Reducing your Google Storage Usage

All are required to review google storage usage across Gmail, Drive and Photos

Changes to Google Workspace are coming into effect at the University of Alberta (U of A) on January 31, 2025. Consult the following guidance to manage and reduce your Google storage usage across services like Gmail, My Drive and Photos.

Storage by Data Type

Learn about best practices for data storage use by audience and data type.

Reducing your Storage Usage

Reduce Gmail Storage

Reduce your Gmail storage by searching for and deleting emails with large attachments and old emails that are no longer needed. You can specify your search with specific criteria.

  1. Review slides 35 - 54 in the webinar slide deck (Video: Storage Options, Practices & Tools) for step-by-step instructions on searching and filtering email.
  2. Review Create an Email Archive using Google Takeout  for information on saving non-transitory emails.
Guidance For Deleting and Archiving Email

High-Level Guidance

  • Gmail is not intended for long term storage of student communications, operational communications, official records, research records or research data
  • Each faculty or department is responsible for their own data and/or records retention schedule
  • The university is required to comply with federal and provincial statutory requirements relating to the retention of records
    • Canada Revenue Agency (CRA) requires that all records be retained until the expiration of six years* after the end of the year to which they relate (does not include research records).
    • Refer to Retention & Filing of Source Documents* for more information.
  • Student files: the university's documents retention schedule recommends that registered student files in departments be kept from the date of last registration plus five years.
  • Email communications about research, research records (grants, documentation, manuscripts, etc.) and research data in Gmail
    • This data should be saved to the Research Data Storage Service if the associated research project is being referred to infrequently or you may need to refer to this research project information in the future (use the “archiving email process” below.)

Archiving Email + Attachments

Easily copy your emails (all emails or by label) from Gmail, including attachments, using Google Takeout. Then search and read those emails in Mozilla Thunderbird. Then, follow these steps:

  1. Reducing Gmail Storage - How To Guide
  2. Webinar slide deck (see slides 32-54)
  3. Create an Email Archive using Google Takeout

Review Drive + Photos Content

Google My Drive vs. Shared Drives

Google My Drive is to be used as storage for personal productivity or drafting work-related documentation or data. Shared Drive is intended to be used as storage for data or records that require external collaboration or for materials that require concurrent editing.

Be aware that while Shared Drives do not contribute to individual quotas currently, data stored in Shared Drives impacts the overall quota that the U of A must adhere to based on Google’s licensing changes.

For more information about Google My Drive and how to move folders into Shared Drives from My Drive, use these resources:

Reviewing My Drive + Photos

Review your data in My Drive and Photos and remove any files that are not explicitly related to your work, studies and/or research at the university (i.e. personal files such as family photos and videos, personal financial documents, etc.).

Follow these steps:

  1. Review and delete large files or those that are no longer needed using the storage feature to sort your files.
    1. Review slide 33 in the webinar slide deck for information about identifying transitory records.
  2. Delete personal photos and videos by activity, creations and categories using explore in Google Photos.

Empty the Trash

Empty the trash folder in Drive. This video outlines the process.


Frequently Asked Questions

Find more information and answers to your questions on Google Workspace Changes FAQ »

Submit Your Questions

If you require additional information, submit your question using this feedback form.

If you are faculty or staff member, we also encourage you to connect with your Senior IT Partner to discuss any questions or concerns you may have.