Moving email is like moving house. You don't want to lose anything in the truck. You need a transition plan that minimizes downtime for your team.
Step 1: Verify the Domain
Sign up for Google Workspace. Add the TXT record to your DNS to prove you own the domain. Do not switch MX records yet.
Step 2: Create Users
Create john@yourdomain.com inside Google Admin Console before you switch the mail flow. If an email arrives for a user that doesn't exist, it bounces.
Step 3: The Data Migration Service (DMS)
Google has a built-in tool that connects to your old server via IMAP.
- Go to Admin Console > Data Migration.
- Source: "Other IMAP Server" (enter your cPanel host/port).
- Select Users: Map the old email accounts to the new Google accounts.
- Start Migration. Google will pull all old emails. This runs in the background for hours/days.
Step 4: Switch MX Records
Once the data is syncing (or mostly synced), change your DNS MX records to point to Google.
ASPMX.L.GOOGLE.COM(Priority 1)ALT1.ASPMX.L.GOOGLE.COM(Priority 5)- ...etc.
Tip: Lower your DNS TTL (Time to Live) to 300 seconds a day before the migration. This ensures that when you switch the records, the world notices the change in 5 minutes, not 24 hours.