Google Workspace Data Export Tool vs Google Takeout (For Admins)

🛠️ Google Workspace Data Export Tool (For Admins)

This tool allows super administrators to export data for the entire organization or specific users.

🧠 Summary

  • Use the Data Export Tool for organization-wide data exports or when a user is not available / doesn’t make sense to change their password and prevent their account access while we export.
  • Use Google Takeout when users are available and need to export their own data.

✅ Prerequisites for Admin Data Export

  • You must be a super administrator.
  • The admin account must be at least 30 days old.
  • 2-Step Verification must be enabled for the admin account.
  • The organization must have fewer than 1,000 users.

📋 Steps to Export Data

  1. Sign in to the Google Admin console.
  2. Navigate to Data > Data Export.
  3. Click Start Export.
  4. You’ll receive an email confirming the export has started.
  5. After approximately 48 hours, you’ll receive another email with a link to download the data from a Google Cloud Storage bucket or can navigate back to the Data Export list and download the results.
  6. https://admin.google.com/ac/customertakeout

⚠️ Important Considerations

  • The export process can take up to 14 days, depending on the amount of data.
  • The exported data is available for 30 days in the Cloud Storage bucket.
  • Ensure you download the data before it is automatically deleted.

👤 Google Takeout (For Individual Users)

Google Takeout allows users to export their own data from various Google services.

✅ Prerequisites for Google Takeout

  • The user must have access to their Google account.
  • Admins can control if/which services are available for export via the Admin Console.

📋 Steps to Export Data

  1. Visit Google Takeout takeout.google.com and sign into the account you need data from
  2. Select the Google services you want to export data from.
  3. Click Next Step.
  4. Choose the delivery method (e.g., download link via email, add to Drive, Dropbox, etc.).
  5. Select the export frequency, file type, and size.
  6. Click Create Export.
  7. You’ll receive an email in the user’s inbox when your export is ready.

⚠️ Important Considerations

  • The time it takes to prepare the export depends on the amount of data; it can range from minutes to days.
  • Download links are available for 7 days.
  • Some services may have limitations on the number of exports per day.