How to Use Google Takeout Before Wiping a Workspace

Let’s say you’re closing down an old Google Workspace account. Maybe you’re rebranding, switching domains, or moving off an unmanaged Google domain that somehow… exists in limbo. (Yes, that’s a thing—ask me how I know.) Before you hit delete on that workspace, you’ll want to grab everything you possibly can. That’s where Google Takeout comes in.

It’s not food-related, but it’s still pretty satisfying when done right.

What is Google Takeout?

Google Takeout is Google’s export tool that lets you download your data from all of their services- Drive files, Calendar events, Google Photos, YouTube videos, Contacts, Tasks, and more. It creates a downloadable zip file (or multiple files, depending on the size) that you can store, move, or import elsewhere.

When You Need It

I recently helped a client with a domain that wasn’t tied to an official business Workspace plan. It's what Google calls a "domainless Workspace"- essentially an unmanaged shell of an account with no admin tools or real ownership.

We needed to:

• Delete the old domain setup

• Set up a fresh, real Google Workspace

• Preserve all user data before it disappeared into the tech void

Google Takeout saved the day. But there were a few important extra steps we had to take too.

Steps to Use Google Takeout (Before It’s Too Late)

Here’s a basic checklist:

1. Go to takeout.google.com

Log in with the account you want to back up.

2. Select Your Services

You can pick and choose, but I recommend selecting everything- esp when shutting down your domain, this is usually your one shot. Scroll down and hit “Next step.”

3. Choose Delivery Method

“Send download link via email” is the simplest option.

4. Set your export options

For delivery, I usually go with “Send download link via email.” Then under file size, 2 to 10 GB chunks are easiest to manage.

5. Click Export

Google will take a bit - anywhere from an hour to a couple days depending on how much stuff is in there. You’ll get an email when it’s ready.

6. Download the files

Click the link, download the zip file(s). They’ll probably land in your Downloads folder.

7. Unzip them

On a Mac, just double-click. On Windows, right-click > Extract All. VERIFY that one file you know you own is in the downloaded set of files, it's an extra step but you want to know this worked.

Pro Tip: The folder names are gonna be a mess. I always tell clients to rename the folders and sort stuff immediately - future you will thank you.

Business Tools You Might Forget

This is where people get tripped up. Takeout doesn’t include everything. You still need to:

Switch primary owner of your Google Business Profiles

If your account owns the Google Business listing, transfer primary ownership before the email goes offline. If you're adding a new email to transfer it to - give yourself 7 days. Google won't make a new owner into a primary owner right away. Often this is the first thing to do for this process.

Update Google Ads account access

My client had her Google Ads linked to the same email. We had to log in, add a new domain and a backup admin, and change billing access. if you don’t do that, you can lose your ad history, campaigns, billing info... uga- it’s a whole mess. Don't do that to yourself!

Want someone else to deal with it?

Honestly - if the idea of downloading, organizing, transferring ownerships, and setting up a new Workspace makes your head hurt, or you just want a tech guide to help you along the way..

👉 I can be your Google Workspace admin and help you & your team. I'll help everyone backup their files, look for other google services you might not think about, and help you keep your business running smoothly.

Reach out to me alex@neatfreaktech.com and I’ll make sure your team’s files, accounts, and sanity are preserved.

Use Google Takeout Every Few Months

Even if you’re not about to shut down your Google Workspace, running a Google Takeout export every few months is just smart business. Think of it like a digital backup - a safety net for your team’s files, calendars, contacts, and everything else that quietly lives in Google’s cloud.

Choose an automated Frequency

In fact, Google Takeout helps you automate this! Check out the "Export every 2 months for 1 year" Frequency option that Google offers you -- choose this option if you want to set-it & forget-it.

Things can go wrong...

• An employee leaves and their files vanish

• A critical doc gets deleted or overwritten

• Your account gets locked or compromised

• Or you simply want peace of mind knowing you have a copy of everything

  
  

Store it somewhere secure (and labeled clearly - trust me).

And if that sounds like one more thing on a very long to-do list - I can do it for you. In fact, when I help a business remove old users, I often will make a backup of the old data for the business owner using Takeout! I offer Google Workspace admin support, including regular exports and account cleanups.

Reach out if you'd like help getting it handled.