box-automation

Box Automation - Box Cloud Storage Automation Integration

Skill Overview

Automate Box cloud storage operations via Rube MCP without API keys, including file upload/download, content search, folder management, collaboration sharing, and e-signature functions.

Use Cases

1. Enterprise Document Automation Management

Automatically upload business-generated documents to designated Box folders, automatically create directory structures by department or project, and set appropriate collaboration permissions. Examples: automatic archiving of daily sales reports, storing contract files by client, batch uploading of invoice documents, etc.

2. Bulk File Operations and Migration

Download files in bulk from Box for local processing, or migrate large numbers of files from local storage or other services to Box. Supports creating ZIP downloads, recursive folder copying, batch metadata updates, and other operations to greatly improve file management efficiency.

3. Box Sign E-signature Workflow Automation

Automatically create and send document signature requests, track signature status, and automatically archive signed documents after completion. Suitable for contract signing, approval workflows, and other business scenarios requiring e-signatures, reducing manual intervention.

Core Features

File Upload and Download

Supports single-file or batch file upload and download operations, allows specifying the target folder ID, and supports downloading by file version. Two-way file transfer is implemented via BOX_UPLOAD_FILE and BOX_DOWNLOAD_FILE, and BOX_CREATE_ZIP_DOWNLOAD can be used to package multiple files for download.

Intelligent Content Search

Provides full-text search capabilities, supporting multi-dimensional retrieval by filename, content, comments, tags, etc. Complex queries can use Boolean operators (AND, OR, NOT). Supports filtering by file type, date range, specific folder, and more, with pagination supporting up to 10,000 results.

Comprehensive Folder Management

Supports creating, renaming, moving, copying, and deleting folders. Folder attributes and shared link settings can be updated via BOX_UPDATE_FOLDER. Delete operations support recursive deletion of non-empty folders and provide functionality to permanently delete items from the trash.

Collaboration and Permission Management

Allows viewing a file's collaborators, updating collaborator roles and permissions (such as editor, viewer, owner), and accepting or declining collaboration invitations. Supports creating shared links, setting download permissions, locking files, and other advanced permission control features.

Metadata Queries

Precise queries can be performed using custom metadata templates via BOX_QUERY_FILES_FOLDERS_BY_METADATA, suitable for scenarios that require retrieving files by business attributes, such as searching by contract number, project code, and other business fields.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do I obtain Box file and folder IDs?

All entities in Box use numeric string IDs. The simplest method is to extract them from the Box web URL: in a file link like https://*.app.box.com/files/123, the 123 is the file ID; the same applies to folder links. You can also use BOX_SEARCH_FOR_CONTENT to search for a file and obtain the ID from the returned results. The root folder ID is fixed as "0".

Does Rube MCP require an API key to connect to Box?

No. Simply add https://rube.app/mcp as the server address in the MCP client configuration, then use the RUBE_MANAGE_CONNECTIONS tool to select the box toolkit and complete OAuth authorization. The entire process does not require applying for a Box API key—Rube handles all authentication details.

What is the Box file upload size limit?

The standard upload tool supports files up to 50 MB. Files larger than this require chunked upload APIs, but the current MCP toolset does not include chunked upload functionality. It is recommended to split large files locally before uploading, or use Box's official large file upload solutions.