# Box MCP MCP

> Box MCP connects your AI agent directly to your enterprise cloud content management platform. You manage files, folders, and metadata through natural conversation, eliminating the need to navigate complex UIs. It lets you list all users, check who has access to specific folders, locate documents based on custom tags, or even create new folder structures without leaving your chat window.

## Overview
- **Category:** industry-titans
- **Price:** Free
- **Tags:** file-sharing, content-management, enterprise-security, cloud-collaboration, metadata-management, file-storage

## Description

Need to work with content stored in a large enterprise system? This MCP connects your AI agent directly to Box, letting you manage files and collaboration data using plain language. Instead of opening the web portal and clicking through menus just to find metadata or check permissions, you ask your agent. You can search across massive document archives for specific tags or file types. The system handles all the complexity: it identifies which folders exist, lists their contents recursively, tracks who has viewed what, and even creates new folder structures on demand. Since Vinkius hosts this MCP in its catalog, you connect once from any compatible client—Claude, Cursor, Windsurf, etc.—and instantly gain control over your entire Box environment without needing developer credentials or complex API calls.

## Tools

### create_folder
This tool creates a new, empty folder within your Box structure.

### get_file_info
Retrieves the specific details about a single file, such as its size or modification date.

### get_folder_collaborations
Lists all users and groups that have been granted access permissions to a specified folder.

### get_folder_info
Gets general details about a specific folder, like its parent ID or creation date.

### list_folder_items
Retrieves the names, sizes, and types of all files and subfolders inside a specified Box location.

### list_users
Pulls a list of every individual user account active in your organization's Box setup.

### search_content
Searches across all documents and folders for content that matches specific keywords or filters.

## Prompt Examples

**Prompt:** 
```
Search for all contracts expiring in Q2 2026.
```

**Response:** 
```
Found 14 files matching 'contract': 1. 'MSA-ClientAlpha-2024.pdf' (Legal/Contracts, 2.3 MB, metadata: expires=2026-06-30). 2. 'SaaS-License-BetaCorp.docx' (Procurement, 890 KB, expires=2026-04-15). Showing top 5 of 14.
```

**Prompt:** 
```
Who has access to the Board Reports folder?
```

**Response:** 
```
'Board Reports' folder collaborators: 1. CEO Jane Smith (Co-owner). 2. CFO Mike Chen (Editor). 3. Legal Team (Viewer, 5 members). 4. External Auditor Group (Viewer, 2 members, link expires Dec 2026). Total: 10 unique users.
```

**Prompt:** 
```
List the 10 largest files in the Engineering folder.
```

**Response:** 
```
Top 10 files by size in 'Engineering': 1. 'architecture-diagram-v12.fig' (245 MB). 2. 'load-test-results-march.zip' (189 MB). 3. 'database-backup-staging.sql' (156 MB). Total folder size: 2.1 GB across 847 files.
```

## Capabilities

### Search documents by content and metadata
Find specific files across the platform using full-text search combined with filters like file extension or custom tags.

### Map folder structure and contents
List all items, including their names, sizes, and modification dates, within any given Box folder, even deep nested ones.

### Check access permissions for a directory
Determine precisely which users or groups have been granted viewing, editing, or ownership rights on a specified folder.

### Create new organizational folders
Make brand-new folders within the existing Box structure using a parent ID or root path.

### Identify all platform users
Retrieve a list of every active user account across your entire enterprise organization.

## Use Cases

### Auditing access for legal discovery
A Compliance Officer needs to know if a specific set of client folders are restricted. Instead of checking permissions on every folder manually, they ask the agent to run `get_folder_collaborations` on all relevant directories and get one consolidated list.

### Onboarding a new department
The Operations Manager needs a consistent structure for the new team. They prompt the agent, which uses `create_folder` repeatedly to build out the required nested directory hierarchy automatically.

### Finding historical documents by tag
A researcher needs all contracts related to 'Project Chimera' from 2023. They use the agent with `search_content`, filtering specifically for PDF files and the keyword 'Chimera,' getting immediate results.

### Understanding project scope
A team lead wants to know how big a folder is without downloading it. They ask the agent, which uses `list_folder_items` and compiles the total size of all content in the 'Marketing Assets' folder.

## Benefits

- Stop manually clicking through folder trees. You can ask the agent to list items using `list_folder_items` and get a structured report immediately.
- When you need governance data, use `get_folder_collaborations` to see who has access to sensitive materials without opening any permission tabs.
- Need to find one specific contract from last year? Run the `search_content` tool. It filters across all documents for keywords and metadata, far faster than manual searching.
- Manage user accounts directly by calling `list_users`. You get a clean roster of every active employee without logging into the admin console.
- Don't waste time creating folders manually. Use the `create_folder` tool to generate required organizational structure instantly via chat.

## How It Works

The bottom line is, your agent talks to Box using natural language commands instead of requiring manual navigation or scripted API calls.

1. First, you ask your AI agent to perform an action, like 'List the contents of the Project Alpha folder.'
2. The MCP translates that request into multiple internal calls—checking the folder's existence and retrieving all nested items.
3. Your agent receives a structured list of names, sizes, and types, presenting it back to you in plain text.

## Frequently Asked Questions

**How does the Box MCP help with large file searches using search_content?**
The `search_content` tool reads across all content. You can narrow results by filtering for specific extensions (like .pdf or .xlsx) and keywords, making huge archives manageable.

**Can I use the Box MCP to see who owns a folder?**
Yep. The `get_folder_collaborations` tool lists every user with access rights to that specific folder, showing their roles like 'Viewer' or 'Co-owner.'

**How do I use the create_folder tool in the Box MCP?**
You instruct your agent to call `create_folder`, providing either a desired name and an optional parent folder ID. It builds the structure for you.

**What if I need user names that aren't tied to files? Can list_users do that?**
Yes, `list_users` pulls a comprehensive list of every active enterprise user within your Box account. It’s great for roster building or auditing.

**When I use get_file_info, what kind of metadata can my agent retrieve for a single file?**
The tool retrieves detailed information about the file, including its size, creation dates, and modification timestamps. This is crucial when you need to audit files or check compliance records that rely on specific data points.

**Does list_folder_items handle deep folder structures or only the immediate contents?**
It lists all items within a specified Box folder ID. You can programmatically use this tool by feeding the returned IDs back into itself to achieve full recursive traversal of nested folders.

**If my agent tries to run get_folder_info on a restricted directory, how does the system handle permissions?**
The MCP returns an explicit permission failure error. This means your AI client recognizes access limitations immediately and can prompt you for alternate paths or necessary elevated credentials.

**When using search_content, is there a way to filter results by file type or specific metadata fields?**
Yes, the tool allows filtering by common extensions like PDF, DOCX, and XLSX. You can also refine searches based on other available metadata filters for highly targeted retrieval.