Written by Jennifer Walsh. Reviewed for technical accuracy by Shubham Dixit, Independent Expert in Email Forensics and Data File Conversion. Updated 18 September 2026.
Shubham is an independent external reviewer and not an employee of PCDOTS.
Quick answer. Zimbra backs up mail as a TGZ file, and Gmail can’t import a TGZ directly. So there are two free ways. Extract the TGZ to EML files, add your Gmail account in Thunderbird and upload the mail. Or skip the TGZ and connect Zimbra to Gmail over IMAP, then copy the folders across. A tool does the entire TGZ move in one pass.
On this page
How do you migrate Zimbra emails to Gmail?
Zimbra backs up your mail as a TGZ file, and here’s the snag, Gmail can’t import a TGZ directly. So the move is really about getting the mail out of that archive and into Gmail.
There are two free ways, whatever the old guides claim. You can extract the TGZ to its email files and upload them through Thunderbird, or you can skip the TGZ and connect Zimbra to Gmail over IMAP, then copy the folders across. A tool does the TGZ move in one pass.
The TGZ route is below first, since most people already have a TGZ export. Then the IMAP connect, and the tool for a big migration.
Gmail won’t take a TGZ, so you extract it or connect over IMAP to get the mail in.
“The idea that there’s no manual way is just false. A Zimbra TGZ is a zipped bundle of EML files, so I extract it, drop the account into Thunderbird, and drag the folders into Gmail. If I don’t even want the file, I connect Zimbra to Gmail over IMAP and let Gmail pull the mail in. The tool earns its keep on scale, dozens of mailboxes, or when I want the folders and attachments mapped cleanly in one run. Whichever way, sign in to Gmail with an app password, because the plain password won’t connect anymore.” Shubham Dixit, Email Migration reviewer (draft, pending approval)
How do you import a Zimbra TGZ into Gmail?
You import a Zimbra TGZ into Gmail by extracting it first, then uploading the mail through Thunderbird. The TGZ is a compressed archive, and inside are your emails as EML files in their folders.
What’s in a Zimbra TGZ. A .tgz is a gzipped archive of your Zimbra mailbox, holding the emails as EML files laid out in the same folders, along with contacts and calendar. Gmail has no TGZ import, so you extract it or push it up over IMAP.
No TGZ yet? In the Zimbra web client, open Preferences, then Import/Export, choose All folders under Export and download the .tgz.
Here are the four steps.
- Right-click the .tgz file and extract it with 7-Zip or WinRAR. You get the EML files in folders.
- In Thunderbird, add your Gmail account over IMAP and sign in with Google.
- Add the ImportExportTools NG add-on, then right-click Local Folders and Import EML files from the extracted folders.
- Drag the imported mail into the Gmail folders, and Thunderbird uploads it.
Extract the TGZ, add Gmail in Thunderbird, import the EML and drag it up to Gmail.
How do you connect Zimbra to Gmail over IMAP?
You connect Zimbra to Gmail over IMAP when you’d rather skip the TGZ. Gmail pulls the mail straight from the Zimbra server, so there’s no file to handle at all.
In Gmail, open Settings, then Accounts and Import, then Import mail and contacts. Enter your Zimbra address and its IMAP server, the Zimbra host on port 993 with SSL, then start the import. If you’d rather do it by hand, add both the Zimbra and Gmail accounts in Thunderbird and drag the folders across.
One thing to plan for, the manual routes move the mail only. Your Zimbra contacts and calendar sit in the TGZ too, so import the contacts as a vCard into Google Contacts and the calendar as an ICS into Google Calendar. A tool carries the mail, contacts and calendar together in one run.
How do you move a Zimbra TGZ to Gmail in bulk?
You move a Zimbra TGZ to Gmail in bulk with a tool that reads the archive and uploads it for you. It suits many mailboxes, or when you want the folders and attachments kept exactly.
PCDOTS Zimbra Converter loads a Zimbra TGZ, or an extracted folder, and migrates it to Gmail over IMAP on Windows, keeping the folder structure, attachments, contacts and calendar. It signs in with an app password, and needs no Zimbra client installed. The free trial migrates a sample first. Follow these four steps.
- Install and run PCDOTS Zimbra Converter, then Open and add your TGZ files.
- Preview the loaded mail, then select the folders to migrate.
- Open Export and select Gmail.
- Enter your Gmail address and app password, then start.
The tool route, a Zimbra TGZ migrated to Gmail in one pass.
Here are the first steps with the screens.
Step 1. Open and add your Zimbra TGZ files.
Step 2. Preview the mail and select the folders.
Step 3. Open Export and select Gmail.
Related reading, our guides to extract attachments from Zimbra and export Gmail to Thunderbird. Backing up too? See import Google Takeout to a new account.
How do admins migrate Zimbra to Google Workspace?
Admins moving a team don’t do it mailbox by mailbox. Google Workspace has a built-in Data Migration service in the admin console that pulls mail from an IMAP source like Zimbra into every user’s account at once.
In the admin console, open Data Migration, choose the email migration, select the source as another IMAP server, point it at the Zimbra server and map the users. Google then migrates the mailboxes in the background. For a very large move, Google’s migration tools handle the scale.
Match the route to your case, a single export, a live server or a team.
Which method should you use?
Use the TGZ route for a downloaded export, the IMAP connect for a live mailbox and a tool or the admin console for a team.
| Method | Best for | Good to know |
|---|---|---|
| Extract TGZ, Thunderbird | A downloaded TGZ | Free, 7-Zip then Import EML |
| Connect over IMAP | A live mailbox | Free, Gmail Import, no file |
| Zimbra Converter | Many mailboxes | Windows, TGZ to Gmail in bulk |
Key takeaways
- Zimbra exports a TGZ of EML files, and Gmail can’t import a TGZ directly.
- Extract the TGZ with 7-Zip, then import the EML into Gmail through Thunderbird.
- Or skip the file and connect Zimbra to Gmail over IMAP with Gmail’s Import.
- For many mailboxes, use a tool or the Google Workspace Data Migration service.
Frequently asked questions
Can Gmail import a Zimbra TGZ file directly?
No. Gmail has no TGZ import. You extract the TGZ to its EML files first, then upload them through Thunderbird, or you skip the file and connect over IMAP.
How do I import a TGZ to Gmail for free?
Extract the .tgz with 7-Zip, add your Gmail account in Thunderbird, import the EML files with ImportExportTools NG, then drag them into the Gmail folders.
How do I connect or link Zimbra to Gmail?
Open Gmail Settings, Accounts and Import, then Import mail and contacts. Enter your Zimbra address and IMAP server details, and Gmail pulls the mail in.
What’s inside a Zimbra TGZ file?
Your mailbox as EML files in their folders, plus contacts and calendar. It’s a gzipped archive, so any extractor opens it.
How do I migrate many Zimbra mailboxes to Google Workspace?
Use the Data Migration service in the Google Workspace admin console, pointed at the Zimbra IMAP server, or a bulk tool. Both move every mailbox in one run.
Why won’t my Gmail password connect?
Gmail no longer accepts the plain password for other apps. Turn on 2-Step Verification, generate an app password and use that in Thunderbird or the tool.
So which route fits your migration?
Migrating Zimbra to Gmail comes down to the TGZ, because Gmail can’t take it directly. Extract the TGZ and upload the EML through Thunderbird, or skip the file and connect Zimbra to Gmail over IMAP. A tool or the Google Workspace admin console handles an entire team at once. So which route fits your migration, a single TGZ, or a team of mailboxes?
