Help GuideGo to vault.google.com → Matters → Open or create a Matter → Search → set criteria → Export → choose MBOX or PST → Export. Then go to the Exports tab and download all files when status shows Completed. Critical: exports are permanently deleted after 15 days. Need to convert to PST or another format? Use Univik Google Vault Converter.
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Open Google Vault
Sign in with your Google Workspace administrator account
Go to vault.google.com and sign in with your Google Workspace account that has Vault privileges. You can also reach Vault from the Google Admin console under Apps → Google Workspace → Vault.
Open or Create a Matter
Matters are the containers for all Vault searches and exports
Click an existing Matter to open it, or click Create to start a new one. Give the Matter a descriptive name (e.g. "Platform Migration March 2026"). All searches, holds and exports for this case live inside the Matter.
Run a Search Inside the Matter
Define what data you want to export using Vault search criteria
Inside the Matter, click the Search tab. Select the Service (Gmail, Chat, Drive or Groups), then set your search parameters: which accounts to search, the date range, and any keyword or subject filters. Click Search to run it.
Export the Search Results
Choose your output format and initiate the export job
After the search runs, click the Export button that appears above the search results. An export configuration dialog opens. Give the export a name and choose your format.
Monitor the Export on the Exports Tab
Wait for the export to complete — large exports may take hours
Click the Exports tab inside your Matter to see all export jobs. The status will cycle from In Progress to Completed. Small exports finish in minutes; large domain-wide exports can take several hours. Vault emails you when the export is ready.
Download All Files Before the 15-Day Expiry
Save the ZIP and the metadata XML to a secure local location
When the export status shows Completed, click Download next to each file. You will see at minimum two files: the MBOX or PST content file (in a ZIP archive) and the metadata.xml file. Download both. The metadata XML is required for legal chain-of-custody verification.
What is in a Google Vault Export?
Every Google Vault export is delivered as a ZIP archive containing the message content file alongside a metadata.xml file that links each message to its record on Google servers.
| Property | MBOX Export | PST Export |
|---|---|---|
| Container | ZIP (one MBOX per account) | ZIP (one PST per account) |
| Email format | MBOX — one file per account, all messages inside | Microsoft Outlook PST |
| Opens in Outlook? | No — needs conversion | Yes — import directly |
| Metadata XML | Always included | Always included |
| Gmail labels | Preserved as MBOX labels (not folders) | All messages in single folder |
| Attachments | Embedded inline in MBOX | Embedded in PST |
| Expiry | Permanently deleted 15 days after export creation | |
Convert Google Vault Exports to PST, MBOX or PDF
Google Vault MBOX files cannot be opened in Outlook directly. Vault PST exports sometimes have structural issues that prevent clean import. Use Univik Google Vault Converter to handle both:
- Outlook / Microsoft 365 — Convert MBOX or PST export to normalised PST with Gmail labels as folders
- Thunderbird / Gmail — Convert to standard MBOX format
- Legal / Compliance — Convert to PDF with metadata XML chain-of-custody preserved
- Litigation platforms — Per-custodian PST matching Relativity and Nuix import requirements
Convert Google Vault MBOX and PST exports to Outlook PST, MBOX, PDF and 10+ formats. Preserves metadata XML chain of custody. Per-custodian output. 100% offline.
Frequently Asked Questions
metadata.xml file links every exported message to its record on Google servers via Message-ID. It also contains custodian attribution, account information and Google-reported timestamps. Always download it alongside the MBOX or PST file. It is required for legal admissibility under FRCP Rule 34 to prove the exported data matches what Google stores. Univik Google Vault Converter reads the metadata XML automatically to preserve chain-of-custody links in the converted output.
Troubleshooting Common Issues
Your account is missing the Manage Exports Vault privilege. Ask your Google Workspace super admin to grant you the Manage Matters, Manage Searches and Manage Exports privileges in the Admin console under Apps → Google Workspace → Vault. If Multi-party approval is enabled, an export button will appear but processing will not start until a second admin approves.
Vault stops large exports at 24 hours. This is normal for large archives. Download the partial export, click Continue export to create a follow-on export job, and repeat until all messages are exported. To avoid this, narrow your search to shorter date ranges (e.g. export per quarter or per year) so each job completes within 24 hours.
The 15-day window has passed. You must re-create the export from scratch. Open the same Matter, go to the Search tab, run the same search again and create a new export. Download immediately this time. Consider setting a calendar reminder on the day you create an export to ensure you download within the window.
Outlook does not support MBOX format natively. Use Univik Google Vault Converter to convert the MBOX export to PST. The converter also reconstructs Gmail labels as Outlook folders and preserves the metadata XML chain of custody in the converted file.
Vault only returns data for accounts that existed and had data during your search date range. Deleted accounts must have been suspended (not permanently deleted) within the retention period to be searchable. Also check that you entered the account email addresses correctly in the Accounts field — a typo will result in no results for that account. A CSV file in the export lists accounts with errors if any were unreachable.
Convert MBOX and PST exports to Outlook PST, PDF, MBOX and 10+ formats. Preserves metadata XML chain of custody. Per-custodian output. 100% offline.
About This Guide
This guide is written and maintained by the Univik team, developers of file conversion and digital forensics tools since 2013. We verify each guide against the latest version of each email archive platform. Last verified: March 2026 with Google Vault admin console.
Related guides: Export from Mail Assure | Export from Mimecast | Export from Barracuda | Export from Proofpoint
