Quick summary: Google Workspace to Microsoft 365

The key point: a large part of Google Workspace can be moved to Microsoft 365, but there is no 1:1 conversion for every service. Some data is copied, some is converted, and some must be rebuilt.

Complete table: what can be migrated from Google Workspace to Microsoft 365?

This table summarizes the main migration mappings. It is important to interpret the statuses correctly: the fact that a service can be migrated does not mean that every feature has an exact equivalent in Microsoft 365.

This table reflects Microsoft’s current migration capabilities and common project patterns. Actual compatibility should always be validated against the features, licenses, data volume and configuration of each Google Workspace environment.

What does migrating from Google Workspace to Microsoft 365 really mean?

Migrating Google Workspace does not mean copying a Google account and making it appear identically inside Microsoft 365. The two platforms use different concepts and, in many cases, content must be transformed to fit the Microsoft model.

Can Gmail be migrated to Microsoft 365?

Yes. Microsoft provides a dedicated Google Workspace migration process to Exchange Online that can migrate email, calendar, contacts and other supported properties. For business environments, relying solely on an IMAP migration is generally not advisable when calendars, contacts and other Google Workspace functionality must also be preserved.

What can be migrated from Gmail?

Microsoft’s current migration scope includes, depending on the method used:

• email messages;
• supported attachments;
• labels;
• rules;
• contacts;
• calendar;
• delegates;
• certain tasks;
• cloud attachments within the supported scope.

What happens to Gmail labels?

Gmail and Exchange use different organizational models. Gmail allows several labels to be applied to the same message, while Outlook is organized primarily around folders and categories.

For this reason, migrating Gmail labels requires adapting them to the Exchange model. Before approving the migration, it is advisable to check how representative users’ mailboxes are organized after migration.

Are Gmail filters and rules migrated?

Microsoft can migrate Gmail rules to Exchange. Microsoft’s own documentation recommends that users review the resulting rules in Outlook before enabling them.

This makes sense because not every Google action and condition necessarily behaves exactly the same way in Exchange Online.

What is NOT migrated automatically?

Documented limitations of the standard process include:

• vacation settings;
• automatic replies;
• Gmail signatures;
• certain encrypted or protected messages;
• items that exceed the applicable limits;
• historical archive data stored exclusively in Google Vault.

Maximum message size

The supported size depends on the Exchange Online transport configuration. Microsoft documents an initial 35 MB limit in the migration process, which can be configured up to the corresponding supported maximum.

Can the migration be performed in phases?

Yes. Microsoft allows users to be organized into migration batches so the transition can be performed in waves.

The preparation includes routing subdomains between Google Workspace and Microsoft 365, making it possible to design temporary coexistence while different groups of users move between platforms.

Official sources: Microsoft Learn — Perform a Google Workspace migration · Automated Google Workspace migration.

Can Google Calendar be migrated to Outlook?

Yes, with limitations. Microsoft’s Google Workspace migration process can move calendar events to Exchange Online, but not every Google Calendar feature has an exact equivalent in Outlook.

What limitations does Microsoft document?

The standard process includes limitations for elements such as:

• shared calendars;
• event colors;
• certain links or Google-specific meeting features;
• room bookings in the standard process.

What happens to future meetings?

This is one of the areas that should be tested most carefully. A historical calendar event and a recurring meeting that will continue to be used for months do not have the same business importance.

During the pilot, we pay particular attention to:

• organizer;
• attendees;
• recurrence;
• time zones;
• rooms;
• resources;
• Google Meet links;
• critical future meetings.

Official source: Microsoft Learn — Google Workspace migration limitations.

Can Google Contacts be migrated to Microsoft 365?

Yes. Google Contacts can be migrated together with Gmail and Calendar to Exchange Online, although Microsoft documents differences in certain contact properties.

Current limitations include a maximum of three email addresses migrated per contact and the absence of certain properties such as URLs, custom tags and other Google-specific metadata.

For organizations that use Google Contacts as a small commercial database or rely heavily on custom fields, it is therefore advisable to review a representative sample before running the entire migration.

Official source: Microsoft Learn — Google Workspace automated migration.

Can delegates, rooms, resources and Google Tasks be migrated?

Yes, but they require more specific handling than conventional email. Microsoft provides first-party processes for transferring certain permissions, delegates, rooms, resources and tasks from Google Workspace to Exchange Online.

Delegates and permissions

Microsoft can map different Google concepts to Exchange permissions, including:

• delegates;
• Send As;
• calendar permissions;
• event access levels.

For the migration to work correctly, the related users or groups must exist in Microsoft 365.

Rooms and resources

Microsoft currently provides a procedure for mapping Google resources to Exchange Online resource mailboxes.

Properties such as:

• name;
• resource type;
• capacity;
• floor;
• building;
• address;
• location;

can be used to prepare the equivalent resource in Exchange.

However, the resource models are not identical, and Microsoft documents limitations around coexistence and bookings. These should be tested before the general cutover.

Google Tasks

Microsoft allows Google Tasks to be included using the specific MigrateTasks parameter.

However, there are important limitations:

• tasks are migrated once;
• there is no subsequent incremental sync for an already migrated task;
• not all parent/child hierarchies are preserved correctly;
• attachments are not migrated;
• instances of recurring tasks are not migrated;
• deleted or hidden tasks are not migrated.

Official source: Microsoft Learn — Permissions, delegates, rooms, resources and tasks.

Can Google Drive be migrated to OneDrive?

Yes. Microsoft Migration Manager can copy files from Google My Drive to OneDrive and migrate compatible metadata, versions and permissions.

The standard Migration Manager workflow includes:

1. connect Google Workspace;
2. scan the Drives;
3. analyze errors or incompatibilities;
4. define destinations;
5. map users, groups and domains;
6. migrate;
7. monitor results.

Migration Manager copies data; it does not delete Google Drive

The tool copies content to Microsoft 365. The original files remain in Google, allowing the source environment to be retained during the validation period before it is decommissioned.

Can delta migration passes be performed?

Yes. This is an important difference compared with some other native Microsoft migration tools.

After a Migration Manager task for Google has completed for the first time, running Migrate again starts an incremental or delta synchronization.

This makes it possible to:

• perform an initial pre-stage;
• continue working temporarily in Google;
• run additional migration passes;
• reduce the remaining data volume during cutover.

Are file versions migrated?

Yes. The current version of Migration Manager supports migrating version history together with supported files.

What is the maximum file size?

Microsoft currently documents a maximum file size of 250 GB per file for Google-to-Microsoft 365 migrations using Migration Manager.

Which files may be excluded?

Among others:

• restricted files;
• files exceeding the supported limit;
• destination paths that exceed supported limits;
• shortcuts;
• orphaned or unorganized files;
• Google Sites;
• Google Maps.

Official sources: Migration Manager — Google overview · Migration Manager Google FAQ.

Can Google Shared Drives be migrated to SharePoint or Teams?

Yes. Migration Manager can move Shared Drives to SharePoint and also allows administrators to select destinations associated with Microsoft Teams.

However, the most important step is not technically copying the content: it is deciding what its architecture should be in Microsoft 365.

A Shared Drive does not always equal a single SharePoint site

Before migrating, you should decide whether each Shared Drive should become:

• a separate SharePoint site;
• a document library within an existing site;
• the SharePoint site associated with a Microsoft Team;
• several different destinations if the Google structure needs to be reorganized.

Are permissions preserved?

Yes, when identities are correctly mapped. Migration Manager can reshare content with the corresponding internal users and groups.

For Shared Drives that use Google Groups, Microsoft recommends preparing the equivalent group in Microsoft 365 and mapping it during the migration.

Official source: Microsoft Learn — Google Workspace to Microsoft 365 with Migration Manager.

What happens to Google Docs, Sheets and Slides when migrating to Microsoft 365?

Migration Manager automatically converts the main native Google file formats into Microsoft Office formats. The conversion uses Google’s export capabilities.

Is the conversion always perfect?

You should not assume that two different applications represent every function in exactly the same way.

For example, particular attention should be paid to:

• Google Sheets with complex formulas;
• macros or Apps Script;
• special charts;
• related forms or data sources;
• Docs containing advanced elements;
• Slides using specific fonts or complex layouts.

The migration tool may complete the conversion successfully while functional validation of business-critical documents is still advisable.

Official source: Microsoft Learn — Unsupported files and Google format conversion.

Can Google Forms be migrated to Microsoft 365?

Yes. Migration Manager currently supports Google Forms. This capability is relatively recent and requires a Forms destination to be defined for migration tasks containing forms.

When configuring the destination, Microsoft requires the email address of the Microsoft 365 user who should receive the corresponding Forms files.

For organizations that use forms extensively, it is also advisable to review:

• owner;
• responses;
• related spreadsheets;
• automations;
• public links;
• website integrations;
• Apps Script;
• processes that consume form responses.

Official sources: Migration Manager Google FAQ · Google migration destination paths.

Are Google Drive permissions preserved when migrating to Microsoft 365?

Internal permissions can be preserved when users and groups are correctly mapped, but external sharing requires special handling.

Internal users and groups

Migration Manager can map:

• domains;
• users;
• Google Groups;
• Microsoft 365 identities.

With correct identity mapping, content can be automatically reshared with the corresponding internal identities.

External collaborators

External access therefore needs to be inventoried and decided again in Microsoft 365.

External sharing links

Existing external links are not automatically recreated. New OneDrive or SharePoint links use different URLs and permission models.

This can affect:

• customers;
• suppliers;
• partners;
• portals;
• public documentation;
• links included in old emails;
• links stored in applications.

Official source: Microsoft Learn — Migration Manager Google FAQ.

Can Google Groups be migrated to Microsoft 365?

Microsoft currently provides Google Identity Sync to synchronize certain Google Groups to Microsoft 365 Groups, although important limitations apply. Synchronizing the identity and membership of a group is not the same as migrating all Google Groups behavior or conversation history.

Google Identity Sync

Google Identity Sync performs a one-way synchronization from Google Workspace to Microsoft 365.

It can currently:

• discover Google Groups;
• create a corresponding Microsoft 365 Group when one does not exist;
• synchronize supported owners and members;
• resynchronize subsequent changes.

What type of group is created?

Microsoft documents that the source Google Group is mapped to a private, mail-enabled Microsoft 365 Unified Group.

This is important because a Google Group used purely as a distribution list or security control may require a different design in Microsoft 365.

Current limitations

Google Identity Sync is currently documented for tenants with fewer than 300 licensed users. Microsoft states that support for larger organizations will be available in a future release.

In addition:

• external users are not synchronized as members;
• members with custom permissions are not synchronized;
• archived Google users are not included;
• if a group is deleted in Google, the corresponding Microsoft 365 Group is not automatically deleted;
• if a member is removed from Google after synchronization, Microsoft may not necessarily remove that member from the destination group during resynchronization.

Is the Google Group conversation history migrated?

Group synchronization should not be confused with historical content migration. A Google Group used as a Collaborative Inbox may contain conversations and workflows that require a separate strategy.

Official source: Microsoft Learn — Google Identity Sync.

Are Google Workspace users migrated to Microsoft Entra ID?

Users must be provisioned as Microsoft Entra ID identities. Microsoft currently provides Google Identity Sync to automate this preparation for supported tenants, but a Google identity does not become the same identity object inside Microsoft.

Which attributes can Google Identity Sync synchronize?

Microsoft documents mappings for attributes such as:

• primaryEmail → User Principal Name;
• full name;
• first name;
• last name;
• work phone;
• department;
• job title;
• active or suspended status.

Suspended users can be created as disabled users in Entra ID.

Archived users in Google Workspace are not included in Google Identity Sync.

What happens if the user already exists in Microsoft 365?

If an Entra ID user already exists with the corresponding matching alias, synchronization does not create a new user or automatically overwrite that existing object.

Licenses must then be assigned

Once the identities have been provisioned and verified, the required licenses must be assigned before starting the corresponding Gmail and Google Drive migrations.

Official source: Microsoft Learn — Google Identity Sync.

Can Google Sites be migrated to SharePoint?

Not directly through Microsoft Migration Manager. Microsoft explicitly documents Google Sites among the items that Migration Manager cannot export from Google Drive.

A Google Sites migration therefore requires a different strategy.

Depending on each site, the options may include:

• recreating the information as modern SharePoint pages;
• migrating linked documents separately;
• redesigning navigation;
• replacing Google widgets with Microsoft 365 web parts;
• documenting integrations that do not have an equivalent;
• temporarily retaining an old Google Site when there is a justified business requirement.

Official source: Microsoft Learn — What isn’t migrated from Google Drive.

Can Google Chat and Google Meet be migrated to Microsoft Teams?

They are not part of the same native workflow Microsoft uses to migrate Gmail and Google Drive. Google Chat, Spaces, conversation history and Google Meet require a specific assessment to determine what should be retained and what can be rebuilt in Microsoft Teams.

Google Chat

Organizations can use Google Chat in many different ways:

• direct messages;
• group chats;
• Spaces;
• bots;
• integrations;
• shared files;
• conversations associated with internal business processes.

You should not assume that all of this history can be automatically reproduced in Microsoft Teams.

Google Meet

Google Meet is particularly important for future meetings. An existing Meet link does not magically become a Microsoft Teams meeting.

During the transition, it is advisable to identify:

• recurring meetings;
• important future events;
• rooms;
• customer meetings;
• Meet links published on intranets or applications.

Where necessary, future meetings may need to be recreated as Microsoft Teams Meetings.

Related reference: Microsoft Learn — Switch from Google Workspace to Microsoft 365.

Can Google Vault be migrated to Microsoft Purview?

Not as a direct 1:1 migration. Content stored exclusively in Google Vault and Google’s retention policies are not automatically transferred to Microsoft Purview when Gmail is migrated.

Google Vault and Microsoft Purview use different architectures and compliance models.

The project should distinguish between:

• active Gmail data;
• content retained exclusively by Google Vault;
• retention rules;
• Holds;
• eDiscovery;
• legal requirements;
• retention periods;
• data that must be exported before Google Workspace is decommissioned.

Do not decommission Google Vault too early

Once Gmail is working in Microsoft 365, there may be a temptation to immediately cancel all Google licenses.

If Google Vault contains information that no longer exists in active mailboxes, doing so without an archive strategy could result in loss of access to data the organization is still required to retain.

Official reference: Microsoft FastTrack — Data Migration scope.

Can you keep the same domain when migrating from Google Workspace to Microsoft 365?

Yes. The corporate domain can remain exactly the same after the migration. What changes is where email and identity services are provided and which DNS records point to Microsoft 365.

Unlike a migration between two Microsoft 365 tenants, there is no need to “transfer” domain ownership away from Google as though Google were necessarily the domain registrar.

Microsoft recommends verifying the domain in Microsoft 365 during preparation and subsequently switching the mail services during cutover.

What changes during cutover?

The following normally need to be reviewed:

• MX;
• SPF;
• DKIM;
• DMARC;
• Autodiscover;
• SMTP applications;
• relays;
• antispam gateways;
• services that validate SPF;
• aliases and primary addresses.

The domain registrar can remain the same

Migrating Google Workspace does not require transferring the domain to another registrar. If DNS is hosted by Google, Cloudflare or another external provider, it can remain there while the relevant records are updated for Microsoft 365.

Official source: Microsoft Learn — Switch from Google Workspace.

Are Google Workspace security policies migrated?

Not automatically. Google Workspace and Microsoft 365 use different identity, security, endpoint management and compliance models. Policies must be designed and configured in Microsoft Entra ID, Intune, Defender and Purview according to the target environment.

The following should not be assumed to migrate automatically:

• 2-Step Verification;
• Context-Aware Access;
• Google Workspace admin roles;
• device management;
• OAuth application controls;
• sharing policies;
• DLP;
• Vault retention;
• Google security groups;
• security alerts and rules.

What is configured in Microsoft 365?

Depending on licensing and requirements:

• Microsoft Entra ID;
• Multi-Factor Authentication;
• Conditional Access;
• Microsoft Intune;
• Microsoft Defender;
• Microsoft Purview;
• DLP;
• retention;
• sensitivity labels;
• sharing policies in SharePoint and OneDrive.

What changes for users when moving from Google Workspace to Microsoft 365?

The email address can remain the same, but the way users work changes. Users move from Gmail, Drive and Calendar to Outlook, OneDrive, SharePoint and Teams, so a successful migration should also address the user experience rather than focusing only on data.

Do applications need to be installed again?

User devices normally need to be prepared with the required Microsoft 365 applications:

• Outlook;
• Teams;
• OneDrive;
• Word;
• Excel;
• PowerPoint.

If the organization will also manage endpoints through Microsoft Intune, the transition may include new device policies and configuration.

Can the migration be completed with minimal disruption?

Yes, when the project is properly prepared. Gmail migrations can be organized into batches and Migration Manager supports delta synchronization for Drive, making it possible to pre-stage a large portion of the data before cutover.

It is not advisable to promise absolute “zero downtime.” The objective should be to minimize disruption and clearly prepare users for what they need to do during the transition.

Why doesn’t Microsoft have a single tool for migrating all of Google Workspace?

Because Google Workspace is not a single service either. Gmail, Drive, Calendar, Groups, Sites, Chat, Vault and identity use different models and APIs.

Microsoft currently provides several components:

• Exchange Online Migration for Gmail, Calendar and Contacts;
• Migration Manager for My Drive and Shared Drives;
• Google Identity Sync for certain users and groups;
• Microsoft Graph and PowerShell for automation and preparation;
• Microsoft Entra ID for identity;
• SharePoint and Teams as collaboration destinations;
• Purview, Defender and Intune for governance and security.

This is where specialized tools such as Quest, BitTitan, AvePoint, Cloudiway or other platforms can provide additional automation, reporting or workload coverage depending on the project.

However, no migration tool can create an equivalent feature when the Google or Microsoft APIs do not support one.

How does MSAdvance approach a Google Workspace to Microsoft 365 migration?

MSAdvance designs the migration project end to end and selects the appropriate method for each workload. We do not force Gmail, Drive, Groups, Sites and security into a single migration tool.

1. Discovery: inventory of the Google Workspace environment.
2. Assessment: sizes, users, Drives, permissions, Groups and exceptions.
3. Architecture: definition of the target Microsoft 365 tenant.
4. Identity mapping: mapping of users, domains and groups.
5. Preparation: licenses, Exchange, OneDrive, SharePoint and Teams.
6. Pilot: representative users and workloads.
7. Pre-stage: mail and data when supported by the migration tool.
8. Delta: additional migration passes to reduce differences before cutover.
9. Conversion: Docs, Sheets, Slides and other supported formats.
10. Recreation: services without a 1:1 equivalent.
11. Cutover: domain, DNS, email and users.
12. Validation: data, permissions, email and user experience.
13. Hypercare: post-go-live support.
14. Source decommissioning: only after data and retention obligations have been validated.

We do not promise that a Google Site, an external link or an Apps Script automation will magically appear in Microsoft 365.

Before the project begins, we define what can be transferred, what will be converted, what needs to be recreated and what the expected outcome will be.

What information do we need to quote a Google Workspace to Microsoft 365 migration?

To prepare a reliable estimate, we need to understand the environment by workload, not just the number of Google Workspace licenses.

With this information, we can identify which parts can use Microsoft’s native capabilities, which may require a specialized migration platform, and which need to be recreated.

In what order should Google Workspace be migrated to Microsoft 365?

The exact order depends on the project, but Microsoft 365 must be prepared and identities must exist before email, Drive data and permissions are migrated.

A typical sequence is:

1. Inventory Google Workspace.
2. Define what will be migrated and what will be retired.
3. Prepare the Microsoft 365 tenant.
4. Verify domains.
5. Provision users and groups.
6. Assign licenses.
7. Design OneDrive, SharePoint and Teams.
8. Configure migration tools.
9. Scan My Drives and Shared Drives.
10. Review incompatibilities.
11. Perform the pilot.
12. Pre-stage Gmail and Drive.
13. Run delta synchronizations.
14. Recreate services outside the native migration scope.
15. Prepare users.
16. Perform the DNS and mail cutover.
17. Run final delta passes.
18. Validate email, permissions and files.
19. Apply final security and governance settings.
20. Hypercare.
21. Decommission Google Workspace in a controlled manner.

What are the most common mistakes when migrating Google Workspace to Microsoft 365?

The most common mistake is thinking Google Workspace consists only of Gmail and Google Drive. Complications often arise from permissions, Groups, Shared Drives, calendars, Sites, Vault and integrations that were not included in the original inventory.

1. Using IMAP when Calendar and Contacts also need to be migrated.
2. Counting users but not Shared Drives.
3. Migrating Shared Drives without designing SharePoint first.
4. Assuming every Google Group is a distribution list.
5. Failing to review Collaborative Inboxes.
6. Assuming external permissions will be preserved automatically.
7. Failing to inventory public and shared links.
8. Failing to review Google Sites.
9. Failing to identify orphaned files.
10. Ignoring shortcuts.
11. Failing to test complex Google Sheets after converting them to Excel.
12. Forgetting Forms and related automations.
13. Canceling Google Vault too early.
14. Failing to review applications that use Google as an SSO provider.
15. Changing the MX record before Microsoft 365 is ready.
16. Skipping the pilot.
17. Failing to run delta migrations before cutover.
18. Failing to prepare users for Outlook, OneDrive and Teams.
19. Validating only the number of files.
20. Decommissioning Google Workspace before completing validation and compliance work.

Google Workspace to Microsoft 365 migration checklist

Official resources for planning a Google Workspace → Microsoft 365 migration

Migration capabilities evolve frequently. We recommend always validating the latest documentation before executing a migration project.

• Switch from Google Workspace to Microsoft 365 — Microsoft’s official overview of the process.
• Perform a Google Workspace migration — Gmail, Calendar, Contacts and limitations.
• Permissions, Delegates, Rooms, Resources and Tasks — additional Exchange migration capabilities.
• Migration Manager for Google Workspace — My Drive and Shared Drives.
• Migration Manager Google FAQ — permissions, delta syncs, Forms and limitations.
• Unsupported files in Migration Manager — Sites, Maps, shortcuts, orphaned files and format conversion.
• Google Identity Sync — users and Google Groups.
• Migration Manager file size limits — file size limitations.

MSAdvance resources

• Google Workspace to Microsoft 365 Migration Service.
• How to migrate from Google Workspace to Microsoft 365.
• Migrate from Google Workspace to Microsoft 365: Mail, Drive & Calendars.
• Microsoft 365 Migration Services.
• Contact MSAdvance.

Conclusion: what can and cannot be migrated from Google Workspace to Microsoft 365?

A very large part of Google Workspace can currently be migrated to Microsoft 365. Gmail can be moved to Exchange Online; Calendar and Contacts are included in the mail migration process; My Drive can be copied to OneDrive; Shared Drives can be migrated to SharePoint or Teams; Docs, Sheets and Slides are converted to Office formats; Migration Manager supports Forms and file versions; and Microsoft provides newer capabilities for users, Google Groups, delegates, resources and tasks.

However, a complete migration still requires planning. Google Sites are not migrated by Migration Manager; external links and collaborators require review; Google Groups do not automatically preserve their complete conversation history; Vault requires its own compliance strategy; Chat and Meet need to be assessed separately; and security policies must be rebuilt in Microsoft 365.

The challenge is not simply moving Gmail or copying files. It is transforming an organization designed around Google Workspace into a coherent, secure and usable Microsoft 365 environment.

MSAdvance combines Microsoft’s native migration tools with specialized platforms, automation and controlled recreation where required. The objective is that the customer does not have to separately coordinate email, Drive, permissions, groups, DNS, identity and security.

Whenever something does not have a 1:1 migration path, we define before the project starts how it will be preserved, converted, rebuilt or redesigned.