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How to Migrate Google Workspace to Another Account
Understanding Google Workspace Migration
Migrating Google Workspace to another account refers to the process of transferring your existing Google Workspace data and settings to a new Google account. This allows you to keep all your stored Google Drive files, Gmail messages, Contacts, Calendar events, and more when you switch Google accounts.
A common reason many choose to migrate is getting a new email address tied to their business rather than their personal name. For example, if you first signed up for Google Workspace using example@gmail.com, then later registered example1@mydomain.com after setting up a business, you would migrate to use the new business email account instead while keeping all your existing Workspace services and data.
Why Migrate Google Workspace Accounts?
Here are a few key reasons you may want to migrate your Google Workspace:
- You’ve renamed your business or want an email address that better represents your company brand?
- You originally used a personal Gmail but now want a more professional business email address.
- You’re switching domain registrars and need to update the account details.
- Your business has been acquired by another company with its own domain.
- You simply want to use a new personal email address while retaining access to your Google Drive content and other services.
The key benefit of migrating vs. starting a brand new Google Workspace instance is that you keep all your existing emails, files, folders, calendar events, contacts, and other data generated within your Google account. This saves you from losing years’ worth of information while still allowing you to present a updated email address.
Before Migrating Your Google Workspace
While Google makes it relatively straightforward to migrate Google Workspace to another account, there are a few key things you should do ahead of time to ensure the process goes smoothly:
1. Verify account ownership:
Google requires you to verify ownership of both the old and new Google accounts involved in a Workspace migration.
For the original Workspace account, you can confirm ownership by either adding a secondary email that you control or by verifying through SMS text message.
For the new target account, be sure you have access to the email inbox or phone number associated with it so you receive Google’s confirmation prompts.
2. Check domain verification status:Â
If migrating your Workspace to use a new domain you own, confirm that the domain has been properly verified within the target account. This requires creating DNS TXT verification records pointing to Google.
You can walk through Google domain verification steps here if needed for the account you are migrating your Workspace to:
3. Audit Drive storage usage:
Before initiating a Google Workspace migration, it’s a good idea to check how much storage you’re currently using across Google Drive and confirm the target account has sufficient storage available to cover it.
You can view your storage usage in Google Drive by clicking your profile icon > Storage. Make sure the new account has equal or higher available space.
If you’re using over 1TB of Drive storage, you may need to adjust plans or do some cleanup first.
4. Gather important data:
As one last precaution, you may want to export or backup any crucial files, emails, or other data stored within your current Workspace. While Google migrations are reliable, having your own copies ensures no disruption.
For example, you can download email to your computer or do a direct Drive export ahead of time for redundancy.
Migrating Google Workspace Step-by-Step
Once you’ve checked the key pre-migration items above, navigate to the Google Workspace migration options within your Admin console to initiate the transfer:
1. Go to Admin Console > Account SettingsÂ
Sign into admin.google.com using your current Google Workspace account credentials and click the Account Settings section.
2. Choose Account Migration OptionÂ
Under “Migrate Users to Another Domain”, select the “Start Migration Process” button.
3. Input Migration Details
On the migration set up page, you will input details including:
- Current account domain name
- Number of user licenses on current Workspace
- Target account email address you are migrating Workspace to
- New domain name registering with target account
Double check all these details before continuing!
4. Verify Both Admin Accounts
The next step is to confirm admin ownership of both your current Workspace account and the target migration account.
Click the verification link sent to your existing admin email inbox. This confirms you have authority to migrate data from this Workspace.
In a separate browser tab, check the inbox for the admin email address on your target account. Click the verification link in the email Google sent there authorizing migration to this new domain.
5. Select Migration Options
With both admin accounts authorized for migration, you can now choose what content to move to the new Workspace:
- Google Drive Files
- Gmail Messages
- Contacts
- Calendar Events
It is generally recommend to migrate all these options to retain your full Google Workspace functionality.
6. Set Migration Date/TimeÂ
The next screen allows you to select both a date and specific time for the migration to be processed. This is when your data will be copied over to the new account/domain.
Choose a convenient time and add to calendar!
7. Wait for Migration Completion
It may take Google a few hours to complete the migration once the scheduled time starts. You’ll receive email confirmations to both admin inboxes once finished.
Users may experience brief service disruptions as well during migration window.
But after that’s done, your new Google Workspace should be populated with all selected data from old account!
Updating Settings Post Migration
With your files, emails, and other content now available in the new Google Workspace instance, there are a few tweaks to make things smoother:
Update MX Records
If migrating domains, the MX records pointing email to Google Workspace will need updated at your domain registrar.
The specific MX host values can be found here – be sure to get the ones for your region:
https://support.google.com/a/answer/140034
This maps your custom domain to the new Workspace routing addresses.
Configure Users
Even if you’ve migrated all old account data over, any users will still need added within the new Workspace directory and granted licenses.
Check everyone still has proper roles assigned and login access to Gmail, Drive, etc per your organization’s needs going forward.
Set Up DevicesÂ
Finally, don’t forget to update any desktop tools, mobile apps, or devices connecting via IMAP/SMTP that leverage Google Workspace credentials.
Set these up with the new details so that they continue interacting with Gmail, Contacts, Calendar API going forward.
Migrating Multiple Workspaces
If you need to migrate multiple standalone Google Workspaces – say for different divisions or subsidiaries into one consolidated environment – there are migration tools available from Google partners to help:
- BitTitan MigrationWiz can combine Workspaces into one larger deployment.
- SkyKick Cloud Manager handles all aspects of multi-Workspace migrations.
- Quadrotech Nova migrates additional entities like mobile device data.
These migration platforms can synchronize accounts, de-duplicate Contacts/Calendar entries, validate licensing totals, and more when juggling multiple Workspaces.
So don’t hesitate to leverage one of these migration solutions if consolidating several legacy Workspace instances.
ALSO READ: Best Alternatives to Google Docs in 2023
FAQs
Some additional common questions when planning or executing a Google Workspace migration:
Is any data lost during a Google Workspace migration?
No data should be lost when Google handles the migration. All selected Drive files, Gmail messages, Contacts, Calendar events, etc. will be duplicated into the target account.
Can you roll-back after migrating an Google Workspace?
Unfortunately rollback or reversion options are not directly available. The migration involves permanently moving data to the new account. You would need to request another migration back to original Workspace in exceptional cases.
Do users get emails about Google Workspace migration?
Yes, both administrators and end users receive notifications before and after the migration is completed, explaining the change of accounts/domains related to the process.
Can I migrate Google Workspace if not the paying customer?
No, you must be the domain owner or billing administrator on both the current and new target Google Workspace accounts to have authority to migrate services between them per Google policies.
What about other Google services like YouTube Brand Accounts?
The core Google Workspace migration only covers certain components like Gmail, Drive, Contacts and Calendar. Other directly paid Google subscriptions and properties may required separate data exports, downloads or transfers.
Conclusion
Migrating your valuable Google Workspace services like Gmail and Drive to a new account or custom domain is straightforward with Google’s built-in tools.
As long as you audit the key pre-migration items covered here like storage limits, domain verification, and user notifications, the process tends to go very smoothly.
Within a few hours after scheduling, you’ll have an exact copy of your organization’s Google Workspace environment – complete with emails, files, contacts, calendar appointments, and more – moved into the new target admin account and domain.
This enables refreshing your business email and login details without starting entirely from scratch and losing years of legacy Workspace data. Something to consider when rebranding, adjusting business names/domains, or want to grow into expanded Google services with a modern foundation.
