This guide provides answers to frequently asked questions about migrating to and from Google Groups, including details on migrating from Exchange and Shared Mailboxes.
Q: Can I migrate user mailboxes to a Google Group?
A: Yes. CloudM Migrate supports migrating user mailboxes to either a Google Workspace user account or a Google Group. Migrating a user account to a Google Group is a common migration scenario. You will configure this on the 'Items to migrate' page using one of two methods: manually adding an item or modifying an existing entry.
Method 1: Manually Add a New Item
You can either manually enter the details or import them in bulk using a CSV file. For bulk import instructions, see our guide on Bulk Add (Import) Items.
To manually add an item, select 'Add items to migrate' > 'Manually enter' and configure the following settings:
| Field | Description |
|---|---|
| Export Type | User |
| Import Type | Group |
| Export Name | The source mailbox's email address (e.g., user@sourcedomain.com). |
| Import Name | The destination Google Group's primary email address (e.g., group@destinationdomain.com). |
| Item Types | Mail |
Method 2: Modify an Existing Item
If you have already added a list of items to the migration, you can modify an existing entry to change its destination from a user to a group.
- Select the item in the list that you wish to modify.
- Click 'Migrate as' > 'Group'.
Q: How do I migrate Exchange Shared Mailboxes to a Google Group?
A: You can migrate an Exchange Shared Mailbox to a Google Group by adding it as a User entity to the migration list and setting the destination as a Google Group.
Migration Configuration
When adding items manually or via a CSV, use the following settings:
| Field | Description |
|---|---|
| Export Type | User |
| Import Type | Group |
| Export Name | The source Shared Mailbox's email address. |
| Import Name | The destination Google Group's primary email address. |
| Item Types | Mail |
Q: How do I migrate Exchange Public Folders to a Google Group?
A: By default, CloudM Migrate automatically configures Exchange Public Folders to migrate to Google Groups. If you need to change this, you can manually set the Public Folder to migrate to a user account instead. For more information on common Public Folder migration scenarios to Google Workspace, please refer to this section: Migrating to Google Workspace.
Migration Configuration
When adding items manually or via a CSV, use the following settings:
| Field | Description |
|---|---|
| Export Type | PublicFolder |
| Import Type | Group |
| Export Name | The source Public Folder's email address. |
| Import Name | The destination Google Group's primary email address. |
| Item Types | Mail |
Q: Are there any limitations when migrating to a Google Group?
A: Yes, there are several key limitations to be aware of:
- Message Size Limit: The maximum message size that can be migrated is 25MB. If a message is larger than this, it will either be rejected or have its attachments removed, depending on your 'Modify Invalid Messages' setting. For more information on this limitation, see the Understand Groups policies and limits.
- No Folder/Label Migration: CloudM Migrate does not migrate folder structures or labels into a Google Group. All emails are migrated directly into the group's main message list. This is a limitation of the Google Groups API, which does not support the concept of folders or labels.
- No Tag Support: It is not possible to create Google Group tags during a migration due to API limitations.
- No Google Drive Migration: Attachments cannot be migrated to Google Drive, as Google Groups do not have associated Drive storage.
Q: Can I migrate or export email out of a Google Group?
A: Due to Google API limitations, you cannot directly migrate email out of a Google Group using the standard migration process. It is only possible to migrate to a Google Group.
Q: Is there a workaround to migrate email from a Google Group?
A: Yes, a workaround exists. This method requires Google Vault to be licensed and configured for your Google Workspace, and the group's 'Conversation history' setting must be enabled.
You can use Google Vault to export the group's email data to an MBOX file, and then import that data into a new destination. For detailed instructions, please see our dedicated guide: How to Migrate Google Group Emails Using Google Vault.