When you set up Google Workspace Sync for Microsoft Outlook (GWSMO), you can use Gmail to access messages sent to your Microsoft Outlook account.
Setup steps (Optional)
Set up the items in Gmail that don't get copied over from Outlook. In the Gmail web interface create your:
- Email signature—For details, go to Create a Gmail signature.
- Message filters—You can create filters in Gmail to process incoming messages like rules do in Outlook. These filters apply whether you read your mail in Outlook or the Gmail interface. Once you have set up the filters, delete your Outlook rules. For details, go to Create rules to filter your emails.
Differences you'll see in Gmail
Some features aren't available or work a little differently in Gmail than what you're used to in Outlook. For details, go to What you'll do differently in Gmail.
Additionally, when you sync your data with GWSMO, be aware of the following points:
| Outlook feature | How it looks in Gmail |
|---|---|
| Folders | Labels
Rather than storing messages in folders, Gmail adds a label with the same name. For example, messages in your Budget folder display a Budget label in Gmail. Gmail re-creates your folder hierarchy using labels. Just like folders, you can collapse and expand the hierarchy. For details, go to Create labels to organize Gmail. |
| Folders under the inbox | Labeled as Inbox/folder_name
Folders that you nest under your Inbox in Outlook (and other default folders, such as Drafts, Sent Items, and so on) don't appear as nested labels in Gmail. Instead, they appear at the top level of your label hierarchy, showing the nesting in the label's name. For example, messages in the Outlook inbox in the Personal folder are labeled Inbox/Personal in Gmail. |
| Flags | Stars
Flagging a message in Outlook gives it a star in Gmail (and conversely). However, follow-up dates and reminders associated with an Outlook flag don't appear in Gmail. For more information about stars, go to Star emails in Gmail. |
| Archived messages | Labeled as All Mail
You can find messages in your Archived folder (available only in your Google Workspace profile) under All Mail in Gmail. If you archive a message in Gmail, you can find it in Outlook in the Archived folder unless the message has a label. If it has a label, it goes to the Outlook folder corresponding to the label. |
| Edited messages | If you use Outlook to edit the body or subject of a mail message you already received (or sent), the edits don't appear in Gmail. |
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