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Quick Answer

To migrate, you must set up your Microsoft 365 tenant, verify your domain, create user accounts, run the Microsoft 365 Migration tool in the Exchange Admin Center to copy old emails over, and finally update your DNS MX records to route new email to Microsoft.

How to Migrate from Google Workspace to Microsoft 365 ​

Estimated Time to Fix: 2+ hours

Applies to: Microsoft 365, Google Workspace
Article Type: How-To
Last Updated: 2026-07-21

Summary ​

Switching from Google to Microsoft is a major project, but it is manageable for a small business. The goal is to move everyone's email history and files to Microsoft without dropping any incoming emails during the transition.

Note: This is a high-level guide outlining the workflow. For detailed click-by-click instructions, refer to Microsoft's official migration documentation.

Prerequisites ​

  • You must be a Global Admin in both Google Workspace and Microsoft 365.
  • You need access to your domain registrar's DNS settings (e.g., GoDaddy).
  • We highly recommend doing this over a weekend to minimize disruption.

Instructions ​

Phase 1: Prepare the Destination (Microsoft 365) ​

Before you can move anything, you need a place to put it.

  1. Sign up for Microsoft 365 and purchase enough licenses for your team.
  2. In the Microsoft 365 Admin Center, go to Settings > Domains and add your custom domain.
  3. Verify the domain using the TXT record method. CRITICAL: Do not update your MX records yet. If you do, your email will stop working.
  4. Go to Users > Active users and recreate all your employees' accounts exactly as they appear in Google (e.g., [email protected]).

Phase 2: Copy the Old Data (The Sync) ​

You will now use Microsoft's built-in tool to reach into Google and copy the old emails.

  1. In the Microsoft 365 Admin Center, click Show all > Exchange to open the Exchange Admin Center.
  2. Go to Migration and click Add migration batch.
  3. Select Migrate to Exchange Online, then select Google Workspace (Gmail).
  4. Microsoft will ask you to perform a series of complex steps in your Google Admin console to generate an API key (a JSON file). This grants Microsoft permission to read your Google data.
  5. Upload the JSON file, map the Google email addresses to the Microsoft email addresses, and start the batch.
  6. Wait. Depending on how much email you have, this background sync could take hours or days. Your team continues to use Gmail normally during this time.

Phase 3: Flip the Switch (Update DNS) ​

Once the migration batch status says "Synced" (meaning 95%+ of the old data is moved), it's time to route new emails to Microsoft.

  1. Log in to your domain registrar (e.g., GoDaddy).
  2. Delete your old Google MX records.
  3. Add the new Microsoft 365 MX record (and the required SPF/TXT and CNAME records).
  4. Wait 1-2 hours. New emails will stop arriving in Gmail and start appearing in Outlook.

Phase 4: Final Polish ​

  1. Log into your Google Workspace admin console.
  2. Tell your employees to start using Outlook and log in to their new accounts.
  3. In Microsoft's Exchange Admin center, run a "Delta Sync" on your migration batch to catch any stray emails that arrived in Gmail during the DNS switchover.
  4. Once you confirm everything works, you can cancel your Google Workspace subscription.

Troubleshooting ​

WARNING

Migrating Google Drive files to OneDrive is a completely separate process from email migration. You must use the "Migration Manager" tool in the SharePoint Admin Center to move your files over.

Symptom / ErrorPotential CauseSolution
The migration batch fails immediatelyGoogle API permissionsYou likely missed a step when setting up the Google Service Account. Ensure you granted domain-wide delegation for the specific scopes Microsoft requested.
Emails are bouncing after the cutoverDNS PropagationDNS changes can take time. If you deleted the Google MX records but the Microsoft ones haven't propagated, mail will bounce. Always double-check your DNS entries.