How to Migrate Zimbra to Gmail Account With All Email Data?

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Written By Mohit Jha
Anuraag Singh
Approved By Anuraag Singh
Published On January 8th, 2024
Reading Time 9 Minutes Reading
User Query: We have been using a Zimbra Mail service for day-to-day tasks and maintaining data. Since Google Mail offers various functionalities, our company has decided to switch to Gmail. But the thing is, we have almost 100 user accounts on Zimbra and we don’t know how to perform Zimbra to Gmail migration. If anyone could suggest a solution through which we can easily transfer our data then that would be really helpful.

In this Article,

Zimbra Mail and Gmail both are open sources and available for free. However, users prefer the Gmail email service and search for methods to transfer Zimbra emails to the Gmail platform. Therefore, in this article, we will be discussing how to migrate their data from Zimbra to Gmail. At the end of this article, you will be able to migrate emails & attachments in bulk on your own to the destination account.

But, Why Do Users Prefer Gmail over Zimbra Mail?

There are plenty of email services available, but why do users want to migrate Zimbra emails to Gmail? So, let’s know the reason behind this migration quickly-

  1. Gmail is fast, reliable, and easy to understand for data management as compared to Zimbra Mail. Every personal or organizational user can access their data in their Gmail account easily.
  2. Security-wise, Google keeps trying its best to make user data safe and secure.
  3. Most users opt for the Zimbra to Gmail migration to avoid annoying ad interruptions. Since Gmail has no ad interruptions based on their searches, users prefer to get used to the Gmail platform.
  4. Moreover, it is even better to manage email data in Gmail because of its automatic sorting features. That keeps separate all the emails in promotion, spam, social, and other sections or folders.

How to Manually Transfer Zimbra Emails to Gmail?

There are two options, and you can choose either one to transfer emails. 

Option 1: By Forwarding Emails

  1. Open your Zimbra account >> Preferences >> Mail
  2. Then, in the ‘Receiving Messages’ section, enter your Gmail account under the ‘Forward a copy to’ section. 
  3. Tick the ‘Don’t keep a local copy of Messages’.

Note: Make sure that in your Gmail account IMAP is enabled for Zimbra to Gmail migration. Also, by applying this method you’ll be able to receive the new emails after the changes. Old messages will remain on the Zimbra account.

Option 2: By Configuring/Adding Gmail Account on Zimbra

  1. Open your Zimbra account >> Preferences >> Account.
  2. Then, click on the Add External Account tab.
  3. After that, provide User Name, Email Server, App Password, IMAP port number, etc.
  4. Next, press Test Settings. When you see Success, click OK.
  5. Now, use the drag & drop option to transfer Zimbra mails to Gmail.

Note: This option will certainly transfer your emails but it’ll take a huge amount of time if you’ve thousands of emails. Moreover, it’ll consume more storage space on Zimbra. That’s why experts recommend to use professional solution to save time & efforts.

Expert-Recommended Solution for Zimbra to Gmail Migration

When there is a need for a secure migration then what could be better than taking the help of a professional solution? That’s why experts suggest trusting a tried and tested solution. One such solution is SysTools IMAP Mail Migration Tool for Mac OS which you can use to transfer email from Zimbra to Gmail with attachments.

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Using this software is better in every aspect than other tools available in the market. Because it offers you various features to filter out the emails that you are looking for from your Zimbra account mailbox. In fact, it is compatible with all versions of Mac OS including Mac OS 12.0, Mac OS 11.0, Mac OS 10.8, and below.

Furthermore, this application offers a free trial version to try it out before moving to the licensed version. Before moving ahead with the software steps, let’s have a look at the tool features.

Top Features of Zimbra to Gmail Migration Tool

  1. This tool has a date filter option for helping Mac users filter out the emails & attachments from the Zimbra account. In short, it allows you to transfer Zimbra emails to your Gmail accounts specifically. However, after setting the software will only migrate those emails that fall into that category.
  2. Likewise, this solution comes with a simple GUI interface that helps both novice and technical users to a better understanding.
  3. Furthermore, all Mac users can run this Zimbra to Gmail migration tool on the latest versions of the Mac operating system easily. As it can successfully work for the migration on Mac OS 12.0, Mac OS 11.0, Mac OS 10.8, and the below versions.
  4. Even one can migrate all emails in batch mode without dependency on any other email client. It will only require the account credentials for batch migration.
  5. This is the expert-suggested solution for a direct way to migrate Zimbra to Gmail account.
  6. Use the concurrent migration facility for migrating all emails from all the selected source accounts to the destination account in one go.
Read More: Learn the simplest method to transfer emails from iCloud to Gmail account.

Guide to Transfer Zimbra Emails to Gmail Account on Mac OS

To complete the migration safely, download, install, and run the tool on a supported Mac OS machine version. Follow the step-by-step instructions given below-

  • From the welcome screen, tap on continue after considering all prerequisites.
    download zimbra to gmail migration tool
  • Select Zimbra and enter Zimbra Mail account user details and tap Validate.
    zimbra mail
  • Now, select the Gmail / G Suite option, provide the required credentials for validation, and hit validate to perform Zimbra to Gmail migration.
    gmail
  • Then, mouse-click on the Advance Settings tab to apply the required filters from the application panel for specific Zimbra emails and attachments.
    advance settings for zimbra
  • Lastly, tap on the Start Migration tab for a bulk migration on a Mac desktop.
    start zimbra to gmail migration

At last, it will shows a completion migration message on the screen, tap OK to proceed. However, you can even have the migration report of the entire process that will contain the total success and failure numbers.

Anyway, some users also want to know whether they can carry out Zimbra to Gmail migration manually or not. Then, yes it’s possible. Let’s see how.

Read More: How to perform easy and secure Zimbra to Office 365 migration.

How to Transfer Zimbra Emails to G Suite Account?

If you are a Windows OS user, looking to migrate your Zimbra mailbox data to G Google Workspace, technical professionals recommend the astonishing SysTools IMAP to G Suite Migrator. This utility is power-packed with the best features that make it proficient in bulk and selective Zimbra to Gmail migration. The tool allows you to migrate your data from all folders of the mailbox, i.e., inbox, drafts, sent, etc. This software also ensures preserving the original folder structure throughout the process. For selective migration, it offers a date filter, where you only have to enter preferred timestamps and the tool will figure out the data after that. Along with that, the utility is also supported by all Windows OS versions.

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Steps to Migrate Emails from Zimbra to Google Workspace Mailbox

  • Download and launch the expert-recommended utility on your Windows computer.
    setup the tool to migrate zimbra to Gmail
  • After launching, set IMAP as the Source and G Suite as the Destination platform in the Setup panel.
    set imap as source and g suite as destination
  • Next, select the checkbox for “Email” in the Workload Selection section.
    seect email in owrkload selection
  • Moving further, if you wish to perform selective Zimbra to Gmail migration, select the checkbox for the “Date Filter” option.
    apply date filter for selective zimbra to gmail migration
  • After you do that, choose an IMAP server in the Source panel. Select the “Other” option from the dropdown menu if operating from a server that is not available in the provided options.
    select an imap server
  • Afterward, enter the destination account details, i.e., Admin Email, Service Account, and Certificate File. Then, click the “Validate” button to validate all permissions.
    enter destination accoutn details
  • Next, in the Users panel, select either “Import Users” or the “Download Template” option to add users to the utility.
    add users
  • Once you add the users, enter the “Source App Password” for the added user accounts.
    enter source app password
  • Lastly, from the top-right corner of the software interface, click the “Start Migration” button.
    click start migration

And that’s it! That’s all the steps you need to execute to successfully transfer your Zimbra emails to the G Suite mailbox.

Conclusion

In this article, we have shared how to transfer email from Zimbra to G Suite account mailbox with attachments on a PC. For this task, we have even introduced you to an automated and professional solution. Hence, using this Zimbra to Gmail migration tool you can easily transfer bulk emails with attributes at once. For more, the tool even has a free demo version key that you can use for a limited email migration on a Mac PC.

Frequently Asked Questions by Users

Q- How much time is it going to take to transfer emails from my Zimbra account to Gmail?

The time duration to complete the email transfer depends on the number of emails you have in your Zimbra account, network availability, and internet speed. So, it would be difficult to say the exact time.

Q- Can I migrate emails from Zimbra maintaining the same folder structure to Gmail?

If you are taking the help of the above-mentioned tool then definitely it is a Yes. You don’t have to worry about the email folder structure. 

Q- Will there be any downtime during the Zimbra to Gmail migration process?

Usually, the migration process doesn’t involve any downtime. However, to be on the safer side, it’s advisable to inform the users prior to the migration.

Read More: How to Export Emails from Roundcube to Gmail/G Suite Mailbox?

  author

By Mohit Jha

Mohit is a Microsoft-certified expert who has assisted thousands of clients with Outlook & Microsoft Office 365 issues. He enjoys writing on email clients as well as data migration. He is always excited about giving troubled readers the most up-to-date knowledge, explanation, and refinements.