Creating workflows in Box Automate

This guide provides end users with a complete walkthrough for building, configuring, and managing workflows using the Box Automate builder.

​

Getting started with the Workflow Builder

To begin creating a workflow:

1. Navigate to the Box Automate section of your Box account.
2. Click New+.
   1. Select Workflow to begin building in Automate.
3. Configure the settings below:
   • The Header: Where you name your workflow and manage publishing states.
   • The Builder Canvas: A visual, drag-and-drop workspace where you map out your process logic.
   • The Side Panel: Your library of available Triggers, Outcomes, and Branching options.
   • Workflow Settings: Set the name and description of the workflow.
4. Add a Trigger. Drag a trigger event from the Flow Triggers section in the side panel onto the canvas. This is the event that kicks off your automation.
5. Define Outcomes. Once a trigger is placed, the canvas shows a + helper node. Drag outcomes or click the node to add steps that should follow the trigger.

​

Understanding Triggers

Triggers are specific events that initiate an Automate workflow. In Box Automate, triggers are designed to be content-aware and can be scoped to specific folders or metadata conditions.

​

Trigger types

• File Events: Initiate workflows when a file is:
  • Uploaded
  • Moved
  • Copied
  • Downloaded
  • Deleted
  • Preview
  • Lock
  • Unlock
  • Watermark Removed
  • Add Collaborator
  • Classification Applied
• Folder Events: Initiate workflows when a folder is:
  • Created
  • Moved
  • Copied
  • Downloaded
  • Deleted
  • Added Collaborator
• File Request: Launches a workflow when someone completes the File Request form and uses it to submit content to the designated Box folder.
• Manual Start: Initiate the workflow from a file in Box from the item in Box.
• Metadata Triggers: Launch a workflow when a specific Metadata Template is applied. This supports conditional logic such as “Equal to,” “Contains,” or “Is blank.”
• Box Sign: Trigger sign events such as Completed, Declined, Expired, Cancelled
• Form Submissions: If enabled (Enterprise Advanced accounts only), a workflow starts every time a designated Box Form is submitted.
• Scheduled event: Select a date and time to trigger the workflow, and then an end date and time to stop the workflow.
• Task Events: Workflows can start when a General Task or an Approval Task (Accepted or Rejected) is completed.

​

Configuring Outcomes

Outcomes are the automated steps performed by the workflow. Box Automate allows you to chain multiple outcomes together and use dynamic variables to pass data between steps.

​

Key Outcome capabilities

• File Outcomes: Actions taken on a file are:
  • Move
  • Copy
  • Rename
  • Delete
  • Lock
  • Unlock
  • Watermark Add/Remove
  • Add/Remove Collaborator
  • Classification Apply
• Folder Outcomes: Actions taken on a folder are:
  • Create
  • Move
  • Copy
  • Rename
  • Delete
  • Restore
  • Add/Remove Collaborator
  • Classification Apply
• Task Assignments: Assign Approval Tasks or General Tasks to specific users or groups. You can include custom instructions and set due dates.

• Notifications: Send automated email notifications to specific recipients. You can customize the subject and message body using variables (e.g., including the name of the person who started the workflow).
• Box Agent: (Enterprise Advanced accounts only) For any AI related outcomes it is recommended to include an approval task to review AI outcomes, ensuring the results are correct as needed:
  • Document summarization: Select an agent for responses, and include prompt instructions if needed.
• Extract Agent: Select a custom agent that applies metadata to the file or a generic agent that extracts file information without metadata.
• Document Generation: (Enterprise Advanced accounts only) Select from a metadata template, enter a name or variable for the document, and folder location.
• Requesting Signatures: Select a file and recipients to sign, then add a subject line and message.
• HTTPS connector: Box Automate integrates with Box tools, third-party connectors, and via APIs.
• Metadata: Apply, update, or extract metadata using AI for files and folders.

​

Advanced Guardrails

To control the scope of a workflow outcome, you can define which content and users have restrictions. Advanced Guardrails set the operating boundaries for a workflow outcome, ensuring it only takes actions within the scope you’ve defined. For example, you can restrict an outcome from adding external collaborators, so the workflow behaves predictably regardless of how it’s triggered. You can configure guardrails in three sections:

• Target Criteria
• Managed User Criteria
• External User Criteria

Managed and External User Criteria apply to the target user for the action, not the person who started the workflow. To configure Guardrails:

1. Open your workflow in the Automate builder.
2. Add an outcome; this field activates Action Guardrails.
3. In the Action Guardrails section, open each section (Target Criteria, Managed User Criteria, External User Criteria) and choose a scope:
   • No restrictions: Apply to all matching content or users.
   • Specific … only: Apply only to the items or users you select.
   • All …, with exceptions: Apply broadly, except for the items or users you exclude.
   • External users not permitted (External User Criteria only): Exclude external users entirely.
4. Select the folders, classifications, or users referenced by your selection.
5. Publish the workflow to apply your guardrail changes.

​

Logic, Branching, and Variables

Box Automate supports complex, non-linear business processes through advanced routing:

• Branching: Use conditional logic to route the workflow down different paths (e.g., if a task is “Rejected,” move the file to a different folder than if it were “Approved”).
• Loops:
  • For Each Loop: Iterate over a list of users, files, or all files in a folder
  • Loop Back (Go Back): Send the flow back to a previous step with a configurable max loop count
• Variables: Variables allow outcomes to use information from earlier steps. For example, a “Rename” outcome can use a metadata value extracted by a previous AI step or the name of the user who uploaded the file.
• Merging: Parallel branches can be merged back into a single path before the final outcome is performed.

​

Saving and Publishing

• Saving Drafts: You can click Save at any time to store your progress. Drafts can be saved even if they contain errors or incomplete configurations. Additionally, if a workflow draft is saved while the previous is active, you need to reactivate the draft to update it to the newest version.
• Publishing: Click Publish, validating and then activating the workflow.

​

Monitoring and Tracking

After a workflow is active, you can monitor its performance through the Tracking page. This provides a granular, step-by-step history of every execution, including timestamps, variable values used at each step, and the current status of active tasks. This allows stakeholders to troubleshoot issues and monitor process efficiency effectively.