Automate Box operations including file upload/download, content search, folder management, collaboration, metadata queries, and sign requests through Composio's Box toolkit.
Toolkit docs
:
composio.dev/toolkits/box
Prerequisites
Rube MCP must be connected (RUBE_SEARCH_TOOLS available)
Active Box connection via
RUBE_MANAGE_CONNECTIONS
with toolkit
box
Always call
RUBE_SEARCH_TOOLS
first to get current tool schemas
Setup
Get Rube MCP
Add
https://rube.app/mcp
as an MCP server in your client configuration. No API keys needed — just add the endpoint and it works.
Verify Rube MCP is available by confirming
RUBE_SEARCH_TOOLS
responds
Call
RUBE_MANAGE_CONNECTIONS
with toolkit
box
If connection is not ACTIVE, follow the returned auth link to complete Box OAuth
Confirm connection status shows ACTIVE before running any workflows
Core Workflows
1. Upload and Download Files
When to use
User wants to upload files to Box or download files from it
Tool sequence
:
BOX_SEARCH_FOR_CONTENT
- Find the target folder if path is unknown [Prerequisite]
BOX_GET_FOLDER_INFORMATION
- Verify folder exists and get folder_id [Prerequisite]
BOX_LIST_ITEMS_IN_FOLDER
- Browse folder contents and discover file IDs [Optional]
BOX_UPLOAD_FILE
- Upload a file to a specific folder [Required for upload]
BOX_DOWNLOAD_FILE
- Download a file by file_id [Required for download]
BOX_CREATE_ZIP_DOWNLOAD
- Bundle multiple files/folders into a zip [Optional]
Key parameters
:
parent_id
Folder ID for upload destination (use
"0"
for root folder)
file
FileUploadable object with
s3key
,
mimetype
, and
name
for uploads
file_id
Unique file identifier for downloads
version
Optional file version ID for downloading specific versions
fields
Comma-separated list of attributes to return
Pitfalls
:
Uploading to a folder with existing filenames can trigger conflict behavior; decide overwrite vs rename semantics
Files over 50MB should use chunk upload APIs (not available via standard tools)
The
attributes
part of upload must come before the
file
part or you get HTTP 400 with
metadata_after_file_contents
File IDs and folder IDs are numeric strings extractable from Box web app URLs (e.g.,
https://*.app.box.com/files/123
gives file_id
"123"
)
2. Search and Browse Content
When to use
User wants to find files, folders, or web links by name, content, or metadata
Tool sequence
:
BOX_SEARCH_FOR_CONTENT
- Full-text search across files, folders, and web links [Required]
BOX_LIST_ITEMS_IN_FOLDER
- Browse contents of a specific folder [Optional]
BOX_GET_FILE_INFORMATION
- Get detailed metadata for a specific file [Optional]
BOX_GET_FOLDER_INFORMATION
- Get detailed metadata for a specific folder [Optional]
BOX_QUERY_FILES_FOLDERS_BY_METADATA
- Search by metadata template values [Optional]
BOX_LIST_RECENTLY_ACCESSED_ITEMS
- List recently accessed items [Optional]
Key parameters
:
query
Search string supporting operators (
""
exact match,
AND
,
OR
,
NOT
- uppercase only)
type
Filter by
"file"
,
"folder"
, or
"web_link"
ancestor_folder_ids
Limit search to specific folders (comma-separated IDs)
file_extensions
Filter by file type (comma-separated, no dots)
content_types
Search in
"name"
,
"description"
,
"file_content"
,
"comments"
,
"tags"
created_at_range
/
updated_at_range
Date filters as comma-separated RFC3339 timestamps
limit
Results per page (default 30)
offset
Pagination offset (max 10000)
folder_id
For
LIST_ITEMS_IN_FOLDER
(use
"0"
for root)
Pitfalls
:
Queries with offset > 10000 are rejected with HTTP 400
BOX_SEARCH_FOR_CONTENT
requires either
query
or
mdfilters
parameter
Misconfigured filters can silently omit expected items; validate with small test queries first
Boolean operators (
AND
,
OR
,
NOT
) must be uppercase
BOX_LIST_ITEMS_IN_FOLDER
requires pagination via
marker
or
offset
/
usemarker
; partial listings are common
Standard folders sort items by type first (folders before files before web links)
3. Manage Folders
When to use
User wants to create, update, move, copy, or delete folders
Tool sequence
:
BOX_GET_FOLDER_INFORMATION
- Verify folder exists and check permissions [Prerequisite]
BOX_CREATE_FOLDER
- Create a new folder [Required for create]
BOX_UPDATE_FOLDER
- Rename, move, or update folder settings [Required for update]
BOX_COPY_FOLDER
- Copy a folder to a new location [Optional]
BOX_DELETE_FOLDER
- Move folder to trash [Required for delete]
BOX_PERMANENTLY_REMOVE_FOLDER
- Permanently delete a trashed folder [Optional]
Key parameters
:
name
Folder name (no
/
,
\
, trailing spaces, or
.
/
..
)
parent__id
Parent folder ID (use
"0"
for root)
folder_id
Target folder ID for operations
parent.id
Destination folder ID for moves via
BOX_UPDATE_FOLDER
recursive
Set
true
to delete non-empty folders
shared_link
Object with
access
,
password
,
permissions
for creating shared links on folders
description
,
tags
Optional metadata fields
Pitfalls
:
BOX_DELETE_FOLDER
moves to trash by default; use
BOX_PERMANENTLY_REMOVE_FOLDER
for permanent deletion
Non-empty folders require
recursive: true
for deletion
Root folder (ID
"0"
) cannot be copied or deleted
Folder names cannot contain
/
,
\
, non-printable ASCII, or trailing spaces
Moving folders requires setting
parent.id
via
BOX_UPDATE_FOLDER
4. Share Files and Manage Collaborations
When to use
User wants to share files, manage access, or handle collaborations
Tool sequence
:
BOX_GET_FILE_INFORMATION
- Get file details and current sharing status [Prerequisite]
BOX_LIST_FILE_COLLABORATIONS
- List who has access to a file [Required]
BOX_UPDATE_COLLABORATION
- Change access level or accept/reject invitations [Required]
BOX_GET_COLLABORATION
- Get details of a specific collaboration [Optional]
BOX_UPDATE_FILE
- Create shared links, lock files, or update permissions [Optional]
BOX_UPDATE_FOLDER
- Create shared links on folders [Optional]
Key parameters
:
collaboration_id
Unique collaboration identifier
role
Access level (
"editor"
,
"viewer"
,
"co-owner"
,
"owner"
,
"previewer"
,
"uploader"
,
"viewer uploader"
,
"previewer uploader"
)
status
:
"accepted"
,
"pending"
, or
"rejected"
for collaboration invites
file_id
File to share or manage
lock__access
Set to
"lock"
to lock a file
permissions__can__download
:
"company"
or
"open"
for download permissions
Pitfalls
:
Only certain roles can invite collaborators; insufficient permissions cause authorization errors
can_view_path
increases load time for the invitee's "All Files" page; limit to 1000 per user
Collaboration expiration requires enterprise admin settings to be enabled
Nested parameter names use double underscores (e.g.,
lock__access
,
parent__id
)
5. Box Sign Requests
When to use
User wants to manage document signature requests
Tool sequence
:
BOX_LIST_BOX_SIGN_REQUESTS
- List all signature requests [Required]
BOX_GET_BOX_SIGN_REQUEST_BY_ID
- Get details of a specific sign request [Optional]
BOX_CANCEL_BOX_SIGN_REQUEST
- Cancel a pending sign request [Optional]
Key parameters
:
sign_request_id
UUID of the sign request
shared_requests
Set
true
to include requests where user is a collaborator (not owner)
senders
Filter by sender emails (requires
shared_requests: true
)
limit
/
marker
Pagination parameters
Pitfalls
:
Requires Box Sign to be enabled for the enterprise account
Deleted sign files or parent folders cause requests to not appear in listings
Only the creator can cancel a sign request
Sign request statuses include:
converting
,
created
,
sent
,
viewed
,
signed
,
declined
,
cancelled
,
expired
,
error_converting
,
error_sending
Common Patterns
ID Resolution
Box uses numeric string IDs for all entities:
Root folder
Always ID
"0"
File ID from URL
:
https://*.app.box.com/files/123
gives file_id
"123"
Folder ID from URL
:
https://*.app.box.com/folder/123
gives folder_id
"123"
Search to ID
Use
BOX_SEARCH_FOR_CONTENT
to find items, then extract IDs from results
ETag
Use
if_match
with file's ETag for safe concurrent delete operations
Pagination
Box supports two pagination methods:
Offset-based
Use
offset
+
limit
(max offset 10000)
Marker-based
Set
usemarker: true
and follow
marker
from responses (preferred for large datasets)
Always paginate to completion to avoid partial results
Nested Parameters
Box tools use double underscore notation for nested objects:
parent__id
for parent folder reference
lock__access
,
lock__expires__at
,
lock__is__download__prevented
for file locks
permissions__can__download
for download permissions
Known Pitfalls
ID Formats
All IDs are numeric strings (e.g.,
"123456"
, not integers)
Root folder is always
"0"
File and folder IDs can be extracted from Box web app URLs
Rate Limits
Box API has per-endpoint rate limits
Search and list operations should use pagination responsibly
Bulk operations should include delays between requests
Parameter Quirks
fields
parameter changes response shape: when specified, only mini representation + requested fields are returned
Search requires either
query
or
mdfilters
; both are optional individually but one must be present
BOX_UPDATE_FILE
with
lock
set to
null
removes the lock (raw API only)
Metadata query
from
field format:
enterprise_{enterprise_id}.templateKey
or
global.templateKey
Permissions
Deletions fail without sufficient permissions; always handle error responses
Collaboration roles determine what operations are allowed
Enterprise settings may restrict certain sharing options
Quick Reference
Task
Tool Slug
Key Params
Search content
BOX_SEARCH_FOR_CONTENT
query
,
type
,
ancestor_folder_ids
List folder items
BOX_LIST_ITEMS_IN_FOLDER
folder_id
,
limit
,
marker
Get file info
BOX_GET_FILE_INFORMATION
file_id
,
fields
Get folder info
BOX_GET_FOLDER_INFORMATION
folder_id
,
fields
Upload file
BOX_UPLOAD_FILE
file
,
parent_id
Download file
BOX_DOWNLOAD_FILE
file_id
Create folder
BOX_CREATE_FOLDER
name
,
parent__id
Update folder
BOX_UPDATE_FOLDER
folder_id
,
name
,
parent
Copy folder
BOX_COPY_FOLDER
folder_id
,
parent__id
Delete folder
BOX_DELETE_FOLDER
folder_id
,
recursive
Permanently delete folder
BOX_PERMANENTLY_REMOVE_FOLDER
folder_id
Update file
BOX_UPDATE_FILE
file_id
,
name
,
parent__id
Delete file
BOX_DELETE_FILE
file_id
,
if_match
List collaborations
BOX_LIST_FILE_COLLABORATIONS
file_id
Update collaboration
BOX_UPDATE_COLLABORATION
collaboration_id
,
role
Get collaboration
BOX_GET_COLLABORATION
collaboration_id
Query by metadata
BOX_QUERY_FILES_FOLDERS_BY_METADATA
from
,
ancestor_folder_id
,
query
List collections
BOX_LIST_ALL_COLLECTIONS
(none)
List collection items
BOX_LIST_COLLECTION_ITEMS
collection_id
List sign requests
BOX_LIST_BOX_SIGN_REQUESTS
limit
,
marker
Get sign request
BOX_GET_BOX_SIGN_REQUEST_BY_ID
sign_request_id
Cancel sign request
BOX_CANCEL_BOX_SIGN_REQUEST
sign_request_id
Recent items
BOX_LIST_RECENTLY_ACCESSED_ITEMS
(none)
Create zip download
BOX_CREATE_ZIP_DOWNLOAD
item IDs
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