To back up Google Workspace with Acronis, connect your organization using a Google Cloud service account and apply a protection plan to users and Shared drives. Acronis then automatically backs up Gmail, Google Drive, Calendar, and Contacts with no agent required.
ZNetLive is an authorised Acronis distributor in India. It sells Acronis Cyber Protect Cloud with Google Workspace backup licensed per protected user (seat).
If you’ve ever been asked for an old email from a former employee, you know why this matters. A routine deletion can quickly turn into permanent data loss. This guide shows you how to set up backup before that happens.
Does Google Workspace Need a Third-Party Backup for Gmail and Drive?
Yes. Google keeps its service running, but it does not keep long-term, point-in-time copies of your business data. Once deleted items pass Google’s short recovery windows, they are gone.
Google’s own limits make the gap clear:
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Deleted Gmail and Drive data:
An administrator can restore it for up to 25 days after it leaves the user’s trash. After that, Google’s data recovery policy says it cannot be restored, even by technical support.
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Deleted users:
A deleted user account can be restored for only 20 days. After that, the account is permanently deleted.
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Google Vault:
Vault is for retention, legal holds and eDiscovery. It is not a backup tool.
It also does not guarantee point-in-time restores or protection against admin errors and ransomware.
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Google Takeout and Data Export:
Both create offline exports with no restore button. Data Export can be run only once every 30 days and can take up to 9 days to finish.
This is the shared responsibility model in practice. Google protects its infrastructure. Your business is responsible for protecting its own data from accidental deletion, departing employees, malicious insiders, sync errors, and ransomware. A Gmail backup for business, such as Acronis Cyber Protect Cloud, closes that gap with automatic copies you can restore at any time.
What Does Acronis Cyber Protect Cloud Back Up in Google Workspace?
Acronis Cyber Protect Cloud backs up Gmail, Google Drive (including Shared drives), Google Calendar and Google Contacts. Backups go from Google’s data centres directly to Acronis Cloud Storage, with no hardware or software to install.
| Google Workspace data | What Acronis Cyber Protect Cloud protects |
| Gmail | Mailboxes, messages and attachments, with full-text search across backups |
| Google Drive | My Drive files and folders, with point-in-time recovery of single files or the whole Drive |
| Shared drives (Team Drives) | Shared drive content; Shared drives are detected and added to backup plans automatically |
| Google Calendar | User calendars and events |
| Google Contacts | User contacts |
Other Google Drive backup features worth knowing:
1. Automatic protection of new users:
Acronis detects new users and Shared drives during its sync with Google Workspace (every 24 hours). It also applies the backup plan to them.
2. Multiple domains:
User data and Shared drives in the primary domain, and all secondary domains are backed up.
3. Blockchain notarization for Drive:
Acronis Notary stores a fingerprint of backed-up Drive files on a public blockchain, so you can prove a file has not changed.
4. On-demand backups:
You can run a backup at any time, in addition to the schedule.
5. Monitor:
Reports, notifications and alerts show backup health in the same Acronis console you use for servers and endpoints.
How Do I Back Up Google Workspace with Acronis?
Create a Google Cloud project and enable the required APIs. Then grant domain-wide access to its service account, add the organization in the Acronis console, and apply a protection plan. The steps below follow Acronis’s own setup guide and need a Google Workspace Super Administrator account.
1. Get Acronis Cyber Protect Cloud. Buy Google Workspace backup seats or start a trial through ZNetLive. You will receive login details for the Acronis Cyber Protect console.
2. Create a Google Cloud project. Sign in to the Google Cloud console as a Super Administrator, open the project picker, select your organization, and click New Project.
3. Enable the required APIs. Go to APIs and services → Library and enable these five APIs:
- Admin SDK API
- Gmail API
- Google Calendar API
- Google Drive API
- Google People API
Acronis recommends disabling the other APIs enabled by default in the project.
4. Configure the OAuth consent screen. Choose Internal as the user type, enter an app name, and add the Super Administrator email as the support and developer contact.
5. Create a service account and key. In IAM & Admin → Service accounts, create a service account, then add a key of type JSON. Store the downloaded JSON file securely.
6. Grant domain-wide delegation.
- Copy the service account’s client ID.
- In the Google Admin console, go to Security → Access and data control → API controls.
- Click Manage domain-wide delegation, then Add new, and paste the client ID.
- Paste the OAuth scopes listed in the Acronis guide (Gmail, Contacts, Calendar, Drive and read-only directory access).
- Click Authorise.
7. Add Google Workspace to Acronis. In the Acronis Cyber Protect console, go to Devices → Add → Google Workspace. Enter the Super Administrator email and upload the JSON key file, then click Confirm.
8. Apply a protection plan.
- Select All users and All Shared drives or pick specific ones.
- Choose what to back up: Gmail, Drive, Calendar and Contacts.
- Set the schedule and retention period.
- Plans set on “All users” pick up new users automatically after the next sync.
9. Run and verify the first backup. Start the first backup on demand and check its status and alerts in the console.
The full scope list and screenshots are in the Acronis guide to backing up Google Workspace.
How Do I Restore Gmail, Drive or Calendar Data from an Acronis Backup?
Open the user or Shared drive in the Acronis Cyber Protect console and select a recovery point. Then restore the entire mailbox or Drive, or recover only the items you need. Acronis Cyber Protect Cloud supports point-in-time recovery of single items as well as entire Gmail or Drive data.
- In the Acronis Cyber Protect console, go to Devices → Google Workspace and select the user or Shared drive.
- Click Recovery and choose the recovery point (the date and time to restore).
- Choose what to recover: the full mailbox or Drive, or specific emails, files, folders, calendar events or contacts. Use full-text search to find items quickly.
- Choose the target: the original user, another user, or download files and attachments directly.
- Start the recovery and confirm the items are back in Gmail, Drive, or Calendar.
Backups of users or Shared drives that were later deleted from Google Workspace stay available under Backup storage → Cloud applications backups, so you can still recover a departed employee’s data.
How Does Acronis Compare with Google’s Built-In Tools?
Google’s tools help with short-term recovery and compliance. Acronis Cyber Protect Cloud provides true Google Workspace backup with long-term retention and one-click restore.
| Capability | Admin console restore | Google Vault | Takeout / Data Export | Acronis Cyber Protect Cloud |
| Main purpose | Undo recent deletions | Retention, legal hold, eDiscovery | Offline export | Backup and recovery |
| Recovery window | 25 days after trash is emptied | Per retention rules | Snapshot at export time | As long as your retention policy |
| Restore back into Gmail or Drive | Yes, within 25 days | No direct restore to Drive | No restore function | Yes, to original or another user |
| Point-in-time recovery | No | No | No | Yes |
| Restore Calendar and Contacts | No | No | Export only | Yes |
| Copy stored outside Google | No | No | Yes, manual | Yes, Acronis Cloud Storage |
| Automatic schedule | Not applicable | Not applicable | No; Data Export once per 30 days | Yes, plus on-demand |
How Much Does Acronis Google Workspace Backup Cost in India?
Acronis Google Workspace backup is priced per protected Google Workspace user, so you pay for the number of seats you protect. For example, a 25-user business that protects every mailbox, and Drive pays 25 seats. You buy it in INR from ZNetLive, and the final price depends on the seat count and billing term.
| License option | How it is billed | Best for |
| Acronis Cyber Protect Cloud (per workload) | Per protected Google Workspace seat, monthly or yearly; unlimited storage; Shared drives not charged | Businesses and MSPs buying through ZNetLive |
| Acronis Cyber Protect Backup Advanced (direct) | Google Workspace seats sold in packs of 5 (for example, 12 users need 3 packs = 15 seats) | Businesses buying Acronis Cyber Protect directly, not through a service provider |
Under the per-workload model, a user is charged when their mailbox or Drive is protected. Acronis does not bill Google Workspace backup storage separately.
Steps to buy from ZNetLive:
- Count the Google Workspace users whose Gmail or Drive you want to protect.
- Request a quote on the ZNetLive Acronis Cyber Protect Cloud page, or email sales@znetlive.com.
- Start with the 30-day free trial; it converts to the full version when you buy seats.
- Pay in INR through ZNetLive’s payment options and receive console access.
If you also need Google Workspace licenses, ZNetLive sells Google Workspace too, so you can buy email and backup from one provider.
Is Acronis Google Workspace Backup Worth It for Your Business?
If losing a mailbox or a shared folder would cost you a client, a deal or an awkward conversation with an auditor, then yes. For most businesses, that’s a fairly easy call.
Google does a good job of keeping Gmail and Drive running. Protecting your data from deletions, departing staff and ransomware is a separate job, and that one falls to you. Once Acronis Cyber Protect Cloud is set up, backups run on their own schedule, and you rarely have to think about them.
Our advice is simple: don’t wait for the first “can we get that file back?” message. Start the free trial, back up a handful of users, then delete a test email and restore it. A couple of clicks are all it takes to see its value firsthand.
Frequently Asked Questions
Here are short answers to the questions businesses ask most often about Acronis Google Workspace backup.
1. Is Google Vault a Backup for Google Workspace?
No. Google Vault is built for retention, legal holds and eDiscovery. It cannot restore data back into a user’s Drive, so you still need a Google Workspace backup such as Acronis Cyber Protect Cloud.
2. How Long Does Google Keep Deleted Gmail and Drive Data?
Items stay in the user’s trash for 30 days. After the trash is emptied, an admin has 25 more days to restore them; after that, the data cannot be recovered without a backup.
3. Do I Need to Install Anything to Use Acronis Google Workspace Backup?
No. Acronis Cyber Protect Cloud backs up Google Workspace cloud-to-cloud, from Google’s data centres to Acronis Cloud Storage. You only connect a Google Cloud service account once.
4. Are Shared Drives Charged Separately?
No. Under the per-workload model, Acronis charges per protected user, and Shared drives (Team Drives) are not charged.
5. Can I Restore a Single Email or File?
Yes. Acronis Cyber Protect Cloud supports point-in-time recovery of single emails, files, events and contacts, as well as full mailboxes and Drives. Full-text search helps you find items quickly.
Next Steps
Let’s Protect your Gmail, Drive and Calendar today.
Get Acronis Cyber Protect Cloud for Google Workspace from ZNetLive, India’s authorized Acronis distributor. Not sure where to start? Talk to our team and we’ll help you with the setup.
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