Migrating from Outlook to Gmail While Maintaining Subfolders

If your company is migrating to Google Workspace (Gmail) from Microsoft Outlook, one of the most frequent concerns for IT teams is how to preserve the current email folder/ subfolder organization.

Gmail doesn’t utilize folders in the same way. Instead, it utilizes labels, which operate differently but serve similar purposes (organizing emails). This, however, raises a few practical questions:

“Will Gmail retain my Outlook folders?”

“Will my subfolders be migrated or lost?”

“How do I migrate without destroying my organization system?”

In this post, we’ll walk through the key concerns companies and IT admins have during this transition and provide a reliable cloud migration solution.

The Core Difference: Folders vs. Labels

• Outlook organizes emails into folders, just like traditional file systems.
• Gmail, however, employs the use of labels. Labels are like folders, but they are more flexible.

For instance, one email in Gmail can be assigned several labels, while in Outlook, it can be part of only one folder. Although this transition appears to be a huge undertaking, the good news is that you can switch from Outlook to Gmail while retaining your folder hierarchy.

Will Folder Substructure Be Retained in Gmail?

Yes. Outlook subfolders are retained as labels within Gmail, usually by applying a / to denote structure. For instance:
Outlook Folder: Projects > 2024
Gmail Label: Projects/2024
By implementing this approach, your structural hierarchy is maintained both visually and operationally.

How to Move Outlook Emails to Gmail with Folder Hierarchy Intact

To preserve your subfolder hierarchy when migrating emails, you require a Gmail migration tool that has folder-to-label mapping support.

CloudFuze has a robust, secure, and automated solution for Outlook to Gmail email migration with full folder hierarchy preservation.

Main Features:

• Preserves Outlook’s folder and subfolder hierarchy as Gmail labels
• Migrates email, contacts, calendar, and attachments
• Supports both .pst file imports and direct (source to target) account transfers
• Scales well for individuals, SMBs, and enterprise migrations
• Provides extensive reports, tracking, and error handling

From a one-time transfer to a company-wide migration, CloudFuze streamlines the whole process and leaves nothing behind.

Supported Outlook Data Types by CloudFuze

Outlook Folders vs Gmail Labels

Top IT Admins Questions Regarding Outlook to Gmail Migration

1. Will Gmail rebuild the same folder structure that I had in Outlook?

Yes, Gmail will rebuild your Outlook folder structure as labels, but only as accurately as your migration. When you migrate with CloudFuze, your Outlook folders (and subfolders) are converted to Gmail labels in a slash format to preserve the hierarchy.

For instance:

Outlook: Projects > Clients > 2024

Becomes Projects/Clients/2024 in Gmail

This way, users can navigate their mail in the same way that they’re used to in Outlook.

2. Are subfolders in Outlook lost or merged when transitioning to Gmail?

No. Subfolders aren’t lost or combined when transferring from Outlook to Gmail. They’re completely maintained as part of the label structure. Gmail shows them with nested labels, giving a natural folder-like appearance, particularly if labels are arranged in the left sidebar. Manual migration can destroy the hierarchy, so a good quality migration tool is the way to go for correct outcomes.

3. I’ve got years of email stored in folders, will that folder setup transfer over to Gmail?

Yes. CloudFuze preserves all folder-based organization, such as archives, sent mail, and custom folders, during migration. You will not lose your historical structure or have to recreate it by hand.

4. What are the common challenges when migrating subfolders from Outlook to Gmail

• Folders vs. Labels Structure
• Large Volume of Emails
• Metadata Loss
• Attachments Fail to Migrate
• Duplicate Emails
• Security Risk

Addressing these challenges is easy with careful planning, partnering with the right migration tool, and thorough post-migration verification to ensure data integrity and user satisfaction.

5. How to migrate Outlook emails to Gmail without losing structure?

The optimal method is to utilize CloudFuze’s email migration tool, designed specifically for smooth, precise, and secure migrations. Manual imports or simple tools lack control over:

• Folder-label mapping
• Email filtering by date or user
• Enterprise-scale migrations with reporting

Begin with a test migration on a single account to ensure everything appears correct before deploying to all users.

CloudFuze vs Manual Migration Tools

Conclusion

It’s simple to move from Outlook to Gmail and still use subfolders by having the right tools. Although Gmail employs labels rather than folders, the process is very much the same, and tools like CloudFuze guarantee your migration is seamless, precise, and hassle-free.

Whether you’re migrating one user or hundreds (or even thousands), planning ahead and using our platform can make all the difference.

Ready to Migrate?

If you’re preparing to move from Outlook to Gmail and want to ensure:

• All emails are preserved
• Folder structure remains intact
• The process is secure and seamless

CloudFuze is your go-to solution that ticks it all.

Get in touch with our migration experts for a personalized consultation. </p?