A practical, security-first guide to migrating users, data, and collaboration from Google Workspace to Microsoft 365 — without chaos, downtime, or late‑night panic.
Switching from Google Workspace to Microsoft 365 isn’t really about email or files. It’s about scale.
Google Workspace works great when teams are small, scrappy, and living their best startup life. As organizations grow, security, compliance, identity management, and governance stop being “future problems” and start showing up on your calendar. Microsoft 365 tends to win at that stage because it was built for enterprises that need control, visibility, and fewer unpleasant surprises.
This post walks through how to move from Google Workspace to Microsoft 365 the right way. Securely, methodically, and without discovering new gray hairs mid-migration.
TL;DR
Thinking about moving from Google Workspace to Microsoft 365? Here’s the short version:
Migration Prerequisites. Measure Twice. Migrate Once.
Before touching a migration tool, take an honest inventory of where you are today. This is the part everyone wants to skip. It’s also the part that saves you later.
- Inventory your environment. Users, storage, shared drives, integrations, mystery apps nobody remembers approving
- Decide what actually needs to move. Email, files, calendars, contacts, domains, or that shared folder from 2016 no one opens
- Review compliance and governance requirements. Microsoft 365 tends to play nicer with HIPAA, GDPR, ISO, and auditors in general
- Plan the cutover. “All at once” is rarely a requirement. It’s just louder
Most failed migrations don’t fail during the move. They fail during planning. Or because someone said, “How hard could it be?”
How ProArch Migrates from Google Workspace to Microsoft 365
A smooth migration isn’t magic. It’s preparation. And a healthy respect for how users actually work. At ProArch, we treat migration as a controlled transformation, not a data dump followed by hope. Here’s how that looks in the real world.
1. Decide What Should Migrate. And What Should Stay Behind.
Not everything deserves a boarding pass. We start by identifying active, relevant data and excluding stale, redundant, or archive-ready content. Less data means fewer problems, faster migrations, and fewer “why did this come over?” questions later.
Microsoft supports migration of:
- Mail and inbox rules
- Calendar events
- Contacts
Users are pre-provisioned in Microsoft 365, and migrations run in batches. Clean, predictable, and drama-free.
Important note - Google Workspace migrations are not supported for GCC High or DoD tenants. That conversation needs to happen early. Not on cutover day.
2. Choose the Right Migration Method
Microsoft gives you options. Which is both good and dangerous. Depending on how much control and automation you want, you can use:
- Automated migration in the Exchange admin center
- Manual migration using the same interface
- PowerShell for advanced filtering, scripting, and “I want this exactly my way” scenarios
There’s no universal best method. There is a best method for your environment.
3. Prepare the Microsoft 365 Environment Properly
This is where problems go to die. If you do it right. Before a single mailbox moves, we make sure the destination is ready.
That includes:
- Verifying domains and DNS configuration
- Provisioning all users in Microsoft 365
- Cleaning up unused Google accounts and Drive content
- Reviewing labels, filters, and folder structures
The goal is simple. Move what matters. Leave behind what slows things down or confuses users later.
Not sure where to start with your Microsoft 365 migration?
Jim Spignardo
Director of Cloud Strategy and AI Enablement
4. Configure Temporary Mail Routing
In phased migrations, some users are still on Google while others have moved to Microsoft 365. Email, unfortunately, does not care about your project plan.
We configure temporary routing both ways:
- Google Workspace to Microsoft 365
- Microsoft 365 back to Google Workspace
No missed mail. No bounced messages. No executive asking if “email is down again.”
5. Migrate Mail, Calendars, and Contacts
Once the environment is ready, data migration begins.
Exchange Online handles:
- Calendars
- Contacts
We always start with a pilot group. Validate behavior. Confirm permissions. Fix the one thing nobody predicted. Then scale out in controlled waves.
Admins can fine-tune migrations using options like:
- -ExcludeFolder to skip unnecessary Gmail labels
- -SkipRules to avoid importing years of inbox experiments
Every batch is validated before moving on. Trust, but verify.
6. Prepare Users Before Cutover
Tools matter. Timing matters more. Before users are cut over, Outlook, Teams, Microsoft 365 apps, and the OneDrive sync client are already installed. When their data appears, work continues without interruption.
No scramble. No panic. No “where did my email go?” tickets.
7. Complete the Email Domain Cutover
When most users have transitioned, it’s time to commit.
- Update MX and SPF records
- Route all new mail directly to Microsoft 365
- Remove temporary routing back to Google
From this point forward, Microsoft 365 is the system of record. The safety net can come down.
8. Migrate Google Drive and Shared Drives
Email is only half the story. The other half lives in Drive.
Using Migration Manager:
- Personal Drive data moves to OneDrive
- Shared Drives move to SharePoint or Teams
Permissions are preserved. Collaboration patterns remain intact. Users don’t lose access to shared workspaces or shared sanity.
9. Retire Google Workspace Cleanly
Once everything is validated, Google Workspace can be retired. If your domain lives in Google Domains, it can stay there or move elsewhere. Either way, Microsoft 365 becomes the unified platform for identity, security, communication, and collaboration.
One platform. Fewer exceptions. Less duct tape.
Looking to Get More from Microsoft 365?
The Questions We Hear Every Time. Yes, These Ones
How long does a Google Workspace to Microsoft 365 migration take?
It depends. Users, data volume, integrations, geography. All the usual suspects. Small environments can move in days. Larger or global environments may take weeks.
We migrate in waves. Pilot first. Validate. Scale. People keep working while the migration quietly does its thing.
Can we run Google Workspace and Microsoft 365 in parallel?
Yes. And many organizations do.
Mail routing keeps communication flowing while users transition in phases. Once everything is validated, a clean cutover happens. No cliff dives.
Will our emails, calendars, and files remain intact?
Yes. When done correctly.
Mailboxes, calendars, folder structures, metadata, and permissions are preserved. As a Microsoft Solutions Partner, ProArch follows a proven methodology designed to minimize surprises. The good kind only.
How is data secured during migration?
Security doesn’t take a vacation during migration.
- Backups are maintained throughout
- MFA is enabled before accounts move
- Data stays encrypted in transit and at rest
- Permissions are audited post-migration
What does ProArch handle?
The technical heavy lifting. All of it.
- Microsoft 365 tenant design
- Entra ID identity synchronization
- Security for users, devices, and mail flow
- Mailbox, calendar, and file migrations
- Post-migration validation
We also guide Microsoft 365 licensing so teams get what they need. Not what looks good in a spreadsheet.
What makes ProArch’s approach different?
We start with why, not data volume. Before anything moves, we help determine what should migrate based on business goals, security posture, and adoption priorities.
Our approach includes:
- Identity-first design with Entra ID
- Security baselining before the first mailbox moves
- Phased migrations aligned to real operations
- Licensing based on usage, not assumptions
- Readiness for Copilot, Purview, and whatever comes next
Explore Real Talks on How ProArch Leaders Think, Decide, and Lead.
Trusted Microsoft 365 Migration Support
ProArch helps enterprises move from Google Workspace to Microsoft 365 with clarity, control, and security. We design the tenant correctly, secure identities upfront, and migrate in phases that reflect how people actually work.
This isn’t just a platform switch. It’s how organizations unlock the full value of Microsoft 365. Today, and as they scale.
