Getting Started With Google Takeout

Overview

This article includes instructions to export a Google Workspace file, steps to access Google Takeout, and exporting a Google Workspace data.

Google Takeout is a tool created by the Google Data Liberation Front that allows users of Google products to export their data to a downloadable archive file, a collection of files consolidated into a single file for ease of storage and portability.

These are the following services that can be exported to a downloaded archive file:

  • Google+ (+1s, Circles, Pages, Streams, and Posts)
  • Chrome Sync (Bookmarks)
  • Google Calendar (Appointments)
  • Google Contacts
  • Google Drive Files
  • Google Fit
  • Google Photos
  • Google News
  • Google Play Store
  • Google Play Console
  • Google Play Movies
  • Google Play Music
  • Google Play Games
  • Google Play Books (Metadata and Notes)
  • Google Groups
  • Google Hangouts
  • Google Hangouts On Air
  • Google Keep
  • Google Stadia
  • Google Tasks
  • Google Location History
  • Gmail Data
  • Google Maps (My Maps, Saved Places, and Reviews)
  • Google Profile
  • Android Device Configuration Service
  • Google Home App
  • Input Tools
  • Classic Sites
  • Google Voice (Billing History, Greetings, and Voicemail Recordings)
  • Google Wallet
  • YouTube (Videos, Subscriptions, Chats, Own Comments, Playlists, History, and Live Chat Messages)
  • Google Pay
  • Search Contributions
  • Data Shared For Research
  • Shopping Lists
  • Textcube
  • Google Home
  • Bookmarks
  • Hands Free
  • Street View

Procedure

Access Google Takeout

To get to Google Takeout, follow the following steps:

  1. Go to Google Takeout.
  2. If applicable, enter your login information in the sign-in prompt and select Next.

Welcome to Google Takeout. You'll see here, by default, that some Google services have already been selected to be included in the archive file. You can select or deselect any services to fit your needs.

Export and Download Google Account Data

Google Drive

Google Takeout only provides download access to Google Drive files that you have created in your "My Drive". Files stored in Google shared drives or owned by others (and shared with you) are not included in your Takeout export request.

  1. Follow the instructions in the "How To Access Google Takeout" section.
  2. If you only want to export Google Drive files, select Deselect all in the upper-right corner of the Products section. Scroll down the page and find Drive. Check the box beside Drive.
  3. Select Advanced settings, and then check the boxes for both options under Additional Files. Select OK.
  4. Select All Drive data included. The tool will display all folders in your "My Drive". You can keep the "Include all files and folders in Drive" box checked or uncheck it and select the specific folders you prefer. Select OK.

  1. Scroll to the bottom of the page and select Next Step.
  2. Leave Destination set to "Send download link via email". (If you would like to send the file to a different destination, see the "Settings" section below.)
  3. Leave Frequency set to Export once. (If you would like to set a different export frequency, see the "Settings" section below.)
  4. You can adjust the file type and size of your export under File type and File size. The default options are .zip and 2 GB.
  5. Select Create Export

 

A confirmation of your choices and the date when your Google Takeout export is expected to start will be displayed.

 

Google Mail (Gmail)

  1. Follow the instructions in the "How To Access Google Takeout" section.
  2. If you only want to export Google Mail files, select Deselect all in the upper-right corner of the Products section. Scroll down the page and find Mail. Check the box beside Mail.
  3. Select All Mail data included. The tool will display all mail labels in your Gmail. You can keep the "Include all messages in Mail" box checked or uncheck it and select the specific labels you prefer. Select OK.

  1. Scroll to the bottom of the page and select Next step.
  2. Leave Destination set to "Send download link via email". (If you would like to send the file to a different destination, see the "Settings" section below.)
  3. Leave Frequency set to Export once. (If you would like to set a different export frequency, see the "Settings" section below.)
  4. You can adjust the file type and size of your export under File type and File size. The defaults are .zip and 2 GB.
  5. Select Create Export.

A confirmation of your choices and the date when your Google Takeout export is expected to start will be displayed.

Calendar

  1. Follow the instructions in the "How to Access Google Takeout" section.
  2. If you only want to export Google Calendar files, select Deselect all in the upper-right corner of the Products section. Scroll down the page and find Calendar. Check the box beside Calendar.
  3. Scroll to the bottom of the page and select Next step.
  4. Leave Destination set to "Send download link via email". (If you would like to send the file to a different destination, see the "Settings" section below.)
  5. Leave Frequency set to Export once. (If you would like to set a different export frequency, see the "Settings" section below.)
  6. You can adjust the file type and size of your export under File type and File size. The defaults are .zip and 2 GB.
  7. Select Create Export.

A confirmation of your choices and the date of when your Google Takeout export is expected to start will be displayed.

Contacts

  1. Follow the instructions in the "How to Access Google Takeout" section.
  2. If you only want to export Google Calendar files, select Deselect all in the upper-right corner of the Products section. Scroll down the page and find Contacts. Check the box beside Contacts.
  3. Scroll to the bottom of the page and select Next step.
  4. Leave Destination set to "Send download link via email". (If you would like to send the file to a different destination, see the "Settings" section below.)
  5. Leave Frequency set to Export once. (If you would like to set a different export frequency, see the "Settings" section below.)
  6. You can adjust the file type and size of your export under File type and File size. The defaults are .zip and 2 GB.
  7. Select Create Export.

A confirmation of your choices and the date of when your Google Takeout export is expected to start will be displayed.

Export & Download

  1. Follow the instructions in the "How to Access Google Takeout" section.
  2. Scroll through the page and check the boxes beside each service you'd like to include.
  3. Scroll to the bottom of the page and select Next step.
  4. Leave the default destination "Send download link via email" selected. If you wish to have your export delivered somewhere else, select the proper destination.
  5. Leave Frequency set to Export once. If you wish to change the frequency of exports, select the proper frequency.
  6. You can adjust the file type and size of your export under File type & size.
  7. Select Create export.

A confirmation of your choices and the data of when your Google Takeout export is expected to start will be displayed.

Your export request can take a few minutes to several days to process, depending on the type of data, how much data you're exporting, and how many people are using the tool at the same time. Google Takeout does not delete the data you exported from your Google account. You should always compare your Google Takeout export with the original data still in your Google account to ensure that everything has transferred properly. If Takeout fails or data is missing, try the Takeout process again. (Do not retry the Takeout request while the original export is processing. It will result in a duplication of data and may create confusion.)

Note: To access the contents of the ZIP file and import the .MBOX files, follow this article.

Settings

Google Takeout exports have a few different settings, such as Destination, Frequency, File type & size.

Destination refers to where you would like the archive file to be sent. The default option is “Send download link via email”. This option sends a download link to your email, to which you’ll have one week to download your files. The other options are the following:

Add to Drive

  • This option will export your files straight to your Google Drive. An email will also be sent to you with a link to the files' location.

Add to Dropbox

  • Similar to Drive, this option will export and upload your files to your Dropbox and send you an email with a link to the files' location.

Add to OneDrive

  • Similar to the previous two, this option will export and upload your files to your OneDrive and send you an email with a link to the files' location.

Add to Box

  • Just like the previous three options, this will export and upload your files to your Box and send you an email with a link to the files' location.

Using a third-party cloud storage service comes with a couple of things that you must be aware of.

  • You allow Google to transfer the files on your behalf to the provider.
  • Once the files are uploaded to the third-party service, Google is no longer responsible for the files, and the content in the export is covered by the provider's terms.

Frequency refers to how often you would like to export your files. The two options presented are Export once and Export every 2 months for 1 year.

  • Export once is the default option and simply does 1, immediate export of all the data you currently have.
  • The other option is to export every 2 months for 1 year. This option schedules exports once every 2 months for 1 year, totaling 6 exports in a year.

File type refers to the type of file you would like your data to be exported to. The two options presented are ".zip" and ".tgz".

  • The default option is ".zip". It is the most common file type for archived files and can be opened by almost any computer. Files inside a .zip folder are compressed in a "zipped" folder to allow for a smaller file size.
  • The other option, ".tgz", is similar to ".zip" but is less commonly used and requires additional software such as 7-Zip or WinRAR to open and extract.

File size refers to how big you want your archive file to be. Any export that's larger than the specified size will be split into multiple files. 2 GB is the default option, but there are also 1 GB, 4 GB, 10 GB, and 50 GB options.

This section is based on the Google Account Help provided by Google that can be found here.

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Import .MBOX Files using Mozilla Thunderbird
This document is to show the proper steps to accessing and importing a .MBOX file that is found within an exported Google Workspace file. Included in this document are steps to access the contents of the zipped Google Workspace file, and how to import and access .MBOX files to search through an exported mailbox.