How to Migrate to Google Workspace

Email Backup Guide

Email migration checklist

Back up your inbox before the switchover

A simple, five-step guide to saving a local copy of your emails and getting your mail history into Google Workspace.

Set up a desktop email app

You'll need a desktop email app connected to your current mailbox. If you already use one, skip ahead. If you only check email in a browser (webmail), you'll need to set one up temporarily.

Outlook — Windows & Mac
Apple Mail — Mac only
Thunderbird — any OS, free

Make sure the app connects via IMAP, not POP3. IMAP downloads all folders; POP3 often only grabs recent inbox messages.

Let everything sync

Once connected, give the app time to fully download your emails — this can take a while if you have years of mail. Watch the folder counts; when they stop changing, you're ready. Check both your Inbox and Sent folder.

Export a backup file

Each app has a built-in export tool. Follow the path for whichever app you're using:

Outlook
(Windows) File → Open & Export → Import/Export → Export to a file → choose .pst. Select your account and tick "include subfolders."
Apple Mail
(Mac) Select your Inbox in the sidebar, then Mailbox → Export Mailbox. Repeat for Sent. Files save as .mbox format.
Thunderbird Install the free ImportExportTools NG add-on. Then right-click any folder → ImportExportTools NG → Export folder.

Save the file somewhere easy to find — your Desktop or a dedicated "Email Backup" folder works well.

Store it somewhere safe

Keep at least one copy of the backup file in a place you can find it later.

External drive / USB Best for a physical archive you fully control

Cloud storage Google Drive, Dropbox, or iCloud all work fine

Local folder At minimum, keep a copy on your computer

Hold onto this backup until you've been happily using Google Workspace for a few weeks and confirmed everything migrated correctly.

Import your old emails into Google Workspace

Once your new Google Workspace account is live, use the local backup you created in steps 3–4 to bring your mail history across. The two best methods are:

Thunderbird
(recommended) Add your new Google Workspace account in Thunderbird. Once it's connected and synced, drag folders from your old account (if still set up) into the new one — or use the ImportExportTools NG add-on to import your saved .mbox files directly.
Outlook
(Windows) Add your new Google Workspace account in Outlook. Open your saved .pst backup via File → Open & Export → Open Outlook Data File, then drag the folders across into the new account.

Emails arrive in Google Workspace with their original dates intact, so your history will look just as it did before. This is why keeping that local backup is so important — it's your only copy once the old server is gone.