How to Migrate Your Files from Dropbox to Google Drive
For many organizations, the shift to Google Workspace is driven by the desire for a single, integrated platform where communication and collaboration live side-by-side. Migrating your company’s files from Dropbox Business to Google Drive is often the final piece of that puzzle. By moving to Drive, you centralize your data, simplify license management, and enable your team to leverage real-time co-authoring in Docs, Sheets, and Slides.
To streamline this transition, Google’s new data migration service now includes a native tool designed specifically for Dropbox. It securely copies your files, folders, and permissions directly into your Workspace account.
Consolidating your business files into Google Workspace offers several strategic advantages:
Integrated Ecosystem: Access your files directly within Gmail, Calendar, and Google Meet.
Cost Efficiency: Reduce "tool sprawl" by moving away from a separate Dropbox subscription.
Enhanced Security: Manage all user access and data protection policies from a single, centralized Google Admin console.
Seamless Collaboration: Move beyond simple file storage to a platform built for simultaneous, multi-user editing.
What's Migrated (and What's Not)?
Setting clear expectations is key to a successful migration. This tool focuses on copying data while preserving your existing structure.
IMPORTANT: This tool migrates data only from Dropbox for Teams accounts, it doesn’t migrate from Personal accounts or from single Professional accounts.
What Is Migrated:
Folders & Files: Personal Dropbox folders migrate to "My Drive," while Team folders migrate to "Shared drives" (or folders within them).
File Formats: Files are copied in their existing format (e.g., a PDF stays a PDF).
Microsoft Office Files: Word, Excel, and PowerPoint files are fully migrated.
Permissions & Links:
Direct Permissions: Dropbox Owner, Editor, and Viewer roles map directly to Google Drive equivalents.
Shareable Links: "Anyone with link" and "Team member" links are migrated, with the most restrictive setting applied if multiple links exist for the same item.
Invited Links: "Only people invited" links are converted into direct user permissions.
What Is NOT Migrated:
Dropbox Paper Files: These are not supported by the native tool.
Versions & Metadata: Only the latest version of a file is migrated; previous versions and some metadata are left behind.
Externally Owned Files: Data created or owned by external users or third-party applications will not migrate.
Restricted Content: Files with "Blocked Download" policies enabled in Dropbox are excluded.
Prerequisites Checklist
Ensure your "Admin Checklist" is complete before you hit start.
For Google Workspace (Target):
The migration must be run by a super administrator.
Shared Drives must be created in advance for any Team folders you plan to move.
Every user must have an active Workspace account, a valid license, and Google Drive turned on.
For Dropbox (Source):
You must have a Dropbox Team Administrator available to authorize the connection.
You need a list of user emails and paths for all team folders.
Step-by-Step Migration Guide
Step 1: Connect to Dropbox
Sign in to your Google Admin console as a super admin and navigate to Menu > Data > Data import & export > Data Migration (New). Scroll down to select Dropbox and click Migrate, then follow the prompts to sign in as a Dropbox Team Administrator.
Step 2: Set the Migration Scope (CSV Upload)
You must create and upload a CSV file (under 10 MB) to define which folders to copy.
Source DropboxValue: The email for personal folders or the folder path for team folders.
Target Drive FolderID: (For Team folders only) The ID of the Workspace shared drive destination.
Target GUser: (For Team folders only) The email of the Workspace user who will "own" the migrated data.
Note: You can migrate up to 150 folders per job.
Step 3: Map User Identities (The Identity Map)
Create a second CSV file to connect your Dropbox users/groups to their Google Workspace equivalents. This ensures that permissions are correctly mapped during the transfer.
Note: If you are migrating Dropbox Groups, you must first manually create the corresponding Google Groups in Workspace.
Step 4: Configure Filters & Start
Unmapped Users: Choose whether to copy accounts not included in your identity map by keeping their original email or changing the domain.
Filters: You can choose to migrate only files created or modified after a specific date, or exclude specific file formats and sizes.
Click Start migration.
Step 5: Run a Delta Migration & Exit
Once the main job finishes, run a delta migration to pick up any new or modified files that appeared during the transfer. Finally, export your reports and click Exit migration to finalize the process.
Expert Help for Your Dropbox Migration
While Google's native tool is a powerful open beta feature, it does have limitations—particularly regarding Dropbox 150-folder cap per run. For larger organizations or those with complex data structures, these gaps can lead to data loss or significant manual work.
Cloudasta specializes in high-volume cloud-to-cloud migrations. Our team utilizes enterprise-grade tools to ensure everything moves over—including versions, metadata, and specialized file types—while maintaining zero downtime for your users.
Contact Cloudasta today to ensure your Dropbox to Google Drive migration is a seamless success.
Cloudasta, Google Workspace Productivity & Migration Experts
Your one-stop partner for seamless migrations, expert advisory, support, and training.
