Import data during setup (beta)

When you set up your Google Workspace account, you can import data from other sources during the setup process.

You complete these steps in the Google Admin console during. When your domain is set up, you have options to import your business data, manage your domain health, or explore premium Workspace features.

Note: Using the data import tool on data that you imported during Workspace setup creates duplicate data. To avoid duplicating data, don't create multiple imports for the same content.

Import Microsoft data

If you have a Flexible Plan for Workspace, you can import up to 10 Microsoft users when you set up your Workspace account. If you have an Annual/Fixed-Term Plan, you need to add more licenses before you can import users during Workspace setup. For details, go to Add licenses or change purchase cap.

The import process doesn't delete or modify existing Microsoft users. Instead, user information is copied to Workspace.

To import users from Exchange Online (Microsoft 365) during Workspace setup:

  1. Click Go to import tool.
  2. Click Microsoft and then Continue.
  3. Click Connect.
  4. Select the account you want to connect and then click Accept.
  5. (Optional) To view a list of users that will be imported, for Review your users, click Edit.
    1. To remove a user from the list, uncheck the box beside the user's email address.
    2. Click Confirm users.
  6. (Optional) To specify what types of data will be imported for all users, do the following:
    1. For Review data import settings, click Edit.
    2. Check one or more of the following boxes:
      • Email
      • Calendar events
      • Contacts
      • Files
      • Tasks
    3. Click Confirm settings.
  7. Click Start import.

  8. (Optional) To stop the import, click Stop import.

    It might take a few minutes for the import to stop, and the import process does not roll back. Any data that was imported before you stopped the process isn't deleted from Workspace.

    You can't restart an import. To learn about starting a new data import, go to Use the default data import method for Exchange Online or Use the default data import method for OneDrive.

  9. (Optional) To continue setting up your Workspace account while the user import runs, click Continue with setup and select an option:

    • Check status—Monitor the progress of your data import.
    • Authenticate—Make sure your email messages are sent correctly.
    • Get started—Open a step-by-step guide to premium Workspace features.

After each user is imported, you get an email with Workspace sign-in instructions. Be sure to forward the email to a secondary email address for the users that you imported.

When your users are completely imported, you can click Import email data to begin importing additional Microsoft data. For details, go to Use the default data import method for Exchange Online or Use the default data import method for OneDrive.

Import your IMAP account

As the administrator setting up your organization's Workspace account, you can import email data from your IMAP account to Workspace during the Workspace setup process. The data import doesn't delete or modify your IMAP account. Instead, the information is copied to Workspace.

To import your IMAP email data during Workspace setup:

  1. Click Go to import tool.
  2. Click Other email sources and then Continue.
  3. Enter your IMAP server name and then click Test connection.
  4. Enter your IMAP email address and password and then click Start import.

  5. (Optional) To stop the import, click Stop import.

    It might take a few minutes for the import to stop, and the import process does not roll back. Any data that was imported before you stopped the process isn't deleted from Workspace.

    You can't restart an import. To learn about starting a new data import, go to Import email from an IMAP account.

  6. (Optional) To continue setting up your Workspace account while the IMAP import runs, click Continue with setup and select an option:

    • Check status—Monitor the progress of your data import.
    • Authenticate—Make sure your email messages are sent correctly.
    • Get started—Open a step-by-step guide to premium Workspace features.

After your IMAP email data import finishes, click Import email data to start importing more IMAP users. For details, go to Import email from an IMAP account.

Import data from your personal Google Account

As the administrator setting up your organization's Workspace account, you can import Gmail and Google Drive data from your personal Google Account during the Workspace setup process. The data import doesn't delete or modify your Google Account. Instead, the information is copied to Workspace.

This data import method doesn't import shortcuts. If your Google Account is 100% full, the data import won't include files created in Workspace apps, such as Google Docs, Sheets, or Forms. Instead, it imports other files, such as PDFs and JPEGs.

To import your Gmail or Drive data during Workspace setup:

  1. Click Go to import tool.
  2. Click Personal Google Account (Gmail, Google Drive) and then Continue.
  3. Enter your Gmail address and then click Connect and then Authorize connection.
  4. (Optional) To specify what types of data will be imported, complete the following steps:
    1. For Review data import settings, click Edit.
    2. Check one or both of the following boxes:
      • Email
      • Files
  5. Click Start import.

  6. (Optional) To stop the import, click Stop import.

    It might take a few minutes for the import to stop, and the import process doesn't roll back. Any data imported before you stopped the process remains in Workspace.

    You can't restart an import. To learn about starting a new data import, go to Import email from a Gmail account.

  7. (Optional) To continue setting up your Workspace account while the import runs, click Continue with setup and select an option:

    • Check status—Monitor your data import's progress.
    • Authenticate—Set up DomainKeys Identified Mail (DKIM) to protect your domain and ensure that your email messages are sent correctly. For details, go to Set up DKIM.
    • Get started—Open a step-by-step guide to premium Workspace features.

After your data import finishes, click Import email data to start importing Gmail data for more users. The data import tool doesn't support additional imports from Google Drive. For details, go to Import email from a Gmail account.


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