How do you transition company documentation from Google Docs to a centralized wiki?

Transition from Google Docs to a centralized wiki by auditing your existing documents, migrating only active and current content, and setting a hard cutoff date for the old system. Don't try to move everything — most Google Docs are outdated or irrelevant. Focus on the 30-50 most-used documents and archive the rest.

Why do teams struggle with this migration?

The migration fails when teams try to move every document. Common mistakes:

• Moving garbage — Importing 500 Google Docs, 400 of which are outdated, into a fresh wiki
• No cutoff date — People continue creating new Google Docs alongside the wiki
• Big bang approach — Trying to migrate everything in one weekend instead of phasing it
• Format mismatch — Google Docs formatting doesn't transfer cleanly to Notion or Confluence

What is the step-by-step migration process?

Phase	Timeline	Action
1. Audit	Week 1	List all Google Docs used in the last 90 days
2. Triage	Week 1-2	Categorize: Migrate, Update & Migrate, Re-record, Archive
3. Set up wiki	Week 2	Create folder structure in Notion/Confluence matching team needs
4. Migrate active docs	Week 3-4	Move current documents, reformatting for the new platform
5. Re-record outdated processes	Week 4-6	Use Glyde to capture current workflows instead of migrating stale docs
6. Set cutoff	Week 6	Make Google Drive SOPs read-only with redirect links to wiki
7. Enforce	Ongoing	New documentation must be created in the wiki — no exceptions

Three rules for a successful migration:

1. Archive, don't delete — Make old Google Docs read-only rather than deleting them, in case someone needs historical reference
2. Migrate incrementally — One department per week, not the whole company at once
3. Make the wiki the default — Change browser bookmarks, Slack bot responses, and onboarding guides to point to the wiki

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This answer is part of our guide to standard operating procedures.