Available tools - Box Docs

The Box MCP server provides tools that let AI agents interact with Box content and features. Tools are organized by category so you can quickly find the right capabilities for your scenario.

User and authentication

Manage user authentication and retrieve information about the authenticated user.

Tool	Description
`who_am_i`	Returns detailed information about the currently authenticated Box user.

Files and folders

Access, manage, and modify Box file and folder resources. These tools give you control over content, metadata, and versioning.

Read-only

Tool	Description
`get_download_url`	Issues a temporary, single-use URL for downloading binary files from Box. See Upload and download URL tools for additional configuration details.
`get_file_content`	Returns the content of a file stored in Box.
`get_file_details`	Returns detailed file information from Box, including metadata, permissions, and version details.
`get_file_preview`	Returns the preview widget for a file stored in Box.
`get_folder_details`	Retrieves detailed folder information, including metadata, permissions, and collaboration settings.
`list_folder_content_by_folder_id`	Lists files, folders, and web links in a folder (paginated). Use `folder_id` “0” for the root folder. `id`, `type`, `name`, and `etag` are always returned. Optional field: `limit`.

Write

Tool	Description
`copy_file`¹	Copies an existing file to a destination folder in Box.
`copy_folder`¹	Copies an existing folder to a destination parent folder in Box.
`create_folder`¹	Creates a folder in Box.
`create_metadata_template`	Creates an enterprise metadata template. Requires the `enterprise` scope, `display_name`, and an optional `fields` array.
`get_upload_url`	Issues a temporary, single-use URL for uploading binary files to Box. See Upload and download URL tools for additional configuration details.
`move_file`¹	Moves an existing file to a destination folder in Box. The file ID stays the same and `parent_folder_id` is required.
`move_folder`¹	Moves a folder to a new parent in Box. The folder ID stays the same and `parent_folder_id` is required.
`set_file_metadata`¹	Creates or updates (upserts) custom metadata on a file for a template. Use `list_metadata_templates` and `get_metadata_template_schema` to find the `scope`, `template_key`, and `fields`.
`set_folder_metadata`¹	Creates or updates (upserts) custom metadata on a folder for a template. Use `list_metadata_templates` and `get_metadata_template_schema` to find the `scope`, `template_key`, and `fields`.
`update_file_properties`¹	Updates file properties, including name, description, tags, and collections. The name can have up to 255 characters, and the file extension is preserved unless you specify otherwise. The description can have up to 256 characters. You can add or update up to 100 tags.
`update_folder_properties`¹	Updates folder properties, including name, description, tags, and collections. The name can have up to 255 characters and must not include `/`, `\`, `.`, `..`, or leading or trailing spaces. The description can have up to 256 characters. You can update up to 100 tags.
`update_metadata_template`	Updates a metadata template by scope and `template_key` using atomic schema operations (for example, `addField`, `editField`, and `removeField`).
`upload_file`¹	Uploads a new file to Box.
`upload_file_version`¹	Uploads a new file version by providing the entire file contents to update an existing file in Box.

Search

Locate content and containers using keywords, names, or structured metadata queries with optional filters and scopes.

Tool	Description
`get_metadata_template_schema`	Returns the schema and field keys for a metadata template.
`list_metadata_templates`	Lists available Box metadata templates (enterprise or global).
`search_files_keyword`	Searches for files using keywords. Supports metadata filters, file-extension filtering, and field selection.
`search_files_metadata`	Searches for files using SQL-like metadata queries. Supports complex filtering with parameters, field selection, and folder scoping.
`search_folders_by_name`	Searches for folders in Box by name using keyword matching.

Collaboration

Enable team collaboration through comments, shared links, and collaboration management tools.

Read-only

Tool	Description
`list_file_comments`	Lists all comments on a file.
`list_item_collaborations`	Lists all existing collaborations on an item.
`list_tasks`	Lists all tasks for a file, including status, message, and due dates.

Write

Tool	Description
`add_file_shared_link`	Creates or updates a shared link for a Box file. Can create open shared links or add collaborators from outside your organization. Off by default.
`add_folder_shared_link`	Creates or updates a shared link for a Box folder. Can create open shared links or add collaborators from outside your organization. Off by default.
`create_collaboration`	Invites a user or group to a file, folder, or hub. Can create open shared links or add collaborators from outside your organization. Off by default.
`create_file_comment`¹	Creates a comment on a file.
`update_collaboration`	Updates a file, folder, or hub collaboration. Can create open shared links or add collaborators from outside your organization. Off by default.

Box AI

Use AI-powered tools to ask questions, extract insights, and analyze content across files and hubs.

Tool	Description
`ai_extract_freeform`	Extracts metadata from files using Box AI with natural-language prompts (no fixed template). Text representation up to 1 MB. Supports documents, PDFs, presentations, and text. Works with one or more `file_ids`.
`ai_extract_structured`	Extracts structured key-value metadata from files using the Box AI Enhanced Extract Agent and custom field definitions.
`ai_extract_structured_from_fields`	Extracts structured metadata from files using Box AI and custom field definitions. Works with one or more files. Field types include `string`, `date`, `float`, `enum`, and `multiSelect`.
`ai_extract_structured_from_fields_enhanced`	Extracts structured metadata from files using the Box AI Enhanced Extract Agent and custom field definitions. Use only when the user asks for the Enhanced Extract Agent. This tool costs more than the standard Box AI Extract tools. Field types include `string`, `date`, `float`, `enum`, and `multiSelect`.
`ai_extract_structured_from_metadata_template`	Extracts structured metadata from files using an existing Box metadata template. Requires `template_key` and `scope` (for example, `enterprise` or `global`). Processes the text representation of file content.
`ai_extract_structured_from_metadata_template_enhanced`	Extracts structured metadata from files using an existing Box metadata template and the Enhanced Extract Agent. Use only when the user asks for the Enhanced Extract Agent. This tool costs more than the standard Box AI Extract tools.
`ai_qa_hub`	Asks a question about a Box hub and returns an answer based on the hub’s content, with citations when available.
`ai_qa_multi_file`	Asks a question about multiple files using Box AI, with citations when available.
`ai_qa_single_file`	Asks a question about a single file using Box AI, with citations when available. Text representation up to 1 MB. If the file is larger, only the first 1 MB is processed.
`ask_custom_agent`	Asks a custom Box AI agent a question and returns an answer, with citations when available. Custom agent capabilities in MCP are read-only.
`ask_default_agent`	Asks the Box AI default agent a question and returns an answer, with citations when available. Default agent capabilities in MCP are read-only.
`ask_pro_agent`	Asks the Box AI Pro agent a question and returns an answer, with citations when available. Pro agent capabilities in MCP are read-only. The Pro agent uses deeper reasoning, so answers take longer and cost more than `ask_default_agent`.
`list_agents`	Lists the custom agents that the authenticated user can access, including each agent’s ID, name, and description.

Hubs

Create and manage Box Hubs for organizing collaborative content and resources around specific topics or projects.

Read-only

Tool	Description
`get_hub_details`	Retrieves detailed information about a specific hub.
`get_hub_items`	Gets items (files and folders) associated with a specific hub.
`list_hubs`	Lists all hubs that the authenticated user can access.

Write

Tool	Description
`add_items_to_hub`¹	Adds files, folders, or web links to a hub.
`copy_hub`¹	Creates a copy of an existing hub, including its structure and settings. The original hub is not modified. The new title can have up to 50 characters; if you do not provide one, a default title is used.
`create_hub`	Creates a hub.
`update_hub`¹	Updates the title and description of a hub.

Doc Gen

Automate document generation by using templates with placeholder tags to create custom documents at scale.

Read-only

Tool	Description
`get_docgen_template_by_id`	Retrieves details about a Doc Gen template.
`list_docgen_templates`	Lists all Box Doc Gen templates that the authenticated user can access.

Write

Tool	Description
`create_docgen_batch`	Generates documents from a Doc Gen template by filling placeholder tags with provided data.
`create_docgen_template`	Marks a Box file (`.docx` or `.pptx`) as a Doc Gen template for automated document generation.

Upload and download URL tools

The upload and download URL tools require the AI agent to make a direct network request to transfer the file. Declarative agents can’t make these requests, so these tools work only in agentic (code-executing) environments. Some clients require you to allowlist specific domains before upload and download URLs work. If you’re not a Box Zones customer, add the following domains to your allowlist:

upload.box.com
upload.app.box.com
upload.ent.box.com
dl.boxcloud.com
public.boxcloud.com

The domains you need vary depending on your Box Zone. For the full list, see Configuring A Firewall For Box Applications and Services. You can also use wildcard domains to allow all subdomains:

upload.*.box.com
*.boxcloud.com
*.box.com

Feedback

To share feedback or ask questions about the Box MCP server, visit the Box AI API thread in the Box Developer Community forum.

¹ Only works on items that meet all of the following:

No external collaborators on the item itself

No shared link on the item itself

No external collaborators or shared links on any parent folder, up to the root

​User and authentication

​Files and folders

​Read-only

​Write

​Search

​Collaboration

​Read-only

​Write

​Box AI

​Hubs

​Read-only

​Write

​Doc Gen

​Read-only

​Write

​Upload and download URL tools

​Feedback

User and authentication

Files and folders

Read-only

Write

Search

Collaboration

Read-only

Write

Box AI

Hubs

Read-only

Write

Doc Gen

Read-only

Write

Upload and download URL tools

Feedback