If you are switching to Outlook, leaving a job, archiving a project, or just want a real offline copy of your inbox, you need your Gmail in PST. Gmail is Google’s webmail service running since 2004. PST stands for Personal Storage Table, the local archive format Microsoft Outlook uses on Windows. The two do not talk natively, so the export needs a careful workflow.
What you will learn
- Why people export Gmail to PST format
- How to export Gmail to PST using the IMAP and Outlook route
- How to export Gmail to PST with a desktop converter, step by step
- How to convert Gmail to PST while keeping folders and attachments
- What to check after the export so the PST is usable
What Is a PST File and Why Export Gmail to It
A PST file is the Personal Storage Table format used by Microsoft Outlook to store emails, folders, contacts, calendars and attachments in one file on your local disk. Outlook has used PST since the Outlook 97 release.
Gmail keeps your mail in the cloud and you reach it through a browser or IMAP. A PST gives you a portable, searchable, offline copy. Common reasons to export Gmail to PST:
- You are switching from Gmail to Outlook on a new job or device.
- Your team is migrating off Google Workspace to Microsoft 365.
- You need a legal hold, audit, or compliance archive.
- You are closing a Gmail account and want a complete backup.
- You want offline search inside Outlook without trusting cloud uptime.
I exported eleven years of Gmail before closing an old freelance address. The IMAP drag method in Outlook crashed twice on the 40 GB inbox. The desktop converter route finished the same job in one run, with folder labels preserved as PST folders.
Method 1: Export Gmail to PST Using IMAP and Outlook
This is the manual route built into Outlook. It works for smaller mailboxes when you already have Outlook installed on Windows.
Enable IMAP in Gmail
Open Gmail in a browser. Click Settings > See all settings > Forwarding and POP/IMAP. Set IMAP access to Enable IMAP. Click Save Changes.
Create an App Password
Because Gmail no longer accepts plain account passwords for IMAP, visit your Google Account, open Security > 2-Step Verification > App passwords, create one for Outlook, and copy it.
Add Gmail to Outlook
In Outlook, click File > Add Account. Type your Gmail address, click Advanced options and tick Let me set up my account manually. Pick IMAP and paste the app password. Outlook syncs your inbox and labels as folders.
Create a Local PST File
Click File > Account Settings > Data Files > Add. Name the PST, choose a location and click OK. The new PST shows up in the Outlook folder list.
Drag Folders into the PST
In the folder pane, select each Gmail folder, right click, choose Copy Folder, then pick the PST as the destination. Wait for the sync to finish before closing Outlook.
The IMAP method depends on your bandwidth and Outlook stability. Mailboxes above 10 GB often time out, miss attachments, or copy the same email twice. Verify counts in Outlook against Gmail’s All Mail count before you trust the PST.
Method 2: Export Gmail to PST Using a Desktop Converter
If your mailbox is large, you have many folders, or you want a single .pst written from a clean Gmail read, a desktop converter is the safer route. PCDOTS Email Converter connects to Gmail over its own IMAP session, reads each folder, and writes a clean PST locally on Windows.
Install and Launch
Install PCDOTS Email Converter on Windows and launch it.
Add the Gmail Account
Click Add Account and pick Gmail as the source. Enter your Gmail address and an app password (created the same way as in Method 1, step 2).
Sign In
Sign in with the email and app password. The converter validates the credentials and starts reading your mailbox.
Preview the Mailbox
The folder tree appears with Inbox, Sent, Drafts, labels and All Mail. Each folder shows its message count. Tick the folders you want in the PST.
Pick PST as the Output
Click Export and choose PST from the export type list.
Pick the Destination Folder
Browse to a folder on your local drive or a connected USB or NAS share, then confirm.
Start the Export
Click Convert and the converter writes each folder into the PST while keeping labels as folders, attachments intact and read or unread status preserved.
Convert Gmail to PST While Keeping Folder Structure
The most common complaint after a Gmail to PST export is messy folders. Gmail uses labels, not folders, so a sloppy export flattens everything into one Inbox. Two checks to avoid that:
- Use All Mail only if you want a single flat archive. Otherwise pick individual labels.
- Confirm your tool maps each Gmail label to a separate PST folder before you hit Convert.
After the export finishes, open the PST in Outlook (File > Open & Export > Open Outlook Data File) and verify each folder. Counts should match Gmail. If you used PCDOTS Email Converter, the label tree comes across one-to-one.
Migrate Gmail to PST for Outlook 2016, 2019, 2021 and 365
Both methods produce a Unicode PST that opens in every modern Outlook release, including Outlook 2016, 2019, 2021 and Microsoft 365 on Windows. On macOS, Outlook for Mac uses OLM, not PST. If you plan to read the file in Outlook for Mac, export to PST first, then convert PST to OLM in the same desktop tool.
What to Verify After the Export
- Message counts in each PST folder match the same Gmail label.
- Attachments open from a few sample emails across years.
- Internal links inside emails (Gmail thread anchors) still resolve.
- Sender, recipient and date fields are intact.
- File size is reasonable, large attachments inflate PST quickly.
A single PST above 50 GB starts to feel slow inside Outlook. If your Gmail archive is huge, export by year or label group into multiple smaller PSTs rather than one giant file.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do I export Gmail to PST?
Add Gmail to Outlook over IMAP and drag folders into a local PST, or use a desktop email converter that connects to Gmail and writes a PST file directly with folders and attachments preserved.
Can I convert Gmail to PST without Outlook installed?
Yes. A desktop converter like PCDOTS Email Converter connects to Gmail over IMAP using an app password and writes the PST locally on Windows, no Outlook installation required.
Does the export keep Gmail labels as folders?
The IMAP method maps labels to folders, but Outlook may show duplicates across labels and All Mail. A dedicated converter usually maps each label to one clean PST folder.
Do I need an app password to export Gmail?
Yes if your Google account has 2-Step Verification on. Create an app password in Google Account Security and use it in place of the regular password for IMAP and converter sign in.
What is a PST file?
A PST file is the Personal Storage Table format used by Microsoft Outlook on Windows to store emails, folders, attachments and other items in one local archive file.
Which Outlook versions can open the exported PST?
Modern PSTs are Unicode and open in Outlook 2016, 2019, 2021 and Microsoft 365 on Windows. Outlook for Mac uses OLM instead, so PST must be converted to OLM for macOS users.
