Step-By-Step Transfer SharePoint Online Data to Google Workspace

Do you know how to move data from SharePoint Online to Google Workspace? This blog will provide you with the native migration tool and a manual option to transfer your SharePoint Online data to Google Workspace. Along with that, I will explain the challenges involved in migrating your data.

Migrating SharePoint Online to Google Workspace helps IT admins and SMBs to reduce licensing costs, simplify collaboration, and standardize their cloud environment. However, moving your data is not that simple because the two platforms have different infrastructures and features. Despite this, many users still want to copy data from SharePoint Online to Google Workspace.

Reasons to Move Data from SharePoint to Google Workspace

Before you go through the whole process of transferring SharePoint Online to G Suite. You should first know the reasons for migration. Below are the common reasons.

• One of the common reasons is that organizations are switching from SharePoint to the Google Workspace platform for more collaboration tools.
• When companies merge, acquire, or segregate their departments. They had also transferred their data, especially when they use different platforms such as SharePoint Online and Google Workspace.
• Not all use SharePoint for their work. Some use G Suite. Whenever the need arises, they have to migrate data for managing or accessing.
• For small and medium businesses, SharePoint Online is a little expensive. However, Google Workspace provides you with affordable subscription plans. So, some shift to G Suite to cut the cost.
• Users are more used to Google Workspace than SharePoint. That’s why they are moving their data.
• Google provides you with a real-time collaboration tool that is more advanced than Microsoft SharePoint.

Many users may have their own reasons to move the data. But you understand why there is a demand for transferring your data from SharePoint to Google Workspace. So, to help you, I will explain the methods of migration in simple steps.

Read Also: What are the Difference Between SharePoint and Google Sites?

What Data Can You Migrate from SharePoint Online?

In SharePoint, you cannot migrate all data items. There are some items that can be transferred and some that cannot. Items that you can migrate are.

• Document Libraries
• Files that are stored in SharePoint
• Folder structure
• Metadata
• Permissions (with limitations)
• Lists with Limited Support

What data you cannot migrate are:

• SharePoint Sites or Pages
• Power Apps & Workflows
• Lists with Complex Structure
• Nested Folders with limitations
• Links that are shared with “Anyone”

Preparations Before Moving SharePoint Data to G Suite

To properly move your data from SharePoint to Google Workspace, you must prepare yourself. Below are the pre-migration checklists for a smooth process.

• First, check what you want to migrate or not. If you find any duplicate, outdates or unnecessary data. Remove empty folders in SharePoint Online or archive them
• If you are migrating SharePoint lists, pages, workflows, and OneNote notebooks. Then you have to manually copy and paste them. As there is no standard method available.
• You need Global Administrator and Super Admin access to both programs to transfer the data.
• To migrate the team sites, first create a shared drive in the Google Admin console.
• Create a CSV file and include the source user account from SharePoint and the destination account in Google Workspace.
• Take a backup of your SharePoint before the process for security.
• Make sure you inform your colleagues and clients that you are migrating the data. So that the process would run smoothly.

After following these checklists, you can now follow the methods to move your data.

Move Data from SharePoint Online to Google Workspace Using Native Migration Tool

Google provides a native migration service that you can use to transfer your SharePoint files to G Suite. The process is lengthy, so I am going to divide it into parts for an easier process.

Part 1: Connect SharePoint Account to Google Workspace

1. Log in to your Google Admin Console using your admin account.
2. Go to the Menu and then the Data option.
3. Select Data import & export, Data Migration (New) button.
4. Click the Migrate for Microsoft SharePoint Online button and connect to SharePoint.
5. Then, sign in to SharePoint using a Global Administrator account.

Part 2: Map Folders and Sites

1. Now, create a file for the sites and site collections to migrate.
2. Download the sample CSV file and open it.
3. Provide the source SharePoint URL, Target Drive Folder ID, and Target GUser.
4. Add the required information in each row and save the spreadsheet.
5. Again, in Admin Console, click Upload CSV.
6. Choose the file, and then press the open button.

Part 3: Create Identity Map

1. Create an identity map to connect users and groups in SharePoint Online.
2. Download the sample CSV and open it.
3. Add the first header, Source Entity, and Destination Email in the second.
4. In the source Entity column, type the source users and groups you want to map.
5. In the destination email, enter a valid email address and group name.
6. Save the spreadsheet and upload the file.

Part 4: Start Migration Process

Click Start Migration. This action allows domain-wide delegation and creates a client ID for the new data migration in the target account.

If you don’t have the permission of an admin to move the complete SharePoint account to G Suite. You can at least transfer data from your account using this next method.

Copy SharePoint Online Data to Google Workspace

It is a simple method where, without admin-level permission, you can move the files from SharePoint to Google Workspace.

1. Go to your SharePoint site and log in to your account.
2. Select the file or folders you want to move, then click Download.
3. Your file will be downloaded in ZIP format. Extract the file.
4. In the Google Drive, press the New button.
5. Choose the Folder Upload and then upload your downloaded SharePoint file.
6. Alternatively, you can drag the file and drop it into the Google Drive.

Here are the manual methods to migrate your account. They are easy and free to use. But it may cause you problems. Such as.

Limitations of Using Manual Methods

• It is difficult to transfer large amounts of data from SharePoint Online to G Suite. Because you cannot manually migrate multiple files at the same time.
• Losing formatting or missing data is a common issue among users who move their data using the manual option.
• SharePoint and Google Workspace use different permission models. The simple permission is easy to migrate, but the migration fails in transferring complex permissions.
• There are different limitations related to file path length, special characters, and naming conventions in SharePoint and Google Drive. These limitations may cause file upload failures.
• You face issues like folder hierarchy, as manual tools have difficulty transferring complex, deeply nested folder structures.

So, issues in manual migration are quite common. So, carefully follow the steps and don’t forget to take a backup before the process.

Bonus Tip for Entire Migration

Most organizations transfer not only their SharePoint data but also their Exchange Online data to Google Workspace. The SharePoint migration is a part of this, but to move the complete data, professional software like SysTools Microsoft 365 to Google Workspace Migration Tool that migrates Exchange Online data to your Google account without issues.

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Final Note

If you are facing issues while moving data from SharePoint Online to Google Workspace, you can use the new native migration tool or the manual method to copy your SharePoint Online data to Google Workspace. Here, I have properly explained the methods and the challenges you may face during the procedure. For a complete tenant transfer, check the bonus tip mentioned above.[/ai]