Migrate Google Drive to OneDrive / SharePoint

Moving from Google Drive to OneDrive and SharePoint is usually part of a wider switch to Microsoft 365. The challenge isn't copying files — it's keeping the folder tree, the sharing and the versions, and handling the conversion of Google Docs. Good news: with the right tools, you can transfer everything without breaking links or losing content.

What gets migrated — and why switch

A file migration goes well beyond a simple copy-paste. You need to think about:

• Files and the folder tree: each user's "My Drive" and the team Shared drives, with their folder structure.
• Google Docs, Sheets and Slides: proprietary formats that need to be converted to Word, Excel and PowerPoint.
• Sharing and permissions: who can access what, in read or write mode, and the sharing links.
• Versions and dates: ideally, preserving history and modification dates.

Teams migrate to OneDrive / SharePoint to unify files and productivity inside Microsoft 365, benefit from Office co-authoring, OneDrive sync on every machine, and centralized access governance.

Step 1 — Audit and inventory the Drive

Before transferring, map the source:

• Measure the total and per-user volume: it drives the duration and the risk of hitting Google API limits.
• Decide what goes where: personal data to OneDrive, team Shared drives to SharePoint document libraries.
• List external shares and files owned by accounts that will be deleted.
• Hunt down naming pitfalls: characters forbidden on Windows, over-long paths, files larger than the OneDrive limit.

Step 2 — Provision OneDrive and SharePoint

On the target side, make sure each user has a Microsoft 365 license with OneDrive enabled, then create the SharePoint sites and document libraries that will host the Shared drives. Define the access groups now: the permissions after migration will rely on them.

Step 3 — Transfer the files

Several real methods exist, depending on volume:

• Google Takeout: exports an entire Drive as archives. Ideal for a backup or a small migration; Google Docs can be exported directly in Office formats.
• Google Drive for desktop + OneDrive: mount the source Drive on a machine, copy the folders into the local OneDrive folder, and let sync push them to the cloud.
• SharePoint Migration Tool (SPMT): for large Shared drives going into SharePoint libraries, keeping the folder tree and metadata.

Whatever the tool, start with a full initial copy, then run delta passes to catch files changed since, until you freeze the source on cutover day.

The switch happens with no downtime when you copy everything ahead of time, then sync only the changes before moving the teams over.

Step 4 — Convert the Google Docs

Google Docs, Sheets and Slides aren't "native" files: on disk they're just shortcuts. They have to be exported to .docx, .xlsx and .pptx — Takeout does this automatically, as does Drive for desktop at copy time. Then check the formatting of complex documents (pivot tables, macros, advanced formulas), which may need adjusting in Office.

Step 5 — Restore sharing and permissions

This is the trickiest step: Google permissions don't transfer automatically to Microsoft. After the copy, recreate access on the SharePoint and OneDrive side using the groups defined in step 2, replace the old Google sharing links with Microsoft links, and let external collaborators know the new addresses.

Step 6 — Verification and moving the teams over

Compare file counts and volumes between source and target, open a sample of converted documents, and check a few key permissions. Once the last delta sync is done, move the teams onto OneDrive / SharePoint, deploy the OneDrive sync client on the machines, and set the source Drive to read-only while you confirm everything is in place.

Common pitfalls

• API and rate limits: Google throttles bulk downloads; spread out exports to avoid temporary blocks.
• Characters and paths: forbidden names or over-long paths block OneDrive sync; rename before transferring.
• Files owned by others: in a Shared drive, a file may belong to an external account; check ownership before migrating.
• Duplicates: don't rerun a full copy after the cutover, only a delta pass.
• Deleting too early: only delete the source Drive after full validation on the Microsoft side.

How much it costs: Yuna7 vs an IT contractor

Having a contractor migrate Google Drive to OneDrive / SharePoint 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 Google Drive to OneDrive / SharePoint for you

Describe your migration in one sentence — "migrate my Google Drive to OneDrive and SharePoint" — and the AI does the rest: it audits the volume and shares, provisions the SharePoint sites, transfers the files via Takeout, Drive for desktop or the SharePoint Migration Tool, converts the Google Docs and restores permissions, then verifies nothing is missing. You only approve the sensitive steps. Far cheaper than a technician, and launched in minutes.