box-automation

Box Automation via Rube MCP

Automate Box operations including file upload/download, content search, folder management, collaboration, metadata queries, and sign requests through Composio's Box toolkit.

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.

1. Verify Rube MCP is available by confirming RUBE_SEARCH_TOOLS responds
2. Call RUBE_MANAGE_CONNECTIONS with toolkit box
3. If connection is not ACTIVE, follow the returned auth link to complete Box OAuth
4. 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:

1. BOX_SEARCH_FOR_CONTENT - Find the target folder if path is unknown [Prerequisite]
2. BOX_GET_FOLDER_INFORMATION - Verify folder exists and get folder_id [Prerequisite]
3. BOX_LIST_ITEMS_IN_FOLDER - Browse folder contents and discover file IDs [Optional]
4. BOX_UPLOAD_FILE - Upload a file to a specific folder [Required for upload]
5. BOX_DOWNLOAD_FILE - Download a file by file_id [Required for download]
6. 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:

1. BOX_SEARCH_FOR_CONTENT - Full-text search across files, folders, and web links [Required]
2. BOX_LIST_ITEMS_IN_FOLDER - Browse contents of a specific folder [Optional]
3. BOX_GET_FILE_INFORMATION - Get detailed metadata for a specific file [Optional]
4. BOX_GET_FOLDER_INFORMATION - Get detailed metadata for a specific folder [Optional]
5. BOX_QUERY_FILES_FOLDERS_BY_METADATA - Search by metadata template values [Optional]
6. 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:

1. BOX_GET_FOLDER_INFORMATION - Verify folder exists and check permissions [Prerequisite]
2. BOX_CREATE_FOLDER - Create a new folder [Required for create]
3. BOX_UPDATE_FOLDER - Rename, move, or update folder settings [Required for update]
4. BOX_COPY_FOLDER - Copy a folder to a new location [Optional]
5. BOX_DELETE_FOLDER - Move folder to trash [Required for delete]
6. 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:

1. BOX_GET_FILE_INFORMATION - Get file details and current sharing status [Prerequisite]
2. BOX_LIST_FILE_COLLABORATIONS - List who has access to a file [Required]
3. BOX_UPDATE_COLLABORATION - Change access level or accept/reject invitations [Required]
4. BOX_GET_COLLABORATION - Get details of a specific collaboration [Optional]
5. BOX_UPDATE_FILE - Create shared links, lock files, or update permissions [Optional]
6. 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:

1. BOX_LIST_BOX_SIGN_REQUESTS - List all signature requests [Required]
2. BOX_GET_BOX_SIGN_REQUEST_BY_ID - Get details of a specific sign request [Optional]
3. 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