Are cross-referenced URIs in google drive documents preserved after Google Takeout?

Question

Background

Google has a service that allows you to export/backup/migrate your google drive documents and contents to another system. Its called takeout.google.com This service allows for the user to also specify the file formats that google office files will be converted into. (See image below)

Issue

I have been using google docs for digital file inventory and student research for many years. Thes doc/sheets/slides have thousands of links to my other google documents and drive files.

Problem

I have to export all the drive documents to another google drive. But I can't use the transfer ownership feature as the transfer would be between g-suite orgs.

Question

Will the cross-links be preserved when the export happens and the Google office apps get converted to Microsoft Office files? Is there a way I can specify for these cross-links to be preserved?

Answer 1

From the question

Will the cross-links be preserved when the export happens and the Google office apps get converted to Microsoft Office files? Is there a way I can specify for these cross-links to be preserved?

The links are not converted by Google Take Out either by the conversion of "downloable files" to Google Editors formats feature.

High level workaround

Instead of converting to downable file formats and back to Google Editor formats, make a copy and replace the links to the corresponding copy. This could be done manually or automatically.

I don't know if there is already a third-party add-on or app that do this but this could be done by using Google Apps Script. There are some limitations like the maximum execution time, which might be relevant if you have a large number of file, among others but if you have enough time they might be overcome.

Answer 2

The method of cross-domain transfer file ownership (with preserving file IDs) using Google Shared Drives is well described here.

Summary:

1. Setup Google Shared Drive.
2. Neutralize ownership in the Shared Drive.
3. Assign new ownership.

If you do not have access to Google Workspace (former G Suite), you can take advantage of ready-made solutions available in the Google Workspace Marketplace.