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SharePoint to Google Drive Migration: Permissions, Files and Common Problems

By Divya – Support Engineer and Google Cloud Certified Digital Leader with 2+ years of experience in Google Workspace administration at XL Technologies. Her expertise includes user account creation, permission management, email configuration, security, and ticket handling. With proven skills, she ensures smooth, secure, and efficient Workspace operations for clients. At XL Technologies, Divya plays a key role in driving digital transformation through Google Cloud solutions. She is passionate about helping businesses maximize productivity and collaboration with Google Workspace.

Published in Blog on October 31, 2026

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Migrating from SharePoint to Google Drive can help businesses simplify file collaboration, improve accessibility and bring document workflows into Google Workspace. However, moving company files between platforms involves more than copying folders. Permissions, sharing links, document versions, file compatibility and existing business workflows all need careful attention.

For businesses in the UAE planning a Microsoft 365 to Google Workspace migration, overlooking these details can lead to missing files, unexpected access restrictions and interruptions to daily operations. A structured migration plan helps identify potential problems before they affect employees. In this guide, we explain the most common SharePoint migration challenges, how to troubleshoot them and what businesses should check before moving their data.

What Makes SharePoint to Google Drive Migration Challenging?

SharePoint and Google Drive both support cloud-based file storage and collaboration, but their organizational structures and access models are different.

SharePoint commonly organizes documents within sites, document libraries, folders and lists. Google Drive organizes content through My Drive and shared drives, with access controlled through users, groups, memberships and file-sharing permissions.

Because these platforms handle content differently, a successful migration requires an assessment of how files are organized, who needs access and which features must continue working after the transition.

Common challenges include:

Transferring files while maintaining the intended access permissions.
Managing existing links shared with employees and external users.
Identifying unsupported files and content that cannot be migrated directly.
Preserving required version history and metadata.
Recreating SharePoint pages, lists and workflows where necessary.
Helping employees adapt to the new file organization.

Understanding these differences before migration helps businesses select the right migration approach.

SharePoint Permissions vs Google Drive Permissions

Permissions are one of the most important areas to review when moving company documents.

In SharePoint, access may be inherited from a site or library, assigned through groups, or configured individually for specific files and folders. Google Drive has its own permission model, including shared-drive membership, folder permissions and individual file sharing.

A migration tool may transfer supported permissions, but the result depends on the source configuration and the capabilities of the chosen service.

Common permission problems

Employees lose access to migrated files

This may happen when source accounts cannot be mapped correctly to Google Workspace users or when permissions are unsupported.

Users gain more access than expected

If the destination folder or shared drive has broader membership, users may receive access they did not have in the original environment.

External collaborators cannot open documents

Existing external-sharing arrangements may need to be recreated or adjusted to meet Google Workspace policies.

Restricted files fail to migrate

Certain permission configurations or organizational restrictions can prevent specific items from being migrated by a particular tool.

How to manage permissions during migration

Inventory important SharePoint sites, libraries and access groups.
Identify sensitive documents and folders with unique permissions.
Map source accounts to the correct Google Workspace users and groups.
Review shared-drive membership and destination folder access.
Test access using representative employee and external-user accounts.
Investigate permission errors reported by the migration tool.

Do not assume that successful file transfer means access permissions have been transferred exactly as intended.

Example

A sales team may have shared a product catalogue with several distributors using SharePoint links. After migration, the distributors may not be able to access the documents through those old links.

The files may have migrated successfully, but the original links still point to the source environment.

What Happens to Missing Files During Migration?

Missing files can create confusion because users may assume that every item in SharePoint will automatically appear in Google Drive.

In practice, some items may be skipped, excluded or fail during migration. Reasons vary by migration method and may include unsupported content, permission restrictions, source-side policies or processing errors.

How to identify missing files

Step 1: Review migration reports

Check the migration tool’s reports for skipped items, failed transfers and error messages.

Step 2: Compare source and destination content

Compare the expected files and folders with the content available in Google Drive. File counts alone are not enough to confirm a successful migration.

Step 3: Investigate excluded items

Check whether files were excluded because of permissions, policy restrictions, unsupported formats or other limitations.

Step 4: Resolve the underlying issue

Correct eligible source-side problems or use an alternative method for content that cannot be migrated through the selected service.

Step 5: Validate important documents

Open business-critical files and verify that their content is usable in the destination environment.

Can SharePoint Version History and Metadata Be Migrated?

Version history allows employees to review earlier document versions, while metadata can help organizations categorize, search and manage content.

For example, a finance team may need to refer to an earlier version of a spreadsheet, while a project team may rely on document properties to identify a project, department or approval status.

However, version-history and metadata support varies by migration tool and the type of content being transferred.

What businesses should check

Which documents require historical versions?
Does the selected migration service support the required version information?
Which metadata fields are supported?
Will the destination retain the information needed for internal processes?
Are there legal, audit or retention requirements that require separate preservation?

Recommended approach

Before migrating the entire environment, select representative documents and test how versions and metadata are handled. If important information cannot be transferred, determine whether it should be retained in a separate archive or preserved through another approved method.

Do not retire the original SharePoint environment until required records have been verified and the retention plan has been approved.

SharePoint Pages, Lists and Workflows Need Separate Planning

A SharePoint environment may contain much more than files and folders. Organizations may use SharePoint pages, lists, web parts, approval workflows and integrations to support daily operations.

A document migration does not necessarily recreate these components in Google Workspace.

SharePoint pages and web parts

Internal knowledge pages, department portals and custom web parts may need to be rebuilt using an appropriate destination tool or redesigned around the new workflow.

SharePoint lists

Business teams may use lists to track projects, inventory, requests or approvals. Assess whether the data should be migrated to Google Sheets or handled by another suitable application.

Automated workflows

Existing approvals and notifications may depend on Microsoft-specific services. Identify these dependencies and determine whether the workflow needs to be recreated using Google Workspace capabilities or another business application.

How to prepare

Create an inventory of business processes that rely on SharePoint. Classify each item as:

Content that can be migrated directly.
Content that requires a different migration method.
Functionality that must be rebuilt.
Content or workflows that can be retired.

This prevents businesses from discovering critical functionality gaps after the migration is complete.

How to Choose Between My Drive and Shared Drives

Selecting the right destination structure helps employees find files and ensures that company information remains accessible to the appropriate teams.

When to use My Drive

My Drive is generally suitable for individual working documents and files managed by an individual user.

When to use shared drives

Shared drives are often more appropriate for department documents, project files and other content that belongs to a team rather than a single employee.

For example, a business might organize its content as follows:

Department or purpose	Suggested structure
Finance documents	Finance shared drive
HR documents	Restricted HR shared drive
Sales resources	Sales shared drive
Project files	Project-specific shared drive or folder
Individual working drafts	My Drive

This is a starting point, not a universal rule. The final structure should reflect the organization’s security requirements, team responsibilities and collaboration needs.

Before transferring files, confirm who will manage each shared drive, which groups need access and how sensitive information will be protected.

Common SharePoint Migration Problems and Their Solutions

Use the following troubleshooting table as an initial reference when investigating migration issues.

Problem	Possible cause	Recommended action
Users cannot open files	User mapping or permissions issue	Review identity mapping and destination access
External collaborators lose access	Sharing settings or old links	Configure appropriate sharing and issue new links
Files are missing	Exclusions or failed transfers	Check reports and investigate skipped items
Folder access is incorrect	Inherited permissions or drive membership	Review destination structure and access rules
Historical versions are missing	Migration method limitations	Verify support and preserve required records
SharePoint pages are unavailable	Pages and web parts were not recreated	Rebuild or replace the functionality
Users cannot locate documents	Unfamiliar folder structure	Organize files and provide navigation guidance
Some files cannot be migrated	Unsupported content or restrictions	Identify the limitation and plan an alternative

These solutions are starting points for troubleshooting. Confirm the actual cause using migration reports and the documentation for the selected migration service.

Step-by-Step SharePoint to Google Drive Migration Plan

A controlled migration process can reduce the risk of data loss, access problems and employee disruption.

Step 1: Audit the SharePoint environment

My Drive is generally suitable for individual working documents and files managed by an individual user.

Step 2: Define migration requirements

Decide what must be transferred, what can be archived and what requires a separate solution. Identify documents that require special handling because of sensitivity, version history or operational importance.

Step 3: Prepare Google Workspace

Confirm user accounts, groups, security settings and shared-drive structures. Map source users and groups to their destination identities.

Step 4: Select the migration method

Evaluate the available migration services based on supported content, permissions, reporting, scale and organizational requirements. Verify the current capabilities of the chosen service before beginning.

Step 5: Run a pilot migration

Transfer a representative sample of documents and folders. Include different permission types, file formats and business departments.

Step 6: Validate the results

Review the migration reports and verify important files, permissions, sharing arrangements and metadata. Resolve issues before expanding the migration.

Step 7: Migrate the remaining content

Use the approved plan to transfer the remaining content. Monitor progress and investigate failed or skipped items.

Step 8: Support employees after migration

Provide guidance on finding files, managing permissions, sharing documents and using shared drives. Keep the source environment available according to the approved transition and retention plan.

SharePoint Migration Checklist for UAE Businesses

Before starting a migration, use this checklist to assess whether your organization is ready.

Data and content

Relevant SharePoint sites and document libraries have been inventoried.
Critical files and business owners have been identified.
Unsupported content and migration exclusions have been reviewed.
Required historical versions and metadata have been assessed.

Permissions and security

User and group mapping has been checked.
Sensitive documents and restricted folders have been identified.
External-sharing requirements have been documented.
Destination access controls have been tested.

Business operations

The destination folder and shared-drive structure is ready.
SharePoint pages, lists and workflows have been assessed.
A pilot migration has been completed.
Migration reports have been reviewed.
Employees have received instructions for the transition.

Compliance and retention

Applicable data protection and industry requirements have been reviewed.
Data location and cross-border transfer requirements have been assessed where relevant.
Required records and retention obligations have been documented.
The source environment’s retirement plan has been approved.

UAE organizations should assess their actual regulatory obligations rather than assuming that every business is subject to the same data residency or retention rules.

Why Choose XL Technologies for SharePoint to Google Drive Migration?

As a Google Workspace partner in the UAE, XL Technologies helps businesses transition from Microsoft 365 to Google Workspace with a structured migration approach.

We assist with SharePoint content assessment, file migration planning, permission configuration, Google Drive organization and post-migration checks. Our team focuses on identifying potential challenges early, protecting business-critical information and reducing disruption during the transition.

With careful planning and validation, we aim to minimize downtime and reduce the risk of data loss throughout your migration.

Ready to move from SharePoint to Google Drive? Connect with us to discuss your Microsoft 365 environment and find a migration approach that fits your business needs.