First: Decide How “Clean” You Want the Migration To Be
Before you touch migration tools, decide what you’re actually moving.
- Everything, including emails from 2016?
- Only the last 1–2 years?
- Mail only, or contacts and calendars too?
This matters because IMAP migrations copy everything unless you tell them not to, while export/import workflows let you be more selective—but take longer.
Most teams I’ve worked with get the best results by:
- Migrating older mail first
- Running a short “delta sync”
- Switching MX records at the end
It’s boring. It works.
Clean Email: The Smart Way to Prep an Inbox Before Migration
This is the part almost everyone skips—and then regrets later.
If you migrate clutter, you just recreate the same problem in a new system. Cleaning the inbox before migration saves time, storage, and headaches. That’s where Clean Email fits in nicely.
Clean Email works with Zoho, Gmail, Google Workspace, Microsoft 365, and more. It’s available on macOS, web, iOS, and Android, which makes it easy to clean things up wherever you happen to be.
What I like about it, especially before a migration:
Free Up Storage (Before You Pay to Move It)
Old newsletters, large attachments, automated notifications—they add up fast. Clean Email helps you find and remove those in bulk, so you’re not migrating gigabytes of mail no one needs.
Unsubscriber
This lets you unsubscribe from unwanted newslettersin bulk. And importantly, it can also move all existing emails from those senders straight to Trash, freeing space immediately. That alone can shave hours off a migration.
Auto Clean
You can set rules like:
- Delete emails older than X days
- Archive messages with large attachments
- Auto-label or remove recurring system emails
Once set up, it quietly keeps the inbox lean. Set it once. Forget about it.
Cleaning Suggestions
Clean Email analyzes patterns and suggests groups of emails you can remove all at once—things like old promotions or recurring notifications. It’s automated, but still transparent, which I appreciate.
One important note: Clean Email analyzes email metadata, not message content. That keeps things privacy-friendly while still being extremely effective. → Try it for Free
If you’re migrating more than one mailbox, cleaning first is one of the highest-leverage steps you can take.
Migrating From Zoho Mail to Google Workspace or Gmail
Zoho doesn’t offer a one-click “Export to Google” button, so migrations typically rely on IMAP or third-party tools.
Option 1: Google Workspace Data Migration (IMAP)
This is the most common admin-level approach.
High-level flow:
- Enable IMAP for users in Zoho Mail
- In Google Admin, start a new Data Migration
- Select Zoho Mail (or generic IMAP) as the source
- Enter Zoho IMAP server details and credentials
- Choose folders, date ranges, and map users
- Run migration and monitor progress
- Switch MX records once ready
This works well for full mailbox moves and preserves folder structure. It’s not fast, but it’s dependable.
Option 2: Export + Import or Migration Tools
If you need more control:
- Export Zoho mail as ZIP, PST, or EML
- Use tools like VaultMe, Cloudasta, SysInfo, or Aryson
- Authenticate both Zoho and Google
- Run batch migrations with filters and logs
This route costs more time—or money—but gives you better visibility and retry options.
Migrating From Zoho Mail to Microsoft 365 (Office 365)
There are two realistic paths here: IMAP migration or PST-based import.
Manual / Semi-Manual Approach
- Export Zoho mail or pull it into Outlook
- Import PST files into Microsoft 365 mailboxes
- Or configure Zoho as an IMAP source in M365
- Map users and migrate mail
- Update MX records and reconfigure Outlook
This works, but it’s labor-intensive for larger teams.
Using Migration Software
Tools from vendors like EdbMails, Advik, or MigrateEmails streamline this:
- Zoho as source
- Microsoft 365 as destination
- Folder and date filtering
- Batch migrations
- Detailed logs and throttling handling
For multi-user environments, this is often worth the license cost.
Migrating To Zoho Mail (From Gmail, Google Workspace, or GoDaddy)
This is where Zoho shines a bit more.
Gmail / Google Workspace → Zoho Mail
Zoho includes built-in admin migration tools for Google Workspace.
You can:
- Authenticate Google Workspace
- Choose mail, contacts, and calendars
- Map users
- Run migrations directly from Zoho’s control panel
For small migrations, forwarding or importing EML files also works—but admin-level migration is cleaner.
GoDaddy Email → Zoho Mail
Options here are simpler but effective:
- IMAP migration using Outlook or Thunderbird (drag-and-drop)
- Third-party tools that connect GoDaddy → Zoho via IMAP
Trial versions usually exist, but limits apply. For large mailboxes, expect to pay.
General Migration Best Practices (No Matter the Direction)
These apply whether you’re moving from Zoho or to Zoho:
- Enable and test IMAP access first
- Decide scope: all mail vs date-limited
- Migrate older mail before recent mail
- Run a delta sync close to cutover
- Switch MX records last
- Keep old accounts active briefly for safety
And seriously—clean first. Migrating clutter just makes your new system harder to live with.
Final Thoughts
Zoho Mail migrations aren’t magical, but they are manageable.
If you want speed and simplicity, use IMAP or built-in admin tools.
If you want control, logs, and scheduling, use migration software.
If you want a smoother experience overall, clean the inbox before you move it.
Tools like Clean Email won’t migrate anything for you—but they make sure what does move is actually worth keeping. And that alone can turn a stressful migration into a boring one.
Which, honestly, is the best possible outcome.
