Migrate from Gmail to Outlook (Microsoft 365)

You're moving from Gmail to Outlook / Microsoft 365 and you don't want to leave anything behind: not the thousands of archived emails, not the contacts, not the calendar. Rest assured, it all transfers with standard tools, and if you keep a custom domain, the switch can happen with no mail interruption at all.

What gets migrated — and why move to Outlook

A Gmail account holds more than email, and everything must follow:

• Email: the inbox, labels (which become folders in Outlook), sent items and archives.
• Contacts: your Google Contacts address book.
• Calendar: Google Calendar appointments and calendars, including recurring events.
• Files: documents kept in Google Drive, to be moved to OneDrive or SharePoint.

People move to Outlook / Microsoft 365 to work inside the Office ecosystem (Word, Excel, Teams), get a rich desktop client, and centralise mail and documents under a single licence.

Step 1 — Prepare access and audit

Gmail requires one precaution: for an external tool to read the mailbox over IMAP, turn on 2-Step Verification then create a dedicated app password — that's what you'll use, not your usual password. Also make sure IMAP is enabled in Gmail settings. On the audit side: note the mailbox size, and if you use a custom domain, record the MX records, the SPF and the TTL, then lower the TTL before the cutover.

Step 2 — Provision Microsoft 365

Create the Microsoft 365 account and, if you have a domain, add it and verify it (TXT record). The Outlook mailbox is ready but empty; don't change the MX yet, so Gmail keeps receiving during the copy.

Step 3 — Migrate email (IMAP or export)

Two reliable paths:

• IMAP migration from the Microsoft 365 Exchange admin center: server imap.gmail.com, port 993 over SSL, using the app password. Ideal for moving the history into a mailbox on a custom domain.
• Export via Google Takeout: Takeout generates an MBOX file of the whole mailbox; you then import it into Outlook (converting it to PST if needed). Handy for a personal Gmail account with no domain.

Remember that Gmail uses labels, not folders: an email with several labels can appear duplicated once turned into Outlook folders. That's expected, not data loss.

The golden rule: copy the whole history while Gmail is still running, and only switch the MX once the copy is complete.

Step 4 — Contacts, calendar and Drive files

Export Google Contacts as CSV (or vCard) and import them into Outlook; export Google Calendar as .ics and import it into the Outlook calendar. For files, install Google Drive for desktop to pull your documents locally, then let OneDrive sync push them up — or drop team folders into SharePoint.

Step 5 — Cut over DNS/MX (custom domain)

If your email uses a domain of your own, point the records to Microsoft once the copy is done:

• MX to your-domain.mail.protection.outlook.com.
• autodiscover CNAME to autodiscover.outlook.com.
• SPF include:spf.protection.outlook.com, then enable DKIM on the Microsoft side.

The lowered TTL speeds up propagation; run a delta sync to bring over the last messages that reached Gmail during coexistence.

Step 6 — Verify and common pitfalls

Send a test email both ways, check folders, contacts and calendar, then set up the client: in Outlook, add the Microsoft 365 account; on mobile, replace the Gmail account with the Microsoft one.

• Rate limits: Gmail caps IMAP downloads; the copy may slow down, let it finish.
• Label duplicates: a side effect of the labels → folders model, to tidy up afterwards if needed.
• Recurring calendars: check time-zone shifts and invitations after import.
• Don't close Gmail too early: keep it active for a few days after the confirmed cutover.

How much it costs: Yuna7 vs an IT contractor

Having a contractor migrate Gmail to Outlook / Microsoft 365 often costs several hundred dollars, with quotes and lead times. Yuna7 automates the switch and you only pay for what's actually used — you can even try it free.

Let Yuna7 migrate Gmail to Outlook / Microsoft 365 for you

Describe your migration in one sentence — "migrate my Gmail to Outlook" — and the AI does the rest: it prepares IMAP access, provisions the Microsoft 365 mailbox, transfers email, contacts, calendar and Drive files, cuts over DNS if you have a domain and verifies everything is there. You only approve the sensitive steps. Far cheaper than a technician.