Simple Guide to Migrate Google Drive to Google Workspace

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  • Updated on October 29th, 2025

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To upgrade to a digital learning environment, a school using individual Gmail accounts chooses to switch to Google Workspace for education. Hence, the IT management carefully migrate Google Drive to Workspace. There are various manual methods for migrating data, which are outlined below. But, for those who need a quick solution, use an expert solution like Cigati Google Drive Migration Tool. This tool not only migrates to G Suite but also to a local drive and OneDrive. Read the blog carefully for a better understanding.

Why Users Migrate Google Drive to Google Workspace?

There are many common scenarios where the user might want to migrate the Google Drive data to G Suite. Given below are a few of the scenarios:

  • Users transition to Google Workspace for accessing its suite of collaborative and productive tools.
  • Businesses require more cloud storage space to store their data, as Google Workspace offers more comprehensive storage plans.
  • This transition also provides enterprise-level data protection while maintaining data integrity.
  • This Google Drive to G Suite migration manages scattered individual Google Drives to a central domain.
  • Also, to transition from a personal to a professional setup, companies do this migration. 

Effective Techniques to Migrate Google Drive to Workspace 

There are three manual approaches and one automated approach to migrate data to G Suite. Review them by understanding both the pros and cons of each of the approaches. 

#1: Migrate Personal Google Drive to G Suite with Google Shared Drives

This is a simple method to migrate your Personal Google Drive data to G Suite (Business Google Drive account). But this process is suitable for migrating only a limited amount of data.

The following are the manual steps to begin the procedure:

  1. First, log in to your Personal Google Drive account.
  2. Then, find and locate the files or folders you wish to migrate to Workspace.
  3. Next, right-click on the selected files or folders and click on the Share button.
  4. Enter your Google Workspace email ID and set the permission to Editor and hit Send.
  5. Now, in your web browser, log in to your Google Workspace account.
  6. Under the Shared with me section, select the shared files, right-click on them, and click Add Shortcut to Drive.
  7. Finally, copy-paste the selected items in the My Drive section in your Workspace account.

Limitations: It requires a lot of manual effort, which can be inefficient for organizations. After the migration, the folder structure might get disorganized. Also, there can be duplicate files too. 

#2: Move Google Drive Data Using Google Takeout

Google offers a service called Google Takeout through which users can export data from their Google products. Hence, they can easily migrate their personal Google Drive data too. 

Below are the steps to start the migration process:

Step 01: Export the Google Drive Data

  1. Visit takeout.google.com and sign in with your Personal Google account.
  2. Once signed in, navigate to the Deselect All toggle and turn it ON.
  3. Then check the Drive checkbox and select All Drive data included.
  4. After that, click on the Next Step and choose the Delivery Method as Set Download link via email.
  5. Now, choose the Export type and hit Create Export.
  6. Download the ZIP file and extract it.

Step 02: Upload Google Drive Data to Google Workspace

  1. Now, log in to your Google Workspace account.
  2. Then, open Google Drive > + New > File upload and select the exported files that you want to import.
  3. Moreover, for team access, you can also move the files to a Shared Drive.

Limitations: This export and upload process is a lengthy process and is a bit time-consuming. After re-uploading, the folder structure may not be the same as the original one. Also, you need to have storage space to download the archived file.

Migrate Google Drive Using Google Workspace Admin Console

This data migration service is provided by Google Admin Console. It allows the admins to migrate data from a Personal Google Drive account to a Business Google Drive account (G Suite). It is primarily designed for organizational purposes.

The following are the steps to start the process:

  1. First, go to admin.google.com and sign in to your Google Workspace admin credentials.
  2. Then, press Menu > Data Migration > SET UP DATA MIGRATION.
  3. After that, in the Migration Source, choose Google Drive > Drive.
  4. Now, enter the source Google Drive account credentials and grant the necessary permissions.
  5. Then, add the destination Google Workspace account credentials and set the migration options.
  6. At the end, click on the Start Migration button.

Limitations: This process works only if the user has admin privileges. The method can be a bit complex for non-technical users. Additionally, the process takes a significant amount of time as it migrates a large amount of data. 

Quick Solution to Migrate Personal Google Drive to Workspace Google Drive

With the Cigati Google Drive Migration Tool, user can quickly migrate their Google Drive data to G Suite. In addition to this, it can migrate to OneDrive and the Local Drive as well. This utility proves to fulfill both individual and business requirements. One of the best things about this tool is that it ensures that no data is lost. It safely migrates the Google Drive data to a preferred destination. 

Easy steps to migrate personal Google Drive to business G Suite:

  1. Start by installing and opening the tool on your PC.
  2. After that, click Next and select the Google Drive account (Personal) and hit Ok.
  3. Now, the Google Drive folders will be displayed. Select the folders you want to migrate and preview their properties.
  4. Next, apply the necessary filters and click on the again click on the Next button.
  5. Then, select the destination as Google Drive (Google Workspace Business account).
  6. Finally, hit Next to start the migration, and you can also view the Migration Report and download it.

Conclusion

The Google Drive to Workspace migration is done as the businesses scale. They require more storage space to maintain their workflow. This blog has outlined multiple ways in which users can migrate Google Drive to Workspace. For a reliable, error-free, and quick approach, an expert tool, Cigati Google Drive Migration Tool, is recommended. Try its demo version to explore its functionalities in more detail.

You May Also Read: Transfer Google Drive to Another Account

Frequently Asked Questions

Q: What is the best way to move files from a free Gmail Drive to Google Workspace?

Ans: This totally depends on the users’ requirements. For a small set of data, choose either the Google Takeout or Google Shared Drives method. But for a large dataset, we recommend using the professional tool or through the manual Google Workspace admin console.

Q: Are there any limitations when using Google Takeout to transfer Drive files?

Ans: Yes. These limitations are: it does not migrate shared files, time-consuming, manual effort, and it becomes inefficient for bulk migrations.

About The Author:

Rohit Singh is an Email Backup, Recovery & Migration Consultant and is associated with Software Company from the last 3 years. He writes technical updates and their features related to MS Outlook, Exchange Server, Office 365, and many other Email Clients & Servers.

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