Migrate mail from a Gmail account

If you're migrating from a Google Workspace account and you're an admin of that account, follow the steps in Migrate mail from a Google Account or IMAP.

As an administrator, you can use Google Workspace Migration for Microsoft Exchange (GWMME) to migrate email data from a personal Gmail account (@gmail.com). You can also follow these steps if you’re unable to authorize GWMME on the source domain (for example, you are not an administrator on the source account).

Before you begin

• Check the system requirements—Make sure you meet the GWMME system requirements.
• Turn off folder-size limits and make labels available—Each source user must turn off folder-size limits and make the All Mail, Spam, and Trash labels available to IMAP. Tell your users to follow the steps in Get email from another email platform. 

Step 1: Authorize GWMME

Before you can install GWMME, you must authorize GWMME on your source domain. For details, go to Authorize GWMME for your account.

Step 2: Allow less secure apps to access accounts

If you're migrating data from Gmail and you don’t want to allow access for less secure apps, you can use the data migration service instead. For details, go to Get started with the data migration service.

Users must allow access for less secure apps:

1. In the Google Admin console, follow the steps in Manage access to less secure apps.
2. Instruct your users users to keep access to less secure apps open until the migration process is complete.

If you don't want to allow access for less secure apps but want to use GWMME, turn on 2-Step Verification and ask your users to create an App Password. For details, go to Sign in with App Passwords.

In step 3 (below, on this page), add each user's App Password to the CSV file instead of their Google Account password.

Step 3: Create a CSV file of users & passwords

Create a control CSV file of the user accounts that you're migrating to make sure your source data correctly maps to your new user accounts. You must add either user passwords or App Passwords to the CSV file. For more information about using CSV files, go to Create CSV files for your migration.

Example: [e-mail]#Password, [e-mail]

Step 4: Download & install GWMME

1. Go to the GWMME download page.
2. Click Download GWMME.
3. Open the installer and follow the instructions to install GWMME.

Step 5: Configure GWMME

You can migrate data by running GWMME: 

• On a Microsoft Windows computer, using the GWMME interface—Follow the instructions below, in this section. 
• From the command line (better suited to experienced administrators)—Go to Migrate data using the command line.

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1. Enter server details

1. Click StartGoogle Workspace MigrationGoogle Workspace Migration for Microsoft Exchange.
2. For Server Type, click Gmail.
3. Click Next.

2. Enter user & domain information

1. For Google Workspace domain name, enter the new primary Google Workspace target domain where the data will be migrated.

   If you're migrating mail to a Google Workspace account with secondary domains, the target domain you enter might differ from the domain in the email addresses you’re migrating.

2. For Service account credentials file, enter the path to the JSON file created as part of the authorization process.
3. For Google Workspace admin user, enter the full email address of your Google Workspace super administrator account.
4. Click Next.

3. Review migration settings

1. Check the Email messages box and set the date range for the migration.
2. For File of folders to migrate, click More , navigate to the mapping file created above, and then click Open.
3. Click Next.
4. Review the migration settings and check each optional setting that you want to use:
   • Migrate all data—Overwrites existing data during migration (duplicate messages skipped when unchecked)
   • Save settings—Retains the current configuration for future use
   • Run Diagnostics—Verifies the configuration before running the migration
   • Estimate—Estimates the message count for the source users
   • Migrate—Performs the migration
5. Click NextStart.

Related topic

• GWMME Admin Guide

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