How to Migrate from Microsoft SharePoint to Google Shared Drive
For organizations deeply invested in the Microsoft ecosystem, migrating from SharePoint to Google Workspace is a transformative step toward a fully unified, cloud-native collaboration platform. This move consolidates your company's files into Google Shared Drives, creating a single source of data alongside Gmail, Calendar, and Meet.
To make this transition possible, Google’s new data migration service provides a direct, cloud-to-cloud pathway to copy your SharePoint sites, files, folders, and permissions into Google Workspace Shared Drives.
Why Migrate from SharePoint Online to Google Workspace?
Moving from SharePoint is a strategic decision to simplify your IT infrastructure and enhance collaboration. The primary benefits include:
A Unified Ecosystem: Centralize all your company data within a single, integrated platform.
Streamlined Collaboration: Empower your teams with the real-time, seamless co-authoring capabilities of Google Drive, Docs, Sheets, and Slides.
Simplified Administration: Reduce the complexity and cost associated with managing separate file storage and productivity suites.
The new data migration service is a productivity feature that simplifies the transfer of files, folders, and permissions from SharePoint Online to your Google Workspace shared drives. By performing the migration in the cloud, it offers a more efficient process compared to manual transfers. This tool allows you to migrate files for up to 100 SharePoint Online sites at a time, with subsites automatically included.
What's Migrated (and What's Not)?
Understanding the scope of the migration is crucial. The service migrates data directly into shared drives, not users' "My Drive".
What Is Migrated:
Sites and Files:
Site collections and nested sites are migrated as shared drives or folders within shared drives.
Document libraries, folders, and files are transferred, preserving the existing hierarchy and file formats.
OneNote notebooks are converted into folders.
Permissions and Links:
SharePoint user permissions (Writer, Viewer) are mapped to Google Drive roles (Editor, Viewer).
SharePoint Site Group permissions (Visitors, Members, Owners) are mapped to corresponding Google Drive roles (Viewers, Contributor, Content Manager).
Sharing links for "Anyone" or "People in your organization" are migrated, with the most restrictive permission applied if multiples exist.
Files shared with external users will be shared with them in Google Workspace, and they will receive an email notification.External users do not need to be included in the identity map.
What Is NOT Migrated:
SharePoint lists and webpages.
Previous versions of files (only the latest version is copied).
Files or folders with "Blocked Download" policies enabled.
Personal Vault files, folder shortcuts, or folder colors.
Permissions for internal users or groups that are not included in your identity map, unless you enable the "map all accounts" setting during configuration.
Prerequisites Checklist
Before you begin, ensure your environments are properly configured.
For Google Workspace:
The migration must be run by a super administrator.
You must create the target shared drives before starting.
All users must have an existing Google Workspace account with a valid license and have Google Drive turned on.
For Microsoft SharePoint:
The connection must be authorized by a Microsoft Global Administrator.
You must have the exact site URL for each SharePoint site you plan to migrate.
Important Considerations:
My Drive Not Supported: Migrating files directly to any Workspace user’s My Drive is not supported; data is migrated to shared drives.
One-to-Many Identity Mapping: The tool does not support a one-to-many identity mapping.
Step-by-Step Guide to Migrating Files from SharePoint Online
The migration process involves several key steps, primarily performed within the Google Admin console.
Step 1: Connect to SharePoint Online
Sign in to the Google Admin console using a super administrator account. (If you aren't using a super administrator account, you cannot complete these steps).
Navigate to Menu > Data > Data import & export > Data Migration (New).
Scroll down to the "Migrate Data from Microsoft" section, and under SharePoint Online, click Migrate.
Click Connect to Microsoft SharePoint Online and sign in as a Global Administrator with your Microsoft account. If connection fails, ensure you are using a Global Administrator account.
Step 2: Create a File for the Sites & Site Collections to Migrate
The new data migration service copies files, folders, and permissions from a list of SharePoint Online sites to shared drives in Workspace.
Prepare a CSV file (under 10 MB) with the following headers in order:
Source SharePoint URL: The URL for the SharePoint Online site collection or sites (e.g., https://example.sharepoint.com/sites/site-name/).
Target Drive FolderID: The unique ID of the shared drive where you want to migrate the files.
Target GUser: The email address of a Workspace user with Manager permission in the target shared drive. This user will own all shared drives connected to a mapped site and any nested subsites after migration, especially when creator/modifier info is unavailable, group permissions exist without user permissions, or the creator/modifier lacks sufficient target permissions.
Add one row for each site or site collection you want to migrate, populating all three values.
You can migrate up to 100 sites at a time, with subsites automatically included. Additional sites require a separate migration.
Important: It is recommended to use multiple different Target GUser accounts in your file to avoid performance issues. A single Target GUser account can migrate a maximum of 500,000 Drive items.
Save the spreadsheet as a CSV file.
In your Admin console, click Upload CSV, select your file, and click Open.
Check Tasks to confirm successful upload.
Step 3: Create an Identity Map from SharePoint Online to Workspace
An identity map connects SharePoint Online users and groups to Google Workspace users and groups.
Prepare a CSV file (under 10 MB) with the following headers:
Source Entity: Enter the users and groups you want to map.
Destination Email: Enter valid email addresses and site group names for your organization’s SharePoint Online users and their target accounts.
Mapping considerations:
You can map users, Microsoft 365 groups, and SharePoint Online site groups.
External users do not need to be added; their permissions are migrated by default.
If mapping SharePoint Online Site Groups to Google Groups, you must create the corresponding Google Groups in your Google Workspace account and replicate user memberships beforehand.
Save the spreadsheet as a CSV file.
In your Admin console, click Upload CSV, select your mapping file, and click Open.
Check Tasks to confirm successful upload.
Step 4: Select Migration Settings
These settings define how unmapped identities (source users and Microsoft 365 group email addresses not in your identity map) are handled.
By default, the "Copy accounts that aren't included in the map that are discovered during the migration" setting is checked, along with "Keep the source domain".
You can disable these settings if needed. If the domain name is changing for all migrated users and Microsoft 365 groups, select "Select a different domain for the migration" and choose a new domain.
Note: This setting applies only to users within your organization and does not apply to Site Groups (Site Groups must be mapped via the identity map).
Step 5: Start a Migration
Click Start migration. This action grants domain-wide delegation and creates a client ID for the Data migration service.
You can monitor the migration progress in real-time by observing metrics such as: Discovered tasks, Warnings, Failed tasks, Skipped tasks, Successful tasks, Sites processed, Files discovered, Files migrated, Files skipped, Files failed, Discovery issues, and Time elapsed.
At any point after the migration starts, you can export reports to troubleshoot errors (Migration report) or monitor progress per site (Site report). These reports can be opened in Google Sheets.
Step 6 (Optional): Stop a Running Migration
If you need to halt a migration, click Stop migration. Be aware that:
Stopping may take a few minutes.
It does not roll back the migration process.
Any files already migrated will not be deleted from Google Drive.
Step 7: Exit a Completed Migration
Once a migration is completed, you can exit it. However, exiting means you will no longer have access to its configuration data or reports.
If you have new or updated files to move, run a delta migration before exiting.
If you want to keep records, export all desired reports (migration report, site report).
Click Exit migration or Exit and delete migration. You must exit an existing migration to start a new file migration from SharePoint Online.
Best Practices for a Smooth Migration
Test First: Run a test migration with a small number of non-critical sites before the full rollout.
Use Multiple "Target GUsers": To avoid performance issues and hitting the 500,000 item creation limit for a single user, use several different Target GUsers in your site migration map.
Check for Duplicates: Your site migration map should only include parent sites or subsites, but not both, to avoid errors.
Remember Legal Compliance: This tool is for productivity, not legal holds. If you have compliance requirements, back up your files in SharePoint before migrating.
Expert Help for Your SharePoint Migration
Migrating an entire SharePoint environment is a complex undertaking that requires careful planning and execution. For organizations that need to ensure a flawless transition with zero data loss and minimal disruption, expert help is invaluable.
Cloudasta specializes in complex, large-scale migrations from the Microsoft ecosystem to Google Workspace. Our team manages the entire process, from pre-migration auditing to post-migration support, ensuring your data is moved securely and your team is ready for success.
