How to Migrate Outlook Folders to Gmail: A Complete Guide

Outlook to Gmail migration can be complicated when you require the transfer of emails as well as complete folders/subfolders, attachments, contacts, calendars, and metadata. Whether you are an individual user migrating or a business merging Microsoft 365 and Google Workspace accounts, a proper plan is important to ensure that there is no loss of data or downtime.

In this blog post, we’ll guide you through migrating Outlook folders to Gmail, discuss both manual and automated approaches, and detail why CloudFuze is the best business and IT team solution.

Migrate Outlook Folders to Gmail

When transferring Outlook to Gmail, it’s not only emails that matter. All folder hierarchy, including subfolders and labels, has to be migrated as well to ensure workflow continuity.

For example, in Outlook, you could have folders called “Projects,” “Invoices,” and “Client Communications,” each with significant emails and subfolders.
Here’s what a migration looks like:

Folder Mapping: Each of your Outlook folders is mapped to a matching Gmail label. For example:

• Outlook’s Projects → Gmail label Projects
• Outlook’s Invoices → Gmail label Invoices
• Subfolders such as Client A under Projects → Nested label Projects/Client A in Gmail

Email Transfer: All emails in the folder, along with attachments and metadata such as timestamps, sender/recipient details, and read/unread status, are transferred.

Verification: Users can see their familiar folder hierarchy now represented as Gmail labels post-migration. Emails are intact, nothing is lost.

All, from email attachments to read/unread status, is retained so users can just keep working as before without reshuffling their emails.

Two Ways to Migrate Outlook Folders to Gmail

There are two ways to transfer Outlook emails and folders to Gmail:

• Manual Outlook to Gmail Migration
• Automated Outlook to Gmail Migration with CloudFuze (Recommended for businesses)

Method 1: Manual Migration

If your Outlook data is local in a PST file, you can transfer it to Gmail by using the desktop Outlook application and IMAP.

Steps:

• Open the Outlook application on your desktop and log in.
• Export emails into a .pst file (File > Open & Export > Import/Export > Export to a file).
• Enable IMAP in settings of Gmail.
• Add your Gmail account in Outlook (File > Info > Add Account).
• Import the PST file into your Gmail account using the Outlook application.

Limitations:

• Time consuming and requires constant internet access.
• High chances of errors and lost metadata.
• Folder hierarchies may not be retained.
• Not scalable for enterprises.

Manual migration can work on a user-by-user basis but is risky for enterprises with millions of emails spread across departments.

Method 2: Automated Outlook to Gmail Migration with CloudFuze

For SMBs and enterprises, CloudFuze offers a fast, secure and automated Outlook to Gmail migration tool that preserves data integrity.

What CloudFuze Migrates:

• Emails (including folders & attachments)
• Contacts
• Calendars
• Metadata (timestamps, read/unread status, labels)
• Permissions & share settings

How It Works:

• Connect Outlook/Microsoft 365 as the source.
• Connect Gmail/Google Workspace as the target.
• Select what to move (emails, contacts, calendars, folders, etc.).
• Start migration. CloudFuze runs silently with no business impact.
• Download a report after migration for compliance and auditing.

See How Outlook Folders Look in Gmail After Migration

Before Migration: Outlook

Here, Outlook folder “Folder01” contains all emails and subfolders that need to be migrated.

After Migration: Gmail

After migration, the Outlook folder “Folder01” appears in Gmail as a label with the same name, “Folder01”. Our tool preserves all emails, attachments, and folder hierarchy.

The table below highlights how key features of Outlook folders are preserved after migration to Gmail with CloudFuze Migrate tool:

Conclusion

Migrating Outlook folders to Gmail can be done manually or with an automated solution. Manual processes are prone to errors and are ideally suited for users who have small mailboxes. For businesses that require speed, accuracy, and scalability, CloudFuze Migrate is the safest Outlook to Gmail migration tool.

At CloudFuze, we’ve assisted businesses in migrating millions of users and petabytes of data with zero downtime. If you’re considering moving Outlook to Gmail, our migration tool will import your emails, folders, contacts, and metadata without any interruption.

Ready to migrate Outlook to Gmail with zero risk? Talk to our migration experts today.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

1. Can I move Outlook folders to Gmail without losing structure?

Yes. Your Outlook subfolders and folders are kept intact with CloudFuze.

2. Does CloudFuze transfer anything other than emails?

Yes. We at CloudFuze transfer calendars, contacts, attachments, as well as metadata along with emails.

3. How long does it take to migrate from Outlook to Gmail?

This depends on how large your data is. At CloudFuze, we can transfer terabytes of email in the shortest possible timeframe without causing zero downtime.

4. Can enterprises transfer thousands of mailboxes simultaneously?

Yes. we offer bulk Outlook-to-Gmail migrations to large organizations with centralized admin controls.

5. Is manual migration safe for businesses?

Not really. Manual approaches are prone to errors, labor-intensive, and don’t provide compliance-grade reporting.