How to Export Gmail to PST File – Easy Solutions

Gmail remains a top choice for both personal and professional communication worldwide. Since Gmail holds a large amount of data, users often need to create a local backup of their emails. Therefore, they prefer to export Gmail to PST format for easier access and better security. There are various techniques to achieve this conversion. Users can opt for manual options or use a dedicated Cigati Gmail Backup Tool that offers advanced features to simplify the process. Continue reading this blog to learn multiple methods for better results. 

Gmail is a powerful email platform offered by Google that helps users manage emails for reliable communication. It provides various features like advanced search, filters, auto-categorization, etc.

PST stands for Personal Storage Table. The Outlook data file, PST, is a file format that saves a local copy of your email data. It includes messages, attachments, contacts, calendars, etc. 

Also Read: Add Gmail Account to Outlook

Why You Should Convert Gmail to PST?

Before we begin the Gmail to PST export process, let’s first identify the reasons for converting Gmail to PST. 

• Exporting Gmail emails to PST creates a secure offline backup accessible anytime through Outlook.
• It is simple and easy to migrate from Gmail to Outlook or set up on a new system. 
• Archiving older emails in PST format helps reduce Gmail’s storage usage without losing essential data.
• With the PST backup, users protect their emails in case of accidental deletion or account issues.
• PST files allow you to merge multiple accounts into one Outlook account for simplified access.

How to Export Gmail to PST File Format? – Two Easy Methods

Different users have different requirements when it comes to exporting Gmail emails to the PST format. Below, we have gathered some of the most efficient methods for Gmail to PST export. 

Export Gmail Emails to PST Manually Using Outlook

In this method, you need to first configure Gmail in Outlook to export your Gmail data. Although it involves a bit of setup, the method is suitable for users who are comfortable with basic email settings. 

The following are the steps to perform to export Gmail emails to PST:

1. Sign in with your Gmail account credentials. 
2. Then, go to Settings > See all settings > Forwarding and POP/IMAP > and Enable IMAP.
3. Click on Save Changes and open the Outlook application.
4. Add your Gmail account to Outlook and let it sync.
5. Now, navigate to File > Open & Export > Import/Export.
6. Choose Export to a file and click Next.
7. Select Outlook Data File (.pst) and then click Next to continue.
8. After that, pick the destination location to save your resultant file.
9. Finally, click on the Finish button to start the export process.

Drawbacks: Handling large mailboxes for Gmail to PST export can be a time-consuming process. Also, configuring Gmail in Outlook can be a complicated task for non-technical users. Attachments may not get exported sometimes, resulting in incomplete backups. 

Dedicated Tool to Export Gmail to PST File

The Cigati Gmail Backup Tool is a secure and reliable solution to back up and export Gmail data efficiently. Users can back up emails from the Inbox, Sent Items, and Drafts. The tool supports exporting emails in formats like CSV, etc, or transferring them directly to different email clients. Some of its advanced features include email filtering, duplicate email prevention, etc. Additionally, users have an option to skip the attachments if needed for a more customized backup process. 

Steps to export email from Gmail to PST:

1. Download and run the tool.
2. Now, select Gmail (Backup Mails only) and sign in with your Gmail Email ID and Password.
3. Select the email folders that you wish to export. Then, click Next to proceed further.
4. Choose Save in File Format and then select PST. 
5. Opt for any extra filters as required, and then click Next.
6. After that, choose the Save Path to set the destination folder.
7. Finally, click on the Download button to start the process. 

Conclusion

If you want to access your Gmail emails offline or are planning to move to Outlook, it is necessary to export Gmail to PST. As discussed above, there are two ways to do this conversion. The manual method using Outlook does work, but it can be slow and complex. For a simpler and faster experience, using a professional export tool can simplify the process while improving efficiency. 

Frequently Asked Questions

Q – How do I export Gmail emails to a PST file?

Ans – To do this, you need to first enable IMAP in your Gmail account. Then, add your Gmail account to Outlook. After that, import the Outlook PST File. This is a manual approach and therefore is a little tricky. Make sure to configure the Gmail account in Outlook properly.

Q – Why is there a need to export Gmail emails to a PST File?

Ans – There are different scenarios where the user might consider exporting Gmail emails to a PST file format. A few of them are: creating a local backup, easy email migration, freeing up Gmail’s storage space, and better security, etc.

You May Also Read: Export Gmail Emails to CSV

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