Updated July 2025 – Discover what types of data Google stores about you and how to explore your full Takeout archive.
If you’ve ever used Gmail, YouTube, Google Maps, or Google Photos — you’ve created a digital history that’s stored across dozens of platforms. With Google Takeout, you can request a full archive of that data in a single downloadable ZIP file.
But what exactly is in it?
This article gives you a detailed breakdown of the files and folders you’ll receive when exporting your full Google account.
✅ Why Review Your Takeout Archive?
Google Takeout can help you:
- 🧠 Understand what personal data Google collects and stores
- 🗂️ Back up your emails, photos, and files for offline access
- 💬 Review years of messages, calendars, and notes
- 📦 Migrate data to a new platform
- 🔐 Audit your digital footprint for privacy purposes
- 🧳 Prepare to delete your Google account completely
Let’s take a closer look at what’s inside your ZIP file.
🗂️ Google Takeout – Folder-by-Folder Breakdown
Depending on your usage, you may receive dozens of folders. Here are the most common and useful ones:
📧 Gmail/
- All your email messages in
.mboxformat - Organised by label/folder
- Can be imported into email clients like Thunderbird or Outlook
📌 Emails are fully preserved — subject, body, sender, attachments.
📁 Drive/
- All files and folders stored in Google Drive
- Shared files and version history
- Native Google Docs converted to
.docx,.pdf,.csv, or.html
Great for personal backups and exporting shared projects.
📅 Calendar/
- All events in
.icsformat - Multiple calendars separated into subfolders
- Includes invites, descriptions, reminders
Can be imported into Apple Calendar, Outlook, or any .ics-compatible tool.
📸 Google Photos/
- Albums with full-size images and metadata
- JSON sidecar files with captions, EXIF data, and locations
- Organized by year or album
📍 Pro tip: You can convert JSON into readable format using jsonformatter.org
🧑🤝🧑 Contacts/
- All saved contacts in
.vcf(vCard) format - Includes names, numbers, emails, birthdays, notes
- Works with iPhone, Outlook, Android, and most address book apps
🌐 Maps/
- Location history in
.jsonor.kmlformat - Timeline data showing movement over time
- Starred places and custom maps
Use Google Earth or MyMaps to visualize this data.
🔍 Search and Activity/
- Search queries across Google Search, YouTube, Maps
- Voice command transcripts from Google Assistant
- App usage and interactions with ads
Warning: This folder can be extremely large and detailed.
📺 YouTube and YouTube Music/
- Watch history, search history
- Comments, likes, playlists
- Channel data (if creator)
✅ See the YouTube Takeout Guide → for a full breakdown.
🛒 Google Pay and Orders/
- Online purchases
- Transaction history
- Subscriptions and receipts
Useful for reviewing recurring payments or past subscriptions.
🧠 Other Possible Folders:
- Keep – Notes and to-do lists
- Tasks – Google Tasks with completion history
- Ads – Your ad interest profile
- Chrome – Bookmarks, extensions, and browsing history
- Google Fit – Health and fitness metrics
- Classroom – Assignments and feedback if you’re a student or teacher
- Play Store – App history, reviews, and device installs
📁 File Formats You’ll Encounter
| Format | Purpose |
|---|---|
.mbox | For emails (Gmail) |
.json | Structured activity and settings data |
.vcf | Contacts (vCards) |
.ics | Calendar events |
.csv | Tables and lists |
.html | Easy-to-read archives of photos, posts |
.zip | The full archive package (compressed) |
🔧 Tools to Open and View Your Archive
- ✅ WinZip – Extract the archive and browse folders
- ✅ pCloud – Store your data encrypted in the cloud
- ✅ Thunderbird – View and search
.mboxemail files - ✅ Excel / Sheets – Filter
.csvand convert.json - ✅ Any text editor or browser – Read
.json,.html,.txt
🔐 Tips for Safe Storage
- Never upload your archive to unknown platforms
- Use encrypted cloud storage (like pCloud)
- Back up offline on a secure external drive
- Avoid storing the archive on public or shared computers
📌 Summary
Google Takeout gives you access to everything Google knows about you — neatly packaged into one archive. Whether you’re curious, cautious, or moving on, reviewing your archive is a powerful way to take control of your digital life.
🔘 Request Your Google Archive Now →
🔐 Extract with WinZip | Store with pCloud