Google Workspace Optimization IT Toolkit
What to Know About Upcoming Google Storage Limits
This toolkit shares an index of tools, resources, and communications developed by the Google Workspace Optimization project to support the community as we transition to a Google Workspace service that no longer offers free and unlimited storage.
Key messages
- Google Workspace will remain a preferred collaboration tool at the university, ensuring that faculty, students, and staff can access My Drive and shared drives for file storage and collaboration.
- Upcoming lifecycle management policies will be introduced.
- To maintain the service's sustainability, a storage limit of 5 TB will be applied to My Drives and each shared drive, effective September 1, 2025.
- Individuals who own My Drive accounts exceeding 5 TB and managers of shared drives storing more than 5 TB GB will be notified via email starting in March.
- Additional storage in Google Workspace can be purchased through the university. Pricing will be based on an annual cost of $0.15 per GB.
Curated resource guides
Storage Management Guide
This guide offers information to manage a drive that exceeds the storage limit with links to the following resources:
- Check My Drive storage: Understand how much data is being stored in your My Drive
- Clean up My Drive: Identify large, redundant, or unused files that may no longer be needed.
- Check shared drive storage: Learn how to see the amount of data stored in a shared drive.
- Clean up a shared drive: Leverage strategies for reducing storage or deleting a shared drive.
- Manage access in shared drives: Learn how to modify a shared drive member's permission level.
- Review security guidance: Reminder that it's highly recommended that Stanford data remains in a Stanford-approved solution.
- Purchase Google Workspace storage: Submit a PTA to be billed based on actual usage.
Storage Options Guide
This guide offers information on Stanford storage options with links to the following resources:
- Storage recommendations (card view): Compare the various storage options available at Stanford.
- Storage recommendations (matrix view): View side-by-side feature comparison of Stanford's storage options.
- Prepare to migrate with Globus: Ensure a smoother migration by preparing your data.
Guides by category
Monitor storage use
Manage a My Drive or shared drive
Explore storage options
Purchase Google Workspace storage
Other resources
Google Optimization Project webpage
How to get support
- For questions about storage options, submit a storage consulting request
- For technical support, submit a Help request
- To share feedback with the project team, use this form
Communication summary
Articles
- What to Know About Upcoming Google Storage Limit (Aug. 19, 2025)
- University Sets 5 TB Google Workspace Limit (Jan. 21, 2025)
- Transitioning to a Sustainable Google Workspace (Jan. 23, 2024)
- Navigating the Next Era of Google Workspace for Education (Aug. 15, 2023)
Emails
- My Drive email (sent on Aug. 27, 2025) FINAL reminder to all owners of My Drive accounts exceeding 5 TB
- Shared drive email (sent on Aug. 27, 2025): FINAL reminder to all managers and creators of shared drives exceeding 5 TB
- My Drive email (sent on Aug. 20, 2025) Informed owners of My Drive accounts storing 4-5 TB
- Shared drive email (sent on Aug. 20, 2025): Informed managers and creators of shared drives storing 4-5 TB
- My Drive email (sent on Aug. 13, 2025) Reminder to all owners of My Drive accounts exceeding 5 TB
- Shared drive email (sent on Aug. 13, 2025): Reminder to all managers and creators of shared drives exceeding 5 TB
- My Drive email (sent on Aug. 6, 2025) Informed owners of My Drive accounts storing 4-5 TB
- Shared drive email (sent on Aug. 6, 2025): Informed managers and creators of shared drives storing 4-5 TB
- My Drive email (sent on July 31, 2025) Reminder to all owners of My Drive accounts exceeding 5 TB
- Shared drive email (sent on July 31, 2025): Reminder to all managers and creators of shared drives exceeding 5 TB
- My Drive email (sent on June 26, 2025) Reminder to all owners of My Drive accounts exceeding 5 TB
- Shared drive email (sent on June 26, 2025): Reminder to all managers and creators of shared drives exceeding 5 TB
- My Drive email (sent on June 12, 2025) Informed owners of My Drive accounts storing 4-5 TB
- Shared drive email (sent on June 12, 2025): Informed managers and creators of shared drives storing 4-5 TB
- Shared drive email (sent on May 28, 2025): Reminder to all managers and creators of shared drives exceeding 5 TB
- My Drive email (sent on May 28, 2025): Reminder to all owners of My Drive accounts exceeding 5 TB
- Shared drive email (sent on April 30, 2025): Reminder to all managers and creators of shared drives exceeding 5 TB
- My Drive email (sent on April 30, 2025): Reminder to all owners of My Drive accounts exceeding 5 TB
- Shared drive email (sent on April 16, 2025): Informed managers and creators of shared drives storing 4-5 TB
- My Drive email (sent on April 16, 2025): Informed student owners of My Drive accounts storing 4-5 TB
- My Drive email (sent on April 16, 2025): Informed faculty, staff, and affiliate owners of My Drive accounts storing 4-5 TB
- Shared drive email (sent on March 18, 2025): Informed all managers and creators of shared drives exceeding 5 TB
- My Drive email (sent on March 18, 2025): Informed student owners of My Drive accounts exceeding 5 TB
- My Drive email (sent on March 18, 2025): Informed faculty, staff, and affiliate owners of My Drive accounts exceeding 5 TB
- Grace period extended email: (sent Aug. 7, 2024) Announced no storage limits would be enforced before March 1, 2025
- Shared drive manager email: (sent May 16, 2024) Informed managers of shared drives exceeding 490 GB
- My Drive email: (sent Feb. 21, 2024) Informed owners of My Drive accounts exceeding 490 GB
