When you need to create a local backup of your Google Drive, or if you are preparing to migrate to a different cloud storage provider, downloading files one by one through the web interface is incredibly inefficient. Attempting to download large folders directly can also cause the browser to freeze while it struggles to zip the contents. The official, most reliable method to perform a bulk export is to use Google Takeout.
What is Google Takeout?
Google Takeout is a dedicated data retrieval platform provided by Google. It allows you to package and download your data from almost any Google service, including Gmail, Photos, and Drive. The processing happens on Google’s backend servers, meaning you can close your browser while the archive is generated.
How to Export Your Drive Data
Follow these steps to initiate a bulk download of your Google Drive:
- Go to the Google Takeout website and sign in with your Google account.
- By default, Takeout selects every Google service you use. Click the Deselect all button at the top of the list to clear the selections.
- Scroll down until you find Drive and check the box next to it.
- (Optional) If you don’t want to download everything, click the All Drive data included button. A menu will appear allowing you to specifically select the folders you want to export.
- (Optional) Click Multiple formats to see how Google Docs, Sheets, and Slides will be converted (e.g., Docs usually convert to Microsoft Word .docx format by default).
- Scroll to the very bottom of the page and click Next step.
Configuring the Archive Output
On the next screen, you must choose how the data will be delivered:
- Delivery method: Choose “Send download link via email”.
- Frequency: Choose “Export once” for a single backup.
- File type & size: Leave the type as .zip. You can change the maximum file size (default is 2 GB). If your Drive contains 10 GB of data and you leave the limit at 2 GB, Google will split your archive into five separate zip files. If you have a stable internet connection, you can increase this to 10 GB or 50 GB to reduce the number of files you have to download.
Click Create export. Google’s servers will begin compressing your files. Depending on the size of your Drive, this process can take anywhere from a few minutes to several days. You will receive an email notification containing secure download links once the archive is ready.