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.

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Getting started with the workflow builder

To begin creating a workflow:

1. Navigate to the Box Automate section of your Box account.
2. Select 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 select the node to add steps that should follow the trigger.

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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.

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Trigger types

• File Events: Initiate workflows when a file is:
  • Uploaded
  • Moved
  • Copied
  • Downloaded
  • Deleted
  • Preview
  • Lock
  • Unlock
  • Watermark Removed
  • Watermark Added
  • 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: Runs a workflow on a recurring schedule. Configure a start date, repeat frequency (daily, weekly, or monthly), and an end condition (never, on a specific date, or after a set number of repetitions).
• Task Events: Workflows can start when a General Task or an Approval Task (Accepted or Rejected) is completed.

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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.

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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
• Hubs Actions: Select a Hub to:
  • Add File
  • Add Folder
  • Add Collaborator
    • Invite as Editor or Viewer
  • Remove Collaborator
• 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, for example including the name of the person who started the workflow.
• Box Agent: (Enterprise Advanced accounts only) For any AI-related outcomes, include an approval task to review AI outcomes and confirm the results 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.

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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.

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Logic, branching, and variables

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

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Branching

Use conditional logic to route the workflow down different paths. For example, if a task is “Rejected,” move the file to a different folder than if it were “Approved.”

• Split: Divides one workflow path into two or more parallel paths that execute simultaneously.
• Conditional Split: Executes a single path based on specified criteria.
• Loop Back: Send the flow back to a previous step with a configurable max loop count. Learn more about loops below.
• Loop Over: Loops are designed to handle repetitive, conditional, and dependent actions directly inside a workflow. Learn more about loops below.
• Merge: Allows multiple parallel or conditional branches to connect back into a single path of execution once the branch outcomes are completed.

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Use cases

Invoice processing Invoices are uploaded into an “Under Review” folder, where Box AI extracts key invoice metadata (such as the department or line of business) and populates a predefined template.

• Branching logic: A conditional split is configured to route the invoice to different department leads or managers based on the extracted metadata. For example:
  • Branch A: IT department, assign an approval task to Leslie.
  • Branch B: Marketing department, assign an approval task to Tom.
• Outcome: Once approved, the file is automatically moved to a corresponding department-specific folder.

Contract approval process A contract is submitted for review, initiating an approval step within the workflow.

• Branching logic: An approval-based conditional split routes the workflow along different paths depending on the outcome of the task:
  • Approved Branch: If the contract is approved, it remains in the current folder or is moved to an “Approved Contracts” folder.
  • Rejected Branch: If the contract is rejected, the workflow automatically sends a notification with the rejection reason to the workflow initiator, allowing them to make corrections and restart the process.

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Process multiple files with Loop Over

The branching step Loop Over lets you process multiple files automatically in a workflow by looping over them. When a user uploads multiple files through a form or when a folder contains multiple files, a loop ensures each file gets processed individually (extracted, tagged, moved, or analyzed) rather than only handling the first one. To set up a Loop Over step:

1. Start with a trigger that is a good fit for a loop, such as Form Submission, File Request, or Manual Start.
2. Add the Loop Over action from the Branching section.

There are three options for a Loop Over step:

1. List of Files: Use when you need to loop over multiple files that have been uploaded via a form or file request. Select the appropriate trigger variable to loop over.
2. List of Users: Use when you need to take action related to multiple users in a group. You must have a group created to use this option.
3. Files in a Folder: Use when you need to loop through all of the files in a specific folder.

When referencing the looped file, select the Loop File (loop.item) variable. Best practices for file loops

• Use loops when a form allows multiple file uploads
• Required when a trigger monitors a folder with multiple files, such as File Request or Manual Start
• Best for batch operations, such as extracting data from multiple invoices, tagging multiple contracts, or moving multiple reports
• Essential when you build a workflow that handles more than one file at a time

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Troubleshooting loops

I have a form with a files drop zone, but I don’t see file variables from the trigger. You need to add a Loop Over event after the form trigger. The form returns an array of files. Add a Loop event, set it to loop over the form’s file field, then reference the loop variable in subsequent steps. How do I reference files inside a loop? Use the loop variable created by Loop Over > List of Files. Then, for the outcomes inside the loop, you have a new variable menu Loop variables with File ID and other properties. In general, choose loop.item to select the file. My workflow stalls when users don’t upload any files (optional upload) via a form. How do I fix this? Create a check box in a form to display file upload only if a user needs to submit additional documents. Then, add a Conditional Split before the loop. Check if the check box form field is not empty. If it is empty, route to a different branch so the workflow continues without entering the loop.

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Start processes over with Loop Back

The branching step Loop Back lets you return to an earlier step so that the workflow can continue if a step needs to be repeated. This is particularly useful when an approval step is rejected and another review has to happen. To set up a Loop Back step, select the Loop Back action in the Branching section. Add it to the workflow and select the step to return to. You must select the maximum number of times a loop back can happen. Currently the maximum is 20 times.

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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. Variables are organized into four categories:

• System Variables: Predefined, constant variables that describe workflow details.
  • Examples include workflowId, workflowOwnerId (or owner ID / workflow starter), workflowName, workflowVersion, workflowCreatedTime, and workflowModifiedTime.
• Trigger Variables: Dynamic variables generated by the specific event that starts the workflow.
  • A file upload trigger exposes the file name, file ID, file owner, parent folder ID, and trigger timestamp.
  • A Form Submission trigger exposes form fields, attachments, drop zones, and submitter details.
• Outcome Variables: Variables created by downstream actions executed within the workflow.
  • For instance, a Create Folder outcome generates folderId and parentFolderId variables, which can then be referenced by subsequent steps.
• Metadata Variables: Attributes pulled dynamically from metadata templates applied to files or folders. You can select a template and map specific attribute values (such as text, numbers, or dates) to be used in conditional branching or downstream outcomes.

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Supported data types and formatting

Variables support the following data types:

• String/Text: Used for names, emails, and general text. Supports operations like Equals, Doesn’t Equal, Contains, Starts with, Is Empty, and Is Not Empty.
• Number: Supports positive and negative integers and decimals, enabling mathematical comparisons (greater than, less than, greater than or equal to, and less than or equal to).
• Date/Time: Supports timestamps and dates, allowing builders to apply custom formatting options (such as representing dates in specific formats like YYYY/MM).
• Other Types: User Fields, File IDs, Folder IDs, List of Files, List of Users, and Dropdowns.

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Variable use cases

• Dynamic content insertion: Variables can be dynamically inserted into text fields, such as customizing notification email subjects and messages, task descriptions, or generating dynamic file and folder names.
• Conditional branching: Builders can use variables (including structured agent outputs or metadata values) within a Conditional Split or logic builder to route workflows dynamically. For example, routing a file to a different folder if a metadata “Contract Value” exceeds a certain threshold.
• Task assignment: Assigning tasks dynamically at runtime using email or user ID variables (such as the file owner or form submitter).

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Saving and publishing

• Saving Drafts: You can select 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: Select Publish, validating and then activating the workflow.

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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.