Let’s be real:
Migrating Google Workspace accounts isn’t glamorous.
There’s no badge for surviving a 4-hour MX record delay or realizing halfway through that you forgot to migrate Drive permissions.
But it is doable.
And if you do it right, you won’t end up as the admin who accidentally broke email for the entire sales team.
Here’s how I moved our entire Google Workspace — email, calendars, Drive files, users, aliases, the whole beast — from one account to another without losing my mind.
🚨 Why Migrate in the First Place?
For us, it was:
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Leaving a parent org and starting fresh under our own domain
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Cleaning up years of duct-taped user accounts
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Taking control of billing and admin access
Maybe for you, it’s a rebrand, a merger, or that uncomfortable moment when you realize someone else owns your admin console.
Whatever your reason — you’re here, and you want to do it right.
🔍 TL;DR – What’s Actually Being Migrated?
When we talk about a Google Workspace migration, we’re talking about:
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✅ User accounts
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✅ Emails (Gmail)
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✅ Drive files (My Drive + Shared Drives)
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✅ Google Calendars
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✅ Contacts
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✅ Groups and aliases
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✅ Permissions, access settings, and sometimes — regret
It’s not a simple “copy-paste.” Google doesn’t make that easy.
🧰 Step-by-Step: How I Migrated Google Workspace Without Breaking Everything
1. Prep Both Workspaces Like a Boss
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Make sure both source and destination Workspaces are fully active.
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Create matching user accounts in the new Workspace (manually or via CSV).
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Ensure both Super Admins have access.
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Triple-check domain ownership in Admin Console.
🔐 Pro Tip: Set up 2-step verification bypass for initial setup so you don’t get stuck mid-transfer.
2. Migrate Emails with Google’s Data Migration Tool
This is the least painful part if done right.
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In your destination admin console:
Go to Data Migration > Add a Migration
Choose Gmail, and use the OAuth 2.0 method (faster and more secure) -
You’ll need the credentials of the source admin account.
Map source to destination users.
📦 Emails and labels transfer. Filters, stars, and categories do not.
3. Transfer Google Drive Files (Here’s Where It Gets Messy)
You’ve got options:
🛠 Method A: Google Takeout (manual, clunky)
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Works for small teams
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Not great for preserving sharing permissions
⚡ Method B: Google Workspace Migrate (admin-level tool)
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Allows you to transfer ownership of files
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Retains folder structure and permissions (if configured correctly)
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Can handle Shared Drives with the right setup
❤️ My Favorite: CloudM or MultCloud (paid, but life-saving)
If you have budget, use third-party tools.
They’re worth every cent for clean Drive, Shared Drive, and permission migration.
4. Calendar, Contacts, and Tasks? Use the API or Manual Export
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Calendar: Export
.icsfiles and re-import -
Contacts: CSV export/import
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Tasks: You’re out of luck — Google doesn’t support full Task migration
Or use Google Takeout to export everything per user.
5. Rebuild Groups, Aliases, and Settings
This is a “start from scratch” zone.
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Use the Groups admin tool to rebuild mailing lists and access settings
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Re-add aliases to user accounts manually or via script
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Reconfigure calendar sharing, delegated inboxes, and app integrations
💬 This step takes time. Give yourself grace. Maybe a pizza.
🧠 Unconventional Insights I Wish Someone Told Me
💣 Your DNS (MX records) can tank your day
Switching email servers means DNS changes.
Expect a 24–48 hour window where mail delivery might get… unpredictable. Plan accordingly.
🧙 You don’t need to migrate everything
Some legacy files? Let them go. Archive accounts or export to Google Vault and start fresh.
Don’t bring the digital clutter into your new space.
📜 Log everything
Keep a running doc of:
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Who was migrated
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What was missed
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What needed manual fixes
You’ll thank yourself when support asks.
👇 So, What’s the Emotion Behind All This?
Control.
Relief.
Fear that you’ll break everything, but also a little thrill that you’re in charge now.
Migrating Workspace is like moving houses.
You’ll lose a sock (or a random file), but you gain a cleaner, calmer digital space.
You deserve that.
Final Checklist Before You Flip the Switch
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✅ MX records updated
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✅ Users informed
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✅ Drive files backed up
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✅ Shared drives rebuilt
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✅ Groups, aliases, and permissions recreated
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✅ You’re mentally ready to let go of the old
🧭 You’ve Got This — And I’ll Cheer You On
If I can do it — with a small team, zero budget, and a deadline that was yesterday — so can you.
You’re not just migrating data.
You’re building a better workspace — one you actually own.
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