: This article is for Google Workspace users. If you’re an admin, please refer to the GWMMO admin help page, or contact a Google Workspace Partner like Digital Socius if you want us to handle the migration for you from start to finish.

What You Can Do with GWMMO

GWMMO helps you transfer data from Microsoft Exchange or PST files to Google Workspace. You can move your email, calendar, or contact data all at once or one app at a time.

Before You Start

• Check the system requirements.

• Update your Outlook and Windows versions.

• Sign in to your Google Workspace account to accept the terms and conditions.

How to Install GWMMO  

Choose one of the two methods below to install GWMMO on the computer where you use Outlook:

Method 1: Self-Installation

1. Ensure Outlook is closed.

2. Download the EXE file from the GWMMO download page.

3. Open the installer and follow the prompts.

Method 2: Admin-Installed

1. Ensure Outlook is closed.

2. Follow these steps based on your Windows version:

• Windows 7 and later: Go to Start > Software Center > Applications > Google Workspace Migration for Microsoft Outlook > Install.
• Earlier Windows versions: Go to Control Panel > Run Advertised Programs > Google Workspace Migration for Microsoft Outlook > Run.

3. Click Start > Google Workspace Migration > Google Workspace Migration for Microsoft Outlook.

Remember to follow the instructions carefully to ensure a smooth installation process.

Step 2: Sign in and Set Up Google Workspace  

After launching GWMMO, you’ll be asked to sign in to your Google Workspace account. This step allows GWMMO to connect to your account and prepare for data import.

Enter Your Account Details  

1. Type in your Google Workspace email address.

2. Choose how you want to sign in:

• “Help me sign in” if you use a non-Google Workspace password (e.g., single sign-on service).
• “I have a password” if you use your Google Workspace password (likely the default option).

3. If you plan to import data again using the command line, check the “Remember me” box to skip future sign-ins.

Click “Next”.

Smart Features and Personalization  

You’ll be asked if you want to enable smart features in Gmail, Google Chat, and Meet, as well as personalization in other Google products. These features use data from Gmail, Chat, and Meet to work properly. Your administrator may have already set this up for you.

Step 3: Select the Outlook Data to Import  

Now, GWMMO asks you to choose where to import your Outlook data from. You have two options:

Option 1: Import Directly from Exchange Profile

• Select your profile name from the list to import data directly.

• GWMMO will copy the current data and import it.

Option 2: Import from PST File(s)

• Choose “From PST File(s)” and browse to the file on your computer or network.

• You can select multiple PST files at once (hold Control key to select multiple files).

• Note: GWMMO can’t import read-only PST files. Make sure the file is not read-only.

Choose Your Migration Option

• Migrate all data: Imports all mail, contacts, and calendar events. Use this option for your first migration or if you want to import all data again.

• Migrate only new data: Imports only new data that hasn’t been imported before. Use this option to resume a previous migration or import new data that arrived after your first migration.

Click “Next” to continue.

Step 4: Start Importing Data  

Now it’s time to choose what data to import from your Outlook profile or PST file.

What Data Can Be Imported?

You can import:

• Email messages (including deleted items and junk messages)

• Calendars (events from all your calendars)

• Contacts (personal contacts, not shared organisation contacts)

Note: Outlook Notes, tasks, journal entries, and RSS feeds can’t be imported as they aren’t compatible with Google Workspace.

Select What to Import

• Check the boxes next to the data you want to import.

• If importing email messages, decide if you want to include junk or deleted items.

• To speed up the import process, uncheck the Junk mail and Deleted items boxes.

• (Optional) To import mail sent before or after a specific date, check the box and enter the date.

Click “Migrate” to start importing your data.

If you’re importing from a Microsoft Outlook profile, you might need to sign in to your profile again.

Step 5: Monitor Your Migration  

After starting the migration, GWMMO will begin importing your data to your Google Workspace account.

What to Expect

• Contacts will be imported first, followed by calendar data, and then email.

• If you’re importing multiple PST files or email accounts, each one will import in sequence.

• If you’re importing from a Microsoft Exchange profile, GWMMO will only import the current data and not any new messages received during the migration.

How Long Will it Take?

The migration might take several hours, depending on how much data you have. However, you can start using your Google Workspace account right away.

Stopping and Restarting the Migration

• To pause the migration, click “Pause Migration”.

• To resume, click “Resume Migration”.

• If the migration is interrupted, you can rerun the wizard. To avoid duplicate contacts, select “Migrate only new data”.

Note: If the wizard doesn’t automatically resume after an interruption, start a new migration and select “Migrate only new data” to avoid duplicates.

Did Everything Migrate? – Review Progress  

As the migration continues, you can check the progress screen to see:

• How many items have been migrated

• How many items are still left to migrate

Check for Errors

• To view any errors that occurred during the migration, click the link next to “Migration log file”.

• To access log files for all your migrations, visit the “Locations of log files” page.

This will help you ensure that everything has migrated successfully and identify any issues that need attention.

Next steps in Microsoft Outlook to Google Workspace Migration  

Once your migration is complete, you can either click “Start new migration” to import more data if you’re migrating in stages, or click “Cancel” to close the wizard. Then, you can sign in to your Google Workspace account and start using it if you haven’t already.

You’re now ready to explore and enjoy the benefits of Google Workspace. If you need to import more data, you can always start a new migration. Otherwise, you can close the wizard and begin using your account.

Not a technical person? Or You need us to take ownership of your migration from start to finish? Book a free discovery call with us now. We are Google Workspace Partners with extensive experience in all kinds of migration and implementation.