# Accept and Reject Invitations from Collaborators Source: https://docs.box.com/en/box-fundamentals/for-users/collaborating/collaborating-by-inviting-others/accept-and-reject-invitations-from-collaborators
By default, you will automatically accept invitations to collaborate. If you would like to review invitations before accepting them, you modify your [Account Settings](/en/box-fundamentals/for-users/user-login-and-settings/manage-account-settings). Navigate to the **Sharing** tab of your account settings, and uncheck the box under **Incoming Invitations** (in the **Collaborating on Content** section). Account Settings Sharing tab with Incoming invitations checkbox in Collaborating on Content. If you have unchecked this box, you will have to manually accept collaboration invitations by clicking the appropriate link in the email you receive. You can also view/accept/deny collaboration invitations from your [Notifications](/en/box-fundamentals/for-users/staying-organized/organizing-and-tracking-content/using-the-box-notification-center) screen. ### Pending invitations The pending invitations panel saves you time by enabling you to quickly find and accept important invitations to keep your work flowing. Pending invitations are requests for collaboration, or other actions, that you have not yet accepted or rejected. Pending invitations can come from collaborators, as well as from enterprises requiring you to perform special actions before you can access content. The pending invitations panel lists invitations in groups based on category. Categories include: * invitations from enterprises to create a strong password, and a button to update your password, * invitations from enterprises to enroll in Two-factor Authentication (2FA), and a button to set up 2FA, * invitations from enterprises to accept terms of service, and a button to view them, * invitations from coworkers to collaborate on content, and a button to accept them. For each invitation you've not accepted, the pending invitations panel displays the name of the file or project folder to which you're invited, how many pending invitations you have in the project folder, and a button for accepting the invitation. pendinginvitations-png **To find and resolve a pending invitation:** 1. In the left menu of your Box account window, click **Files**. 2. In the pending invitations panel under **ACTION REQUIRED**, hover on the name of a file or folder. 3. To see details about the invitation, click the ellipses, "**...**", and select **View Details**. 4. To decline the invitation, click the ellipses, "**...**", and select **Decline All**. 5. To accept the invitation and gain access to the project's content, click **Accept**. viewdetailsdeclineall-highlighted-png accept-highlighted-png Based on the requirements of the inviting enterprise, after you accept an invitation, Box may prompt you to accept terms of service and/or configure a password before you can access the enterprise's shared content. # How To End A Folder Collaboration Source: https://docs.box.com/en/box-fundamentals/for-users/collaborating/collaborating-by-inviting-others/how-to-end-a-folder-collaboration
How do you end collaboration on a folder you've been invited to, when you no longer want or need to collaborate? ## **Environment** Box Web Application ## **Resolution Steps** 1. Log in to Box.com and go to your **Files** page. 2. Next to the name of the folder on which you wish to stop collaborating, click the ellipsis (**...**).  Then, from the menu that displays, click **More Actions**. 3. Click **End Collaboration**.  Box removes you as a folder collaborator.  At this point you cannot access the folder's contents unless the folder owner re-invites you as a collaborator. # Inviting Collaborators Source: https://docs.box.com/en/box-fundamentals/for-users/collaborating/collaborating-by-inviting-others/inviting-collaborators
A collaborator is someone you invite into a file or folder. When you add someone as a collaborator to a file or folder, the item appears in their **Files** page. If you send a collaboration invitation to a person without a Box account, Box prompts that person to sign up with Box before being able to access the content.  If you send a collaboration invitation to someone outside of your enterprise's domain, Box displays both an alert and a visual indicator.  This bolsters data security by helping ensure you don't unintentionally share content with someone outside of your organization. When someone **within your enterprise’s domain** receives an invitation to collaborate in a folder but doesn't yet have a Box account, Box provisions an account and that collaborator automatically becomes a [managed user under your enterprise instance](/en/box-fundamentals/for-admins/collaborating/collaborating-by-inviting-others/collaboration-invites-create-an-account). When someone with your enterprise’s domain receives an invitation to collaborate in a file: * If they are currently an unmanaged user, they will remain so * If they are not currently an unmanaged user, an account will be provisioned and that user will automatically become a managed user under your enterprise instance **Admins** can identify all accounts created this way through the Admin Console reporting section: * Do not select any groups so the report captures all users * Under User Activity, select **Created new user** * The column shows when the account was created by “Invited collaborator” ## Inviting a collaborator With simplified sharing, it takes just moments to invite people to collaborate.  You can send up to 100 invitations at a time. **To invite someone to collaborate in a file or folder:** 1. Open the **Share** window. To do this, in your Box files view, hover over the row of the file or folder you wish to share. 2. On the right, click **Share**. share-files 3. The **Share** window opens. invite-collaborators-highlighted 4. In the **Share** window, under **Invite People**, click **Add names or email addresses**. 5. Type a collaborator's name or email address. * As you type, Box anticipates your intended recipient and lists corresponding email addresses.  You can select the recipient you want, or continue typing the full email address. * When typing full email addresses, separate recipients by a horizontal space. 6. Click the **Invite as** drop-down menu. Box displays a list of [roles](/en/box-fundamentals/for-users/collaborating/collaborating-by-inviting-others/understanding-collaborator-permission-levels). 7. Click the role you wish to assign to the collaborator. 8. (Optional) In the **Message** field, type a message of up to 750 characters for the collaborator. 9. Click **Send**. ### Security indicators If you invite someone outside of your organization to collaborate, Box adds a small image of a globe to external invitee's avatar image or initials.  At the bottom of the **Share** window, Box also displays a text reminder that you are sharing this folder's contents externally. [More on Box's security indicators.](/en/box-fundamentals/for-users/collaborating/sharing-content-using-box/avoiding-unintentional-exposure-of-your-files-and-documents) After you invite collaborators to a file, the Collaborator badge () displays adjacent to the file name. collaborator-badge * When inviting collaborators to a single file, the only available access level is **Editor**. You can change this access level to **Viewer** from the [Manage Collaborators](/en/box-fundamentals/for-users/collaborating/collaborating-by-inviting-others/managing-collaborators) page. These are the only access levels available for collaborators on a single file * All collaboration settings configured by enterprise admins apply to both single files and folders * The Message field does not permit URLs. When you input a word including a period (e.g. \[text].\[text]), the system recognizes it as a URL and returns an error. Including a space will allow you to continue. For example, **J. Smith** not **J.Smith** * The Message field does not permit email addresses * The Message field is limited to 750 characters * The Invite People field provides suggested names for up to 50 groups # Managing Collaborators Source: https://docs.box.com/en/box-fundamentals/for-users/collaborating/collaborating-by-inviting-others/managing-collaborators
Learn how to control access to your content, view Box items that reference your files and folders, and manage collaboration settings. ## Modifying Collaborator Access Levels If you are an editor, owner, or co-owner of a file or folder, you can modify the access levels of other collaborators. **To modify a collaborator's access level in a folder:** * Open the appropriate folder. * In the right sidebar, select the **Sharing** tab to view the collaborators. * Select a collaborator's name to view all collaborators in the folder. * Find the collaborator whose access level you want to modify. To search by name, use the **Filter Collaborators** search box in the upper-right corner. * In the **Permissions** column, select the user's access level, then select the appropriate access level from the menu. If the access level is unavailable, you may not have permission to modify it. The **Sharing** tab in the right sidebar lists all users and groups that have access to a folder, including deactivated users. Sharing sidebar listing collaborators and their access levels **To modify a collaborator's access level in a single file:** * Locate the appropriate file. * Select the **Collaboration** icon to the right of the file name. * Alternatively, you can open **More Options** > **More Actions** and select **Manage Collaborators**. * Find the collaborator whose access level you want to modify. To search by name, use the **Filter Collaborators** search box in the upper-right corner. * In the **Permissions** column, select the user's access level, then select the appropriate access level from the menu. If the access level is unavailable, you may not have permission to modify it. Collaborators on individual files can have only **Editor** or **Viewer** access. ## Viewing references The **References** tab on the **Collaborators** page lists every Box item that references a file or folder. A Box item is a file, folder, Hub, Automate workflow, Extract Agent, or web link. People and groups with direct access to the file or folder remain on the **People & Groups** tab. References tab on the Collaborators page listing Box items that reference a folder, with columns for name, collaborators, permissions, date added, access via, and owner or co-owners. **To view references:** 1. Open the file or folder. On the **Sharing** tab in the right sidebar, locate the **References** count. The count indicates how many Box items reference the file or folder. 2. Select the **References** count . The **References** tab on the **Collaborators** page opens. 3. Select the name of a Box item to open it. The **References** tab displays the following details for each Box item: * **Name:** The type and name of the Box item that references your file or folder. * **Collaborators:** The number of people and groups with access through that Box item, and the number of references the Box item contains. * **Permissions:** The access level that collaborators on the Box item have to your file or folder. * **Date added:** The date your file or folder was added to the Box item. * **Access via:** The file or folder the Box item references. This is either the file or folder you opened, or a parent folder that passes access down to it. * **Owner/Co-owners:** The people who manage the Box item. Hover over an avatar to view a name. If no owner or co-owner is available, this column displays **None**. Box items you do not have permission to view display a generic name, such as **Private Hub**, **Private Workflow**, or **Private Item**. ## Removing Item References Content owners and co-owners can remove a file or folder from any Box item that references it, including [Box Hubs](/en/box-hubs/box-hubs-for-admins/about-box-hubs). This gives you more control over your content and helps keep sensitive or regulated content from remaining visible in Box items where it should not be. **To remove an item reference:** 1. Open the file or folder. On the **Sharing** tab in the right sidebar, locate the **References** count. 2. Select the **References** count . The **References** tab on the **Collaborators** page opens. 3. Find the Box item you want to remove the file or folder from. 4. Select **Remove** next to the item name, then confirm the action. After you remove the reference, the file or folder is no longer accessible in that Box item. If a Box item references folders at multiple levels of a hierarchy (for example, a grandparent folder, a parent folder within it, and files within the parent folder), removing a file reference does not remove access to the file if any of its parent folders remain referenced. ## Transferring folder ownership If you own a folder, you can transfer ownership to a collaborator at any time. Follow the instructions for modifying access levels, then select **Owner** from the access level menu. Only folder owners can view this option. The collaborator becomes the folder owner, your access level changes to **Editor**, and the folder contents no longer count against your account's storage allowance. Before transferring a [personal folder](/en/box-fundamentals/for-users/staying-organized/organizing-and-tracking-content/understanding-folder-icons-and-colors) (a folder with no collaborators), invite the new owner to collaborate on it. For larger transfers, we recommend completing the transfer at the end of the day to avoid disrupting users. If you experience issues, submit a [Box support case](https://support.box.com/hc/en-us/articles/360043693474). If the new owner belongs to a different enterprise, Box clears any [custom shared link URLs](/en/box-admin-tools/how-to-guides-for-admins/shared-links-settings-for-your-enterprise). If you move a folder you own into a folder owned by someone else, ownership of the moved folder transfers to the owner of the destination folder. For example, if you move Folder A into Folder B, the owner of Folder B becomes the owner of Folder A. You can transfer folder ownership only to a user who is a direct collaborator on the folder. For example, if you invite a user to Folder A, which contains Folder A-1, the user inherits access to Folder A-1. You can transfer Folder A to the user, but you cannot transfer Folder A-1 because the user is not a direct collaborator on it. When you transfer folder ownership, Box displays the following warning: Change Item Owner confirmation dialog with Cancel and Okay options Box displays this generic warning for ownership transfers at any folder level, including root-level folders and subfolders. It does not mean that collaborators always lose access. When you transfer a subfolder, users whose access is inherited from a parent folder may lose access because the subfolder leaves the original parent folder structure. This issue does not apply to a root-level folder because it has no parent folder. Box still displays the standard warning, but other permissions remain unchanged. To transfer ownership of a folder to a [service account](https://developer.box.com/platform/user-types/#service-account), use the [Box API](https://developer.box.com/guides/folders/single/change-owner/). ## Removing collaborators If you are an editor, owner, or co-owner of a folder, you can remove collaborators from it. **To remove a collaborator from a folder:** * Open the appropriate folder. * View the list of collaborators in the right sidebar. * Select a collaborator's name to view all collaborators in the folder. * Find the collaborator you want to remove. To search by name, use the **Filter Collaborators** search box in the upper-right corner. * In the **Permissions** column, select the user's access level, then select **Remove**. If the option is unavailable, you may not have permission to remove that collaborator. **To remove a collaborator from a single file:** * Locate the appropriate file. * Select the **Collaboration** icon to the right of the file name. * Alternatively, you can open **More Options** > **More Actions** and select **Manage Collaborators**. * Find the collaborator you want to remove. To search by name, use the **Filter Collaborators** search box in the upper-right corner. * In the **Permissions** column, select the user's access level, then select **Remove**. If the option is unavailable, you may not have permission to remove that collaborator. ## Hiding Collaborators Folder owners and co-owners can hide collaborators. When this setting is enabled, collaborators with **Editor** access or lower cannot view the names of other collaborators in the folder. Co-owners can still view all collaborators. Box replaces hidden names with **Someone**. * To protect the identities of non-owner collaborators, [disable comments](/en/box-fundamentals/for-users/staying-organized/managing-files-and-folders/box-folder-settings) in **Folder Settings** and enable **Hide collaborators**. * This feature does not anonymize names in **Version History**. Other collaborators can view the names of non-owner collaborators who upload new file versions. * Collaborators can still use [tasks](/en/box-fundamentals/for-users/collaborating/sharing-content-using-box/adding-comments-and-tasks). * With this setting enabled, collaborators in the affected folder cannot use Microsoft Office Online or Box for Microsoft Office Co-Authoring to open Office files in the folder. To hide collaborators: 1. Right-click the folder, or select the **ellipsis** (**...**), to open the **More Options** menu. 2. Select **Settings** to open **Folder Settings**. 3. In the **Privacy** section, select **Hide collaborators and their activity from non-owners**. Privacy settings with Hide collaborators and their activity from non-owners selected From this page, you can also restrict who can send invitations and collaborate in the folder. For details, see [Folder settings](/en/box-fundamentals/for-users/staying-organized/managing-files-and-folders/box-folder-settings). ## Collaborator Auto-Expiration * Collaborator auto-expiration applies to individual collaborators, but not to [groups](/en/box-admin-tools/managing-box-users-and-admins/groups/creating-and-managing-groups). When you add a group as a collaborator, a clock icon can display next to the group name, but auto-expiration does not apply to the group. * The collaboration can be auto-deleted prior to the expiration date if 30 days have passed after the collaboration was set to pending status. More information is available [here](https://support.box.com/hc/en-us/articles/360044196073-Collaboration-Frequently-Asked-Questions#01JG0BD3832V3MKEAFJZRBR3BQ). To enable collaboration auto-expiration, enable **Automatically remove invited collaborators** in **Admin Console** > **Enterprise Settings**. If the setting is disabled, you cannot create or modify collaborator expirations. For details, see [Invited collaborator expiration settings](https://support.box.com/hc/en-us/articles/4404822772755-Enterprise-Settings-Content-Sharing-Tab/#Invited_collaborators_expiration_settings). Depending on your organization's enterprise settings, collaborator access to a folder can expire after a specific period. If a collaborator is set to auto-expire, a **clock** icon displays beside their name in the right sidebar on the **Sharing** tab. Hover over the icon to view the expiration date. Sharing sidebar with a clock icon beside a collaborator Before a collaboration expires, Box sends email notifications to the folder owner and co-owners if notifications are enabled in your organization's enterprise settings. Box notifies only co-owners who collaborate directly on the item with a pending expiration, not co-owners with inherited permissions. ### Extending collaborator auto-expiration Folder owners can extend a collaborator's auto-expiration date. To extend a collaborator's auto-expiration date: * Select a collaborator's name to open the **Collaborator Management** page. Alternatively, select the **folder name** in the folder tree, then select **More Options** > **More Actions** > **Manage Collaborators**. Collaborator Management page listing names and access levels * Select the **clock** icon beside the collaborator whose auto-expiration date you want to extend. To filter a long list of collaborators, use the search bar in the upper-right corner. * Select **Extend Access**. Extend Access dialog with a new expiration date * A confirmation message displays the new expiration date. # Understanding Collaborator Permission Levels Source: https://docs.box.com/en/box-fundamentals/for-users/collaborating/collaborating-by-inviting-others/understanding-collaborator-permission-levels
When you invite someone as a collaborator on a folder, you choose a permission level that controls what they can do with your content. The table below shows which actions are available at each level. ## Feature availability by plan Some collaborator roles and shared link features depend on your Box plan: * **All accounts:** Editor and Viewer collaborator roles. * **Business and Enterprise accounts:** Co-owner, Previewer, Uploader, Viewer Uploader, and Previewer Uploader roles. An admin must enable these in **Admin Console > Enterprise Settings > Content & Sharing > Collaborating on Content**. These additional roles apply only to folders. Single-file collaborations support only Editor and Viewer. * **Paid plans only:** Shared link password protection and shared link auto-expiry are not available on free Individual accounts. ## Permissions by collaborator role The following table shows the actions each collaborator role can perform. Superscript numbers link to the [Notes and conditions](#notes-and-conditions) section below the table.
ActionCo-ownerEditorViewer UploaderPreviewer UploaderViewerPreviewerUploader
Viewing & Navigation
Preview✓✓✓✓✓✓—
View Item List in Folder✓✓✓✓✓✓✓
View Tags✓✓✓✓✓✓✓
View Metadata✓✓✓✓✓✓✓
View / Export Content Insights✓✓—————
View Recent User Activity in Preview Header✓✓—————
Content Editing
Edit File✓✓✓————
Edit File Name✓✓—————
Edit Folder Name✓✓—————
Edit Metadata✓✓✓✓——✓
Add / Edit Tags✓✓—————
Edit Folder Settings✓——————
Create Annotations✓✓✓✓2✓✓2—
Delete Annotations✓3——————
File Management
Upload✓✓✓✓——✓
Download✓✓✓—✓——
Copy✓✓✓5—✓4——
Move✓8✓8—————
Delete Files / Folders✓7✓7—————
Lock / Unlock File✓✓✓————
Create Subfolders✓✓✓✓——✓
Print✓✓✓—✓——
Mark for Offline (Box Drive)✓✓✓—✓——
Mark for Offline (Box Mobile)✓✓✓✓✓✓10—
Sync Folder (Box Sync only)✓✓—————
Sharing & Links
Send View-Only Links✓✓✓—✓——
Set Shared Link Password✓✓—————
File Request Link✓✓6—————
Collaboration
Invite People✓✓11—————
Set a Collaborator's Level of Access✓✓—————
Restrict Invitations✓——————
View / Add Comments1✓✓✓✓✓✓—
View / Create Tasks✓✓✓✓✓✓—
Workflows & Advanced
Build Relay Workflow✓✓—————
Create Box Sign Signature Requests✓✓✓—✓——
Save Box Sign Signature Requests to a Folder✓✓✓✓——✓
Create / Delete Folder Lock (API only)✓——————
Box Item9✓✓——✓——
## Notes and conditions The numbered notes below correspond to the superscript numbers in the permissions table. They are grouped by category so you can skip sections that don't apply to you. ### Role-specific behavior 1. **Comment deletion:** Comments can be deleted only by the folder owner, co-owner, or the person who created the comment. 2. **Annotation limits for Previewers:** Previewers and Previewer Uploaders can create annotations but cannot highlight and comment. 3. **Annotation deletion:** Annotations can be deleted by owners and co-owners of the folder containing the annotated document, as well as by the annotation creator. 4. **Copy for Viewers:** Viewers can download a file and re-upload it elsewhere, or use Ctrl+C / Ctrl+V to copy a file to another folder they have access to. 5. **Copy for Viewer Uploaders:** Viewer Uploaders can only copy using keyboard shortcuts. The *Copy* option does not appear in the context menu. 6. **File Request Link:** Currently applies only to the enhanced version of File Request. ### Scope and ownership 1. **Deleting files and folders:** Co-owners and editors can delete sub-folders but not root-level folders. Only owners can delete folders at the root level. If a co-owner attempts to delete a root folder, they receive an option to **End Collaboration**. Co-owners and editors can permanently delete collaborated content from trash if the owner's trash settings permit and the content is not retained by a policy. 2. **Moving content:** Co-owners and editors can move only content *within* the folder they are collaborating on. For example, if a collaborator is invited to Folder A (which contains Folder B and File C), they can move Folder B and File C but cannot move the top-level Folder A itself. 3. **Box Item:** When you create a Box Item, Box enables you to define a custom scope for it. ### Admin-configurable settings 1. **Offline access for Previewers (mobile):** Previewers can save files for offline use on Box Mobile only if the *"Preview only" collaborators can save files for offline use* toggle is enabled in **Admin Console > Enterprise Settings > Mobile**. 2. **Editor invitation restrictions:** If Enterprise-level and folder-level permissions are restricted, editors cannot invite collaborators. 3. **Content insights visibility:** If the *Hide collaborators and their activity from non-owners* setting is turned on for a folder, owners and co-owners still see file activity but editors do not. See [Managing Collaborators](/en/box-fundamentals/for-users/collaborating/collaborating-by-inviting-others/managing-collaborators) for details. ## Role descriptions ### Available on all accounts **Editor:** Full read/write access to a folder or file. Editors can view, download, upload, edit, delete, copy, move, rename, generate and edit shared links, make comments, assign tasks, create tags, and invite or remove collaborators. Editors cannot copy, delete, or move root-level folders. **Viewer:** Read access to a folder or file. Viewers can preview, download, make comments, and generate shared links. Viewers cannot add tags, invite new collaborators, edit shared links, upload, edit files, or delete items. **Shared link behavior for Viewers:** * A Viewer cannot change who can access a shared link. * If no shared link exists, the Viewer can only create one with the folder owner's default shared link setting. * If a shared link already exists, the Viewer can only share it at the access level currently set (for example, a Viewer cannot change a link set to "people with the link" to "people in the company"). * If a collaborator holds multiple permission sets, the least restrictive set takes precedence. For example, a Viewer who accesses a shared link set to allow Edit access gets Edit rights on that item. ### Available on Business and Enterprise accounts An admin must enable these permission levels in **Admin Console > Enterprise Settings > Content & Sharing > Collaborating on Content**. These roles apply only to folders; single-file collaborations support only Editor and Viewer. **Co-owner:** All the read/write access of an Editor, plus the ability to change some advanced folder settings. Co-owners cannot change the owner of a folder. **Previewer:** Limited read access. Previewers can only preview items using the integrated content viewer. They can use the browser's search function to search text in content, but cannot use the file-specific search. Previewers cannot select and copy text, share, upload, edit, or delete content. **Uploader:** Limited write access. Uploaders can upload content and see item names in a folder, but cannot download or view content. In [Hubs](/en/box-hubs/box-hubs-for-admins/about-box-hubs), if a folder Uploader is invited to a Hub as Viewer, the folder Uploader's permissions change to Viewer Uploader. **Viewer Uploader:** A combination of Viewer and Uploader. Full read access and limited write access. Viewer Uploaders can preview, download, add comments, generate shared links, and upload content. They cannot add tags, invite collaborators, or delete items. They can edit files through Box Edit (download, edit, and re-upload seamlessly) or manually by downloading, editing locally, and re-uploading with the same file name. Viewer Uploaders cannot modify file names or delete files. **Previewer Uploader:** A combination of Previewer and Uploader. Limited read and write access. Previewer Uploaders can preview, add comments, add tasks, and upload content. They cannot add tags, generate shared links, invite collaborators, select and copy text, or edit or delete items. # Understanding Item Permissions Source: https://docs.box.com/en/box-fundamentals/for-users/collaborating/collaborating-by-inviting-others/understanding-folder-permissions
A Box Item is a file, folder, Automate workflow, AI session, Extract Agent, or weblink. Except for Relay workflows, Extract Agent and AI Sessions, which are not typically located in a browsable file system, permission levels on Box Items follow a "waterfall" design in which individuals have access only to the Item they are invited into and any content beneath it. You can also be invited to individual files.