Google Workspace to Microsoft 365 Migration
Switching from Google Workspace is mostly planning: who is moving, what data comes with them, and when your domain starts delivering mail to Microsoft 365. We run the move for you, so your team keeps working and your email keeps arriving.
The steps, in order
Assess
We inventory users, shared mailboxes, shared drives, add-ons and anything that signs in with Google. We flag what will not move cleanly before you commit to a date.
Plan
We agree the order of moves, the cutover window, what gets archived instead of migrated, and the rollback plan if something is not right.
Prepare Microsoft 365
Licences, user accounts, security policies and multi-factor authentication are set up before any data moves, so the new environment is secure from day one.
Pilot
A small group moves first. We check their mail, calendars, contacts and files, fix what we find, then move everyone else in waves.
Migrate the data
Email, calendars, contacts and Drive files are copied into Exchange Online, OneDrive and SharePoint during off-hours to keep disruption down. Google stays available as a safety net.
Cut over
After validation, we update DNS (the MX records) so new mail is delivered to Microsoft 365, confirm mail flow, and help staff sign in on their devices.
Train and support
We train your team on the new tools, tighten security settings, and decommission the Google tenant once you have confirmed everything is in place.
What moves, and what needs rework
What we move
- Email: Gmail mailboxes into Exchange Online mailboxes
- Calendars
- Contacts
- Drive files and shared drives, into OneDrive and SharePoint
- User accounts, groups and shared mailboxes, set up in Microsoft 365 before data moves
What needs rework
Not everything has a one-to-one equivalent. We find these during the assessment, so there are no surprises after cutover.
Gmail labels and filters
Microsoft 365 uses folders and rules rather than labels and filters. Labels generally become folders and filters are rebuilt as Outlook rules, so expect some tidying.
Google Docs, Sheets and Slides
These can be converted to Word, Excel and PowerPoint files. Complex formulas, formatting and add-ons should be checked after conversion rather than assumed.
Sharing and permissions
Who can see what in Drive does not always map one to one onto SharePoint and OneDrive. We review sharing before the move and set permissions deliberately instead of copying a tangle across.
Google Sites and Apps Script
These have no direct Microsoft 365 equivalent. Intranet sites and scripted automations need to be rebuilt or replaced, so we list them during the assessment.
Apps that sign in with Google
Any application that uses your Google accounts to sign in needs to be reconnected to Microsoft 365 identity.
Downtime and cutover
Most of the work happens while everyone keeps using Google. Data is copied in the background during off-hours, and the old environment stays available until we have validated the new one. The visible change is the cutover: your domain's MX records are updated so new mail is delivered to Microsoft 365. We schedule it for a quiet time and check that mail is flowing. DNS changes take a little while to spread, so we plan for that rather than promise a single instant.
What it depends on, and the licences
How long a migration takes depends on the number of users, the volume of mail and Drive data, how complicated your sharing is, and how many apps depend on Google. We give you a timeline after the assessment. Each person needs a Microsoft 365 licence before their data moves. In Canadian dollars with a yearly commitment, before tax, Microsoft 365 costs CA$9.50 per user per month for Business Basic, CA$19.00 for Business Standard and CA$29.80 for Business Premium (checked October 26, 2026). For most Ontario businesses we recommend Business Premium. The Microsoft 365 vs Google Workspace comparison has the full price tables for both.
Other migrations we run
On-premises Exchange
To Exchange Online. Hybrid setups let the old and new systems run side by side while mailboxes move. Old problems such as very large mailboxes, public folders and undocumented mail flow rules are what take the time.
File servers
To SharePoint Online and OneDrive. We decide what to archive instead of migrate, and rebuild permissions rather than copy years of buildup.
Other email hosts
Other hosted Exchange and legacy email platforms to Exchange Online, on the same assess, pilot and cutover pattern.
For how phased moves work across email, files and apps, read cloud migration for SMBs, or see our cloud migration services and the migration patterns in our Microsoft 365 guide.
How ClayGen runs it
We treat a migration as a project with phases, owners and a rollback at every step, not an overnight event. You get a plain-language schedule, a pilot that proves the process, and a team that keeps working. Security is part of the move: multi-factor authentication and security policies are in place before anyone signs in, and we train your staff afterward. When you want it run for you after that, it is our Microsoft 365 management service, and backup for the new environment is covered in managed backup and disaster recovery.
Serving Guelph and all of Ontario
We are based in Guelph and look after businesses in Guelph, Kitchener-Waterloo, Cambridge, Hamilton, the GTA, London, Barrie, Niagara and the rest of Ontario.
Microsoft 365 Migration FAQ
How long does a Google Workspace to Microsoft 365 migration take?
Will we lose email when we move?
Can we keep our domain and email addresses?
Do we need to buy Microsoft 365 licences before the migration?
Do we have to move everyone at once?
What happens to our Google account afterward?
Can ClayGen migrate from on-premises Exchange or a file server?
Does ClayGen support us after the move?
Plan your move
Tell us what you run today. We will tell you what moves cleanly, what needs rework, and what the cutover would look like.
Book a Free IT AssessmentLast updated . Page created: how to migrate from Google Workspace to Microsoft 365, plus on-premises Exchange, file server and other email host migrations.