How to migrate OneDrive to Google Drive: the complete guide to moving files, permissions, and users without losing control

Quick summary: OneDrive to Google Drive migration in 10 points

1. Do not migrate without an inventory: before moving anything, review users, OneDrive size, file types, external sharing, and critical files.
2. The recommended business option: use the Google Workspace import tool from the Admin console, as long as the scenario fits.
3. You need the right permissions: super admin in Google Workspace and global administrator in Microsoft 365 to connect both environments.
4. Users must exist in the destination: each OneDrive user needs a prepared Google Workspace account and license.
5. Identity mapping: if email addresses or domains change, it is advisable to use a CSV that maps source users to destination users.
6. Permissions are not always 100% equivalent: some OneDrive permissions are translated into Google Drive roles, but exceptions should be reviewed.
7. Previous versions do not migrate as a full version history: the current version of the file is usually imported, so sensitive documents should be reviewed.
8. OneNote deserves separate treatment: notebooks may become folders or require a specific strategy to avoid confusion.
9. Run a delta before cutover: an incremental import helps capture new or modified files after the first pass.
10. Adoption matters: if users do not understand where “their files” are in Google Drive, the migration will feel unsuccessful even if the data is there.

When does it make sense to migrate OneDrive to Google Drive?

A OneDrive to Google Drive migration is usually part of a broader change: moving from Microsoft 365 to Google Workspace, consolidating tools after a merger, reducing platform duplication, or standardizing collaboration around Google Drive, Gmail, Meet, and Google Chat.

Common scenarios

• Full Microsoft 365 to Google Workspace migration: email, calendars, personal files, sites, identities, and domains are moved.
• Tool unification: the company already works in Google Workspace, but still keeps personal data in OneDrive.
• Mergers or reorganizations: one part of the company uses Microsoft 365 and another uses Google Workspace, and the decision is made to centralize on Google.
• Cost and complexity reduction: the goal is to avoid maintaining two document clouds with different rules.
• Collaboration improvement: the organization wants to work with Google Docs, Sheets, Slides, shared drives, and Drive as the main repository.
• Change of partner or operating model: the organization wants to redesign the way it manages users, documents, and permissions.

In all these cases, the right question is not only “how to migrate files from OneDrive to Google Drive,” but “what should end up in My Drive, what should go to shared drives, which permissions should remain, and what should be cleaned up before moving it.”

Introduction: migrating OneDrive to Google Drive without losing context

OneDrive usually contains much more than personal documents. In many companies, it stores drafts, reports shared with clients, internal templates, files sent through Teams, documents synchronized from desktops, and material that has become critical to daily work over time.

That is why a well-executed OneDrive to Google Drive migration is not measured only by the “number of copied files.” It is measured by more important things: users can find their information, permissions are reasonable, sensitive files are not exposed, and the business can keep working without asking for help every five minutes.

The good news is that Google Workspace already provides a native path to import business OneDrive content into Google Drive from the Admin console. The delicate part is the design: inventory, identity mapping, permission handling, exclusions, error reports, and user communication.

This guide explains the complete process in practical language, for IT teams, business stakeholders, and organizations that want to migrate from Microsoft 365 to Google Workspace without improvising.

1. Project methodology and governance

In practice: migrating OneDrive to Google Drive works best in waves: small pilot, adjustments, progressive batches, and final cutover with delta.

A OneDrive to Google Drive migration project needs a clear methodology. If everything is launched at once, without an inventory or pilots, errors appear late: users without permissions, duplicated folders, documents that cannot be found, links that no longer work, or files that should not have been migrated.

Recommended phases

1. Assessment: inventory OneDrive, users, volume, permissions, links, and risks.
2. Target design: decide what goes to My Drive, what goes to shared drives, and how Google Drive will be governed.
3. Pilot: migrate a small but realistic group, with users from different areas.
4. Waves: migration by department, location, or criticality, with validation per batch.
5. Final delta: incremental import of recent changes before the definitive switch.
6. Stabilization: user support, permission review, duplicate cleanup, and OneDrive closure if applicable.

In organizations with a large volume of documentation, it is advisable to create a small migration committee with IT, business, and security. There is no need to turn it into bureaucracy: it is enough to make fast decisions on permissions, exclusions, sensitive data, and communication.

2. Assessment: OneDrive inventory before migration

In practice: the assessment answers three questions: what exists, what is used, and what may fail when moved.

The most common mistake is starting with the tool. Before choosing a migration method, you need to understand the environment: who has files, how much space they use, which folders are critical, what is shared externally, and what types of permissions exist.

Questions to resolve before migrating

• Do we migrate all OneDrive accounts or only active users?
• What do we do with former employee accounts?
• What content should move to Google Drive and what should be archived?
• Should external permissions be kept or recertified?
• Will users be allowed to keep working in OneDrive during the migration?
• What happens to documents shared in Teams or linked from SharePoint?

3. Prepare Google Workspace and Google Drive

In practice: Google Drive must be ready before importing: users, licenses, permissions, shared drives, and security rules.

To migrate with confidence, Google Workspace cannot be “half configured.” Users must exist, Drive must be enabled, licenses must be assigned, and usage rules must be clear.

Minimum preparation in Google Workspace

• Users created and licensed: every OneDrive user being imported needs a Google Workspace account.
• Google Drive enabled: Drive and Docs must be available for the affected organizational units.
• Groups prepared: groups by department, project, or role to avoid user-by-user permissions.
• Shared drives defined: for team, project, or department content that should not depend on one person.
• Sharing policies: decide what is allowed with external users, trusted domains, download, copy, and links.

Important decision: My Drive or shared drives

The native OneDrive import is designed to bring files into the user’s Google Workspace account. But from a governance standpoint, not everything should remain in “My Drive.”

A simple rule usually works well:

• My Drive: personal work documents, drafts, individual material.
• Shared drives: team documentation, deliverables, templates, processes, projects, and content that must survive when a person leaves.

In many projects, OneDrive content is first migrated to the user’s Google Drive and then the content that belongs in shared drives is moved or reorganized, with business owners and clear rules.

4. Prepare Microsoft 365 and OneDrive

In practice: the more organized OneDrive is before migration, the fewer incidents appear in Google Drive.

Before connecting Google Workspace to Microsoft 365, it is worth preparing the source environment. This is not about “changing things for the sake of it,” but about reducing risks: locked files, external owners, broken permissions, huge paths, or users that no longer exist.

OneDrive preparation checklist

• Confirm which users will be migrated and which will be excluded.
• Review disabled accounts or old mailboxes/users with content.
• Identify protected files, files with sensitivity labels, or policies that block download.
• Detect folders shared with too many unique permissions.
• Tell users not to reorganize folders during the migration window.
• Decide whether changes will be frozen before the final delta or normal work will continue until cutover.

Manual export: when it is not advisable

For individual users, downloading from OneDrive and uploading to Google Drive may seem sufficient. For companies, it is usually a bad idea except in very small or isolated cases.

Microsoft sets download limits for OneDrive/SharePoint, such as limits per file, total number of files, and downloaded folder size. In addition, OneNote notebooks and certain protected files do not behave like normal downloads. That is why manual download is not a recommended strategy for large enterprise migrations.

5. Methods to migrate OneDrive to Google Drive

In practice: there is no single perfect method. The choice depends on size, permissions, urgency, and level of control.

For a company that wants to migrate from Microsoft 365 to Google Workspace with the lowest possible impact, the most common strategy combines a managed tool, pilot, waves, and final delta.

6. Migration with the Google Workspace import tool

In practice: Google allows you to import files from business OneDrive to Google Drive from the Admin console, with user and identity CSV files.

The Google Workspace import tool allows you to copy files from Microsoft business OneDrive to Google Workspace accounts. Configuration is done from the Google Admin console and the migration runs in the cloud.

Main prerequisites

• Be a super administrator in Google Workspace.
• Have Google Drive enabled for destination users.
• Have a Google Workspace user and license for every person who will be imported.
• Connect to Microsoft OneDrive using an account with global administrator permissions in Microsoft.
• Prepare the CSV with OneDrive users and, where applicable, the identity map between source and destination.

General steps

1. Connect OneDrive: from the Google Admin console, open the import tool and connect Microsoft OneDrive.
2. Upload the user CSV: list the OneDrive users that will be imported.
3. Upload the identity map: map Microsoft 365 users to Google Workspace users when email addresses do not match.
4. Define filters: include or exclude content by age, file type, or size.
5. Run the import: launch the migration and monitor detected, imported, skipped, and failed files.
6. Review the report: analyze errors, non-migrated permissions, and skipped files.
7. Run delta: copy new or modified changes before the final cutover.

Source OneDrive User
anna.smith@company.com
john.brown@company.com

Source Email,Destination Email
anna.smith@company.com,anna.smith@company.co.uk
john.brown@company.com,john.brown@company.co.uk

7. Mapping users, permissions, and shared links

In practice: files are copied, but migration quality depends on whether user and permission mapping makes sense.

Identity mapping is one of the most important parts of a OneDrive to Google Drive migration. If users keep the same email address, the process is simpler. If the domain or naming convention changes, you need a clear correspondence between the source account and the destination account.

What needs to be mapped

• Active users: source person in Microsoft 365 → destination person in Google Workspace.
• Users with domain changes: for example, user@company.com → user@company.co.uk.
• Shared or generic accounts: decide whether they are migrated, archived, or converted into shared drives.
• External users: review whether they still need access after the change.
• Groups: assess whether permissions should go to Google Groups instead of individual users.

How permissions are translated

In a native migration, certain OneDrive permissions are translated into equivalent or approximate roles in Google Drive. For example, write permissions may become Editor, and read permissions may become Reader/Viewer. But you should not rely on this blindly: some custom permissions are simplified, and there may be exceptions.

The most delicate point is usually links. OneDrive supports different link types; Google Drive does too, but there is not always an exact equivalence. If a file had several shareable links, the migration may keep the most restrictive option. That is why links that are critical for clients, suppliers, or leadership should be validated afterwards.

8. What migrates and what does not migrate exactly

In practice: not everything that exists in OneDrive has a perfect equivalent in Google Drive.

What usually migrates

• Folders from OneDrive to folders in Google Drive.
• Files in their original format, such as PDF, DOCX, XLSX, PPTX, images, or videos.
• Some permissions, translated into compatible Google Drive roles.
• Compatible shared links, depending on link type and restrictions.
• Content shared with external users, when the scenario allows it.

What requires special attention

• Previous versions: the full version history is normally not preserved as it was in the source.
• OneNote: it may be converted into folders or require specific treatment.
• Files with download blocked: they may not migrate correctly.
• Files owned by external users: they are not always imported as expected.
• Files modified by external users: they may be excluded depending on import rules.
• Favorites, colors, and shortcuts: these are not the same as real content and should not be assumed to be migratable.

How to handle special cases

The best strategy is to separate them before migrating:

• Critical content: review manually with business owners.
• Old content: archive it or migrate it without external permissions.
• Sensitive content: validate with security/compliance before sharing in Google Drive.
• External content: decide whether to request a copy from the owner or recreate it in the destination.

9. Final delta: how to reduce lost changes

In practice: the final delta helps capture recent changes and reach cutover with less friction.

In an enterprise migration, users keep working while data is being copied. This means that, between the first migration and cutover, new files, modified permissions, or updated documents may appear.

To solve this, you run a delta import: an incremental pass that identifies new or updated content and copies it to Google Workspace. It does not replace validation, but it greatly reduces the risk of missing recent changes.

Best practices for delta

• Do not reorganize folders during the migration unless it has been planned.
• Avoid launching a separate new migration over the same dataset to prevent duplicates.
• Communicate a reduced-change window to users.
• Review reports for skipped files, failed files, and permissions that were not transferred.
• Validate critical users before closing OneDrive.

10. My Drive vs shared drives: a key decision in Google Drive

In practice: a clean migration does not end when files are in Google Drive; it ends when they are in the right place.

OneDrive is, by design, each user’s personal space. Google Drive also has “My Drive,” but in companies it is usually a good idea to use shared drives for documentation that belongs to a team and not to a person.

When to leave content in My Drive

• Individual drafts.
• Personal work documents.
• Files used by only one person.
• Material that is not critical for team processes.

When to move content to shared drives

• Department folders.
• Project documentation.
• Official templates.
• Material shared with clients or suppliers.
• Procedures, deliverables, and documentation that must survive departures or role changes.

This decision can be made before, during, or after the migration. What matters is not leaving everything in My Drive for convenience if the content really belongs to the organization.

11. Security and compliance during the migration

In practice: migrating files also means reviewing who can view, download, or share them.

A OneDrive to Google Drive migration often uncovers inherited permissions: old links, folders shared with too many people, external users who should no longer have access, or sensitive documents without clear classification.

Recommended controls

• External sharing review: which external domains or users keep access.
• Google Drive policies: download, copy, print, external links, and sharing outside the organization.
• Information classification: identify folders with personal data, contracts, finance, or intellectual property.
• Audit: keep migration reports and validation evidence.
• Retention: review whether there are legal requirements before deleting content from OneDrive.

If the organization is subject to GDPR, contractual requirements, or audits, it is worth involving security and legal teams from the assessment stage. The goal is not to block the migration, but to prevent the destination from being born with the same disorder as the source.

Related service: Microsoft 365 Security & Compliance.

12. Performance, batches, and migration windows

In practice: a stable migration is worth more than a “fast” migration that forces work to be repeated.

Migration speed depends on data volume, number of files, permissions, errors, source/destination restrictions, and number of users. That is why, instead of promising a single window for everyone, it is better to work with batches and acceptance criteria.

How to group users

• Pilot: IT users and a representative business area.
• Critical users: leadership, finance, sales, or customer service with reinforced support.
• Standard users: waves by department or location.
• Special users: accounts with high volume, complex permissions, or sensitive files.

Useful metrics

13. User experience: what changes when moving from OneDrive to Google Drive

In practice: if users do not understand the change, the migration feels like data loss even if the files are there.

The transition from OneDrive to Google Drive changes habits. Some users are used to synchronizing folders with File Explorer, sharing from Office, or working from Teams. In Google Drive, the pattern changes: My Drive, shared drives, Drive links, Google Docs, Sheets, Slides, and Drive for desktop.

What users should understand

• Where to find their migrated files.
• The difference between My Drive and shared drives.
• How to share a file without opening access too much.
• How to search by name, owner, type, or content.
• How to work with Office files in Google Drive.
• What to do if a file or permission is missing.

Short guide for end users

14. Operational checklists

In practice: a checklist prevents the migration from depending on one person’s memory.

Before migrating

• Destination users created and licensed in Google Workspace.
• Google Drive enabled for affected users.
• Global administrator account prepared in Microsoft 365.
• OneDrive user CSV reviewed.
• Identity map validated when email addresses or domains change.
• External sharing policy defined.
• Exclusion list: extensions, large files, obsolete content.
• Pilot approved by the business.

During migration

• Monitor imported, skipped, failed files and permissions.
• Review reports by batch.
• Correct errors before scaling to more users.
• Inform users about the status of their wave.
• Avoid major reorganizations in OneDrive while migration is running.

After migration

• Run final delta.
• Validate critical users.
• Review external permissions.
• Move team content to shared drives where appropriate.
• Communicate new paths and best practices.
• Define how long OneDrive will remain read-only or as a backup.

15. Common mistakes when migrating OneDrive to Google Drive

16. Frequently asked questions about how to migrate OneDrive to Google Drive

17. Official resources and external links

Official documentation

• Google Workspace Help — Import files from a OneDrive account
• Google Workspace Help — What’s imported from OneDrive?
• Google Workspace Help — Run a delta import for OneDrive
• Google Workspace — Data migration to Google Drive
• Google Workspace Learning Center — Switch from OneDrive to Google Drive
• Microsoft Support — Download files and folders from OneDrive or SharePoint
• Microsoft Support — Restrictions and limitations in OneDrive and SharePoint

MSAdvance resources and services

• Microsoft 365 to Google Workspace Migration
• Migrate from Microsoft 365 to Google Workspace with GWMME
• Security & Compliance
• All services
• Contact

18. Conclusion and next steps

Migrating OneDrive to Google Drive can be simple for one user, but in a company it requires method. You need to know what is copied, which permissions are preserved, which links change, which files do not migrate in the same way, and how users will be supported so that the new environment does not become a source of confusion.

The safest approach combines assessment, pilot, wave-based import, final delta, permission review, and clear communication. This way, the migration stops being “moving files” and becomes an opportunity to organize the way the company works with documents.

Recommended next steps

• Inventory OneDrive users and volume.
• Define which content should remain in My Drive and which should move to shared drives.
• Prepare users and licenses in Google Workspace.
• Run a pilot with real users.
• Plan waves and final delta.
• Prepare a short user guide.