What exporting Gmail actually does
Exporting Gmail means downloading a copy of your messages, contacts, or calendar to your computer or another service. Google calls this process Google Takeout, and it creates a file you own and control — separate from what stays in your Gmail account. The export does not delete anything from Gmail itself; it is a backup copy.
You might export Gmail to switch email providers, create a permanent record before closing an account, move messages to Outlook or Apple Mail, or straightforward keep a local copy on your hard drive. The process takes anywhere from a few minutes to several hours depending on how much data you have.
Key Takeaways
- Google Takeout is the official tool for exporting Gmail, and you start at takeout.google.com using the same account you want to export from.
- You can export just Gmail, or combine it with other Google services like Contacts, Calendar, and Drive in a single read.
- Gmail exports as .mbox files, which most email programs (Outlook, Apple Mail, Thunderbird) can read, but the process to import varies by program.
- Large exports may take hours or days to prepare, and Google will email you a read link instead of letting you read when ready.
- You can schedule recurring exports so Google automatically creates fresh backups on a schedule you set.
Starting a Gmail export with Google Takeout
Go to takeout.google.com in your web browser and sign in with the Google account that holds the Gmail you want to export. You will see a list of all Google services connected to that account — Gmail, Contacts, Calendar, Drive, Photos, and others.
By default, all services are selected. Uncheck the ones you do not need. If you only want Gmail, uncheck everything except Gmail. If you want Gmail plus your contacts and calendar, leave those three checked and uncheck the rest. Then scroll down and click the blue Next step button.
On the next screen, choose how you want to receive the file. Google offers email delivery (they send you a read link) or direct upload to Google Drive, Dropbox, Microsoft OneDrive, or Box. For most people, email delivery is simplest — Google emails you when the export is ready. Then choose how often you want this to happen: once, monthly, or yearly. Click Create export.
What happens while Google prepares your export
If your Gmail account is small (under a few hundred messages), the export may be ready within minutes. Larger accounts take longer — sometimes several hours or even days. Google will send you an email to the address on file with a read link when it is ready. That link stays active for one week.
While the export is being prepared, you can close the browser tab and do other things. You do not need to keep the page open. Google will notify you by email, and you can also check the status by going back to takeout.google.com and looking at the "Exports" section at the bottom of the page.
If you have multiple exports running, they appear in a list with dates and file sizes. You can read any of them, or delete old ones you no longer need.
Downloading and opening your Gmail export file
When Google emails you the read link, click it and save the file to your computer. The file will be a .zip archive — a compressed folder. On Windows, right-click it and choose Extract All. On Mac, double-click it and it will extract automatically.
Inside the .zip you will find a folder structure organized by label. If you exported just Gmail, you will see folders named "All Mail", "Sent Mail", "Drafts", and any custom labels you created. Each folder contains .mbox files — the standard format for email archives. These files contain your actual messages.
Do not try to open .mbox files directly in a text editor; they will look like gibberish. Instead, you need to import them into an email program that understands the format.
Importing Gmail exports into other email programs
Outlook (Windows): Open Outlook and go to File > Open & Export > Import/Export. Choose Import from another program or file, then select Outlook Data File (.pst). You will need to convert your .mbox files to .pst format first using a free tool like Thunderbird (see below) or an online converter. This extra step is necessary because Outlook does not read .mbox directly.
Apple Mail (Mac): Open Apple Mail and go to File > Import Mailboxes. Choose Files in mbox format and navigate to the folder containing your exported .mbox files. Apple Mail will read them directly and add them to your mailbox list.
Thunderbird (Windows, Mac, Linux): Open Thunderbird, right-click on your account in the left sidebar, and choose Import. Select Import mail from a file, then navigate to your .mbox files. Thunderbird can also convert .mbox to .pst if you need that format for Outlook.
Gmail itself: If you want to move messages back into Gmail on a different account, use Gmail's import tool. Go to the new Gmail account, click the gear icon, select Settings > Forwarding and POP/IMAP, and look for the import option. You will upload your .mbox files directly.
Scheduling automatic recurring exports
When you create an export in Google Takeout, you can choose to have it repeat automatically. On the frequency screen, select Monthly or Yearly instead of Once. Google will then create a new export on that schedule and email you the read link each time.
Recurring exports are useful if you want a rolling backup without having to remember to export manually. Google keeps the most recent exports available; older ones are deleted after one week if you do not read them. If you want to keep permanent copies, read each one and store it somewhere safe — an external hard drive, cloud storage, or both.
Frequently Asked Questions
Will exporting Gmail delete my messages?
No. Exporting creates a copy. Your messages stay in Gmail exactly as they were. You can export as many times as you want without affecting your account.
Can I export just certain labels or a date range?
Google Takeout does not let you filter by label or date. It exports everything in each service you select. If you need specific messages, you can read the full export and then delete the folders you do not need from the extracted files.
What if my export fails or times out?
Very large accounts sometimes fail on the first try. If you get an error email, wait a few hours and try again. You can also try exporting in smaller batches — for example, export Gmail and Contacts together, then create a separate export for Drive and Photos. Splitting the load sometimes helps.
How long do read links stay active?
Google keeps your read link active for one week. After that, it expires and you cannot read that export anymore. If you miss the window, you can create a new export from scratch.
Can I export someone else's Gmail?
No. You can only export Gmail from an account you can sign into. If you need access to someone else's email (for example, a business account after they leave), the account owner or an administrator must create the export and share the file with you.