After migrating your organisation’s email from a previous provider (like Ionos, for example) to Google Workspace (Gmail), there are important considerations for managing the old email accounts and ensuring a smooth transition.

1. MX Record Cutover – The Decisive Step: #

• The most critical step in switching your live email flow is updating your domain’s **MX (Mail Exchange) records** in your DNS (Domain Name System) settings.
• Once your Google Workspace administrator updates these MX records to point to Google’s mail servers, all *new* incoming emails for your domain (e.g., yourname@example.com) will be delivered to your new Gmail mailboxes.
• Your previous email provider (e.g., Ionos) will no longer receive new emails for your domain after the MX record changes have fully propagated across the internet (this can take a few hours, sometimes up to 24-48 hours, though often much quicker).

2. Accessing Old Emails from the Previous Provider: #

• If All Emails Were Copied During Migration: The email migration process (whether done by your administrator using Google’s tools or a third-party service) aims to copy all existing emails from your old mailboxes to your new Gmail mailboxes. If this process was completed successfully, all your historical emails should be accessible within Gmail.
• Keeping Old Account Access (Temporary Recommended Practice):
  • It is often a wise precaution to keep your old email mailboxes (e.g., at Ionos) accessible via their webmail portal or existing email clients for a short period *after* the MX record cutover.
  • This provides a safety net in case:
    • Any emails were inadvertently missed during the migration copy.
    • There are unexpected issues or delays with the new mail flow immediately after the cutover.
    • You need to refer to specific settings or contacts stored only in the old system.
  • The duration for keeping old accounts active can vary (e.g., a few weeks to a month), depending on your comfort level and confirmation that everything is working correctly in Gmail.

3. Does the Migration Process Delete Emails from the Old Provider? #

• Typically, an email migration process that is focused on *copying* emails **does not automatically delete** emails from the source mailboxes (e.g., Ionos). The primary goal is to duplicate the data into the new system (Gmail).
• Deletion from the source would usually be a separate, deliberate step taken much later, if at all, once you are fully confident that all necessary data is secure in the new system and the old accounts are no longer needed.

4. Decommissioning Old Email Accounts: #

• Once you and your administrator are completely satisfied that:
  1. All necessary historical emails have been successfully migrated to Gmail.
  2. New emails are flowing correctly and reliably to Gmail.
  3. Users are comfortable using Gmail for their daily email tasks.
  4. A sufficient safety period has passed after the MX cutover.
• Then, you can plan to formally decommission the email services with your previous provider (e.g., Ionos). This might involve:
  • Cancelling the specific email hosting plan.
  • Ensuring no further billing occurs for the old email service.
  • Potentially exporting a final backup from the old provider before cancellation, if deemed necessary by your organisation’s data policy.
• This step should be taken carefully to avoid any loss of access to critical data if the migration or transition was not fully complete. Communication between users and the administrator is key.

Proper planning and clear communication are essential for a smooth transition from an old email provider to Google Workspace Gmail, ensuring no data is lost and email continuity is maintained.