Quick answer
Moving from Microsoft 365 to Google Workspace takes six steps. Plan users, verify your domain, and import mail, calendars, and contacts with Google’s own data import tool. Then switch MX records, run a delta import, and train your team.
Nothing gets deleted on the Microsoft side, so you can keep Microsoft 365 running until you’re sure the move is done.
We wrote the first version of this post when the product was still called Google Apps for Work. The tools are better now. Here’s how we’d do it today. If you’re still deciding, start with how Workspace compares with Microsoft 365.
What are the steps to migrate?
Plan users, groups, and domains
List every mailbox, shared mailbox, and distribution list. Decide which become Workspace users and which become Google Groups. Pick a plan; Business plans cap at 300 users.
Sign up and verify your domain
Start Google Workspace with the domain you already use for email. Google has you prove you own it by adding a TXT record at your DNS host (Verify your domain with a TXT record). Email keeps flowing to Microsoft until you change MX records.
Create users and import data
Use the data import tool in the Google Admin console. It copies email, calendars, contacts, and Microsoft To Do tasks from Exchange Online without changing anything on the Microsoft side. The default method handles up to 1,000 users at a time. Google has separate import options for OneDrive, SharePoint Online, and Teams.
Switch MX records
Point mail at Google: one MX record, smtp.google.com, priority 1, and remove the old Microsoft MX records (Set up MX records for Google Workspace). Then activate Gmail in the Admin console. See our guide to Google Workspace MX records.
Run a delta import
Mail that reached Microsoft while DNS updated gets copied over with a delta import, so nobody loses messages from the switch-over window.
Train people, then cancel Microsoft
Show people labels instead of folders and how sharing works in Drive. Keep Microsoft 365 until you’re sure everything moved, then cancel.
What moves and what doesn’t?
| Data | What moves | What doesn’t |
|---|---|---|
| Messages in all folders, including sent and drafts; folders become Gmail labels; read status | Messages over 150 MB, categories, flagged and pinned status, shared folders | |
| Calendar | Primary and extra calendars, recurring events, reminders; Teams links stay as Teams links | Events before your chosen start date, calendar colors, ICS files |
| Contacts | Personal contacts, contact folders, categories as labels | Your Global Address List, contact lists, profile pictures |
| Tasks | Microsoft To Do lists and tasks | Repeating schedules, attachments, Planner tasks |
| Outlook rules | Some rules become Gmail filters (advanced method only) | Rules that forward, redirect, or use categories |
Source: what Google imports from Exchange Online, checked October 23, 2026.
Frequently asked questions
How long does a Microsoft 365 to Google Workspace migration take?
For a small business, most of the time goes into planning and DNS, not copying data. The import runs in the background, and delta imports pick up anything that arrives late.
Will we have email downtime during the move?
Mail keeps landing in Microsoft 365 until you change the MX records. After the switch, run a delta import to bring over anything that reached Microsoft during the changeover.
Can we keep our email history?
Yes. Google’s data import tool copies messages from every Exchange Online folder, including sent items and drafts. A message over 150 MB or one in a blocked file type doesn’t come across.
Does the import delete anything in Microsoft 365?
No. Google says the tool doesn’t delete or modify data in Exchange Online. It copies it.
Do Teams meeting links still work after migrating?
Imported events keep their Teams meeting links. They aren’t converted to Google Meet, so schedule new meetings in Calendar to get Meet links.