Read time: 8 minutes
Summary: There are multiple options to back up emails from Google Workspace user mailboxes to the EML file format. You can use the Data Export tool (from Google Admin Console), the Google Takeout web app, or a professional G Suite backup tool to backup from different accounts.
User Query: “Some of our team members have exited the organization in the past year. We are planning to deactivate their Google Workspace subscription, but before that, it’s important to extract the data stored in their accounts. To retain their mailboxes, we’re considering to backup G Suite mailboxes to EML files. Do you know how to execute this process without missing the attachments, metadata, and folder structure?”
So many organizations face this issue during the offboarding of their employees to save on the unnecessary costs of buying licenses. We’ve been there, so we know how it feels!
Backing up G Suite mailboxes to an EML file is a great way of storing email data. This is particularly because EML files are acceptable with most of the email clients like Thunderbird, Apple Mail, Outlook, eM client, and Windows Mail. To find ways that help you export the data backup, read this write-up and see how to plan a structured backup.
Quick Solution: Export Google Workspace to EML
- Open any email within your mailbox.
- Click the three dots and select Download message from the dropdown.
- Save the file locally. It will be downloaded as an EML file.
Why Backup G Suite Mailboxes to EML?
Here are the few reasons which explains why you need to save your G Suite mailbox data in EML format.
- Wider compatibility: EML files are compatible and can be opened, read, and shared with several email clients like Outlook, Apple Mail, etc.
- Granular backup: Since every email is a separate EML file, you can backup, share, or delete individual email items.
- Legal & compliance: EML files contain Internet Message Format headers, which makes them highly suitable for legal purposes.
- Preserve metadata: Exporting emails to EML file save complete email body, header, attachments, and their related metadata.
How to Export Emails from Google Workspace to EML?
Follow the processes given below using Data Export tool and Google Takeout to back up your Google Workspace emails:
Use the Data Export tool
The Data Export tool is a part of Google Workspace Core Services. When the emails are available in Gmail, then you can export them.
- Sign in to your G Suite account using Super Administrator credentials and go to Admin Console.
- In Tools, type Data Export and double-click to open it.
- In the Data Export tool, click the Start Export button to export the data to an external file.
- All the data of core services like Gmail, Contacts, and Docs will be exported. You should know that all the users who are associated with Super Administrator will benefit from the Google Workspace data export tool.
Limitations of Data Export tool
- Only those Super Administrators can start the export process whose accounts are created more than 30 days before the request.
- An administrator should enable two-factor authentication.
- Only the administrator will get the notification about the export process status.
Download Gmail Backup using Google Takeout
You can also backup Gmail emails using the in-built Google Takeout utility. Here is the process:
- Open Gmail and go to Google Takeout dashboard.
- Mark the checkbox Deselect All to avoid selecting unnecessary data.
- Go to Mail and select the checkbox > All Mail data included.
- Click Next and select the destination to “Send download link via email.”
- Choose file type as Zip and define the preferred file size.
- Tap on Create Export and download the backup once completed.
After that, import the downloaded MBOX file to your Thunderbird email client using ImportExportTools NG extension. Select all the desired emails and save them to EML file format.
Backup G Suite Mailboxes to EML: Fast & Easy Way
Kernel Google Workspace Backup and Restore tool will export all the data to a zipped file but does not provide any filter or mapping option. So, you should use professional software that can save emails in any desired format, providing flexible filters. Apart from emails, the software will backup G Suite Contacts, Calendar to Outlook PST and other file formats.
The Google Workspace Backup tool software is the perfect alternative to any manual method to export the G Suite mailbox folders. Follow the step-by-step process to backup data using the tool:
- On the home screen of the software, click the Add option.
- Input the Google Workspace account login ID, a Server account ID, and a P 12 File accessible from its path. Then choose the second option to select multiple user accounts. Then click Get User Mailbox(es).
- The software will enlist all the accounts. You can choose the useful ones and then click the Add button.
- The tool will select all the user account for backup. Then you need to click the Set Filter and Migrate option.
- The filter page has all the filters that you can use for your mailbox. Then click Ok to proceed with backup.
- Choose EML as the output format and click OK.
- Select the folder where you want to save the EML files. Then click OK.
- The software will save all the emails in an EML file and keep them separately for easy identification. Click OK.
Now, you can go to the folder and check your backed-up G Suite mailboxes in EML file format.
Benefits of G Suite Backup tool
- Backup multiple mailboxes – The software will back up all the mailboxes.
- Run multiple migration instances – The user can start a migration instance and then add one or more instances to speed up the migration.
- Take a backup in multiple formats – The available output formats are PST, EML, MSG, HTML, MHTML, DOC, DOCX, and PDF. The user can select any format and save the files.
- Use CSV file – The CSV file will allow adding an unlimited number of mailboxes at the same time. It will save time.
Conclusion
With the methods mentioned above, you can back up your crucial emails from G Suite to EML. However, there can be performance issues; you might need to download emails manually and sometimes wait for days to complete. However, with the Kernel Google Workspace Backup and Restore tool, you can save backups, minimizing the chances of data loss. Download the tool to secure your data and restore the on the desired email client as required.
Frequently Asked Questions
A. For Business Starter, the size limit is 30 GB; for Business Standard, the size limit is 2 TB; for Business Plus, the size limit is 5 TB.
A- You can create up to 30 aliases for an email address. You can use these aliases to add the Google Workspace account to the software.
A- Yes, the software can save the attachments of Gmail.
A- EML stands for Electronic Mail Format. So, it is created solely for email messages. Even when you backup multiple emails, each email will be saved in separate EML files.
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