Best Methods to Migrate IMAP to Google Workspace Account

After seeing the aforementioned question last week, I looked up and tested every way to import IMAP to G Suite account. After consulting with technical experts, I discovered the two most effective approaches. Before we proceed with the methods, it’s important to comprehend the rationale behind the switch from IMAP to Google Workspace.

Why Should I Migrate IMAP to Google Workspace Account?

Migrating your on-premise IMAP server to Google Workspace can bring several benefits to your organisation. Here are some key reasons why you should consider making the switch:

Feature	IMAP	Google Workspace
Email Storage	Limited by server capacity.	Generous storage per user.
Collaboration Tools	Basic email functionality.	Extensive suite of tools (Docs, Sheets, Slides, etc.) for collaboration.
Security	Relies on individual server security measures.	Advanced security features like 2-step verification, encryption, and security key enforcement.
Integration	Limited integration capabilities.	Extensive integration with third-party apps and services.
Data Syncing	Synchronises email across devices.	Seamless syncing across devices for emails, files, and calendars.
Support and Updates	Limited support and updates.	Regular updates and support from Google.
Cost	Generally free or low cost.	Subscription-based pricing with varying plans and features.

You can proceed to learn the detailed instructions for backup IMAP to G Suite or Google Workspace account once you have a clear understanding of the differences between IMAP and Google Wordspace.

Technique 1: How to Migrate IMAP to Google Workspace Account Manually?

If you would like to move your IMAP emails manually to G Suite, follow the steps below to move IMAP emails to Google Workspace account for free.

Step 1: Set Up the Data Migration Service:

1. Sign in to your G Suite admin console.
2. Go to “Data migration” under “Tools.”
3. Click on “Set Data Migration Service.”
4. Choose “Email” as the data type you want to migrate.
5. Enter the IMAP server details, such as the server address, port, and encryption method.
6. Enter the email address and password of the IMAP account you want to migrate.
7. Select the migration start date and click “Start.”

Step 2: Migrate IMAP Mailbox to Google Workspace:

1. After setting up the Data Migration Service, go back to the data migration page in your admin console.
2. Click on “Migrate data” and select “Email.”
3. Choose the user accounts you want to migrate the emails to.
4. Click “Migrate” to start the migration process.
5. Monitor the migration progress on the data migration dashboard.

You can use Google Workspace’s Data Migration Service to manually move IMAP emails to G Suite by following these steps. However, you should be aware of its limitations, which are listed below.

Drawbacks of the Manual Approach:

Read about the limitations of the above method that you will face during migration:

• The manual method can’t save IMAP data to Google Wordspace in bulk at the same time.
• It can damage or corrupt the data when you make some silly mistake.
• It requires technical experience to perform the method accurately.
• It doesn’t provide helpful features, so you can’t migrate the data from IMAP to G Suite according to your needs.
• It can be a time-consuming and lengthy method when you have large amounts of data to migrate.

If the manual method is not suitable for you to migrate IMAP to G Suite and you want to migrate all the data from IMAP to G Suite without difficulty, you should choose the advanced technique to perform this task. In the below section, we will discuss the automated method in detail.

Technique 2: How to Migrate IMAP to Google Workspace Account Directly?

The IMAP Backup Tool is a reliable and risk-free solution to migrate IMAP emails to G Suite with original formatting. It handles huge amounts of data at the same time without damaging it. Here are some benefits of the professional solution:

1. You can remove all the duplicate emails from your IMAP account on the basis of Subject, To, From, and Body.
2. It allows you to migrate emails according to your selective data range.
3. You can export IMAP emails to PDF, PST, MSG, CSV, DOC, and many other file formats. 
4. It’s able to migrate all the emails, with or without attachment files.
5. It provides a simple GUI, so everyone can use this software without technical experience.
6. It can migrate IMAP data to G Suite directly in bulk without losing or corrupting it.
7. It gives an option to delete the emails of IMAP accounts after taking a backup.
8. You can assign a name to the output folder in which all emails get saved.
9. You can also migrate IMAP Emails to Office 365, Gmail, G Suite, AOL, Yahoo Mail, and other web and cloud-based email clients.
10. You can download this tool for free, and the demo version will only migrate 50 emails per folder.

After going over the benefits of the automated method, let’s discuss the step-by-step guide without further delay.

Follow the instructions to migrate IMAP to G Suite Account:

1. Download and launch the IMAP Backup tool on your device.
2. Log in with your IMAP credentials that you want to migrate.
3. After processing, choose the folders from the tree-structure list and then click the Next button.
4. Now, select the Email Clients option, then click on the drop-down menu to choose G Suite, and then click Next.
5. Click the Login button and choose the account where you want to migrate data.
6. After authentication is successful, go back to the tool and choose the additional features that you need.
7. In the end, click on the Next button to start the process of the IMAP to G Suite migration.

By following the above steps, you can migrate uncountable items from IMAP to G Suite directly.

Conclusion

As we discussed different manual and professional methods to migrate IMAP to Google Workspace or G Suite account, the manual method can migrate IMAP to a G Suite account with limited data at the same time. Also, it has some limitations. Other than that, the professional method is the best and most reliable method, which has no limitations, so you can migrate your entire account from IMAP to G Suite. Now, it’s up to you to choose the right solution according to your needs. If you have any questions, you can ask them without hesitation.

Frequently Asked Questions: