---
title: Box connector
description: Box connector reference for searching files and folders, retrieving file content and metadata, and querying enterprise content with Box AI through the remote Box MCP server.
url: https://docs-v3-preview.elastic.dev/elastic/kibana/pull/280898/reference/connectors-kibana/box-action-type
products:
  - Kibana
applies_to:
  - Elastic Cloud Serverless: Preview
  - Elastic Stack: Preview since 9.4
---

# Box connector
The Box connector integrates with Box through the official remote MCP server at `https://mcp.box.com`. It searches files and folders, retrieves file content and metadata, and uses Box AI to answer questions about enterprise content. It uses OAuth 2.0 Authorization Code flow to authenticate.

## Create connectors in Kibana

You can create connectors in **Stack Management > Connectors**.

### Connector configuration

Box connectors have the following configuration properties:
<definitions>
  <definition term="MCP Server URL">
    The URL of the remote Box MCP server. Defaults to `https://mcp.box.com`.
  </definition>
  <definition term="Authentication">
    Connects through Box's OAuth 2.0 Authorization Code flow. Requires a Client ID and Client Secret from the Box MCP server integration in the Admin Console. Refer to [OAuth credentials](#box-oauth-credentials) for setup instructions.
  </definition>
</definitions>


## Test connectors

You can test connectors when you create or edit the connector in Kibana.

## Connector actions

The Box connector exposes the following actions:

### File and folder discovery

<definitions>
  <definition term="searchFilesKeyword">
    Search for files in Box by keyword. Box searches across file names, content, descriptions, and metadata. Returns file IDs, names, and paths.
  </definition>
  <definition term="searchFoldersByName">
    Search for folders in Box by name. Returns folder IDs, names, and parent paths.
  </definition>
  <definition term="listFolderContent">
    List files and subfolders inside a specific Box folder. Use folder ID `0` for the root folder.
  </definition>
  <definition term="listRecentItems">
    List files and folders recently accessed or modified by the authenticated user. Useful for surfacing active content without a search query.
  </definition>
  <definition term="searchByMetadata">
    Search for Box files and folders using metadata template fields and a structured query expression (for example, `amount >= 100 AND currency = "USD"`).
  </definition>
</definitions>


### File and folder details

<definitions>
  <definition term="getFileContent">
    Retrieve the text content of a file stored in Box. Works with documents, spreadsheets, PDFs, and other text-extractable formats. Check the file size with `getFileDetails` before retrieving large files.
  </definition>
  <definition term="getFileDetails">
    Get detailed metadata for a specific Box file, including size, owner, modification date, permissions, and shared link status.
  </definition>
  <definition term="getFolderDetails">
    Get detailed metadata for a specific Box folder, including owner, permissions, and collaboration settings.
  </definition>
  <definition term="getComments">
    Retrieve all comments posted on a specific Box file, including comment text, author details, and timestamps.
  </definition>
</definitions>


### Box AI

<definitions>
  <definition term="aiQaSingleFile">
    Ask Box AI a question about a single file. Returns an answer with citations. Files must have fewer than 1 MB of extracted text.
  </definition>
  <definition term="aiQaMultiFile">
    Ask Box AI a question across multiple files simultaneously. Returns a unified answer with citations.
  </definition>
  <definition term="aiQaHub">
    Ask Box AI a question about the contents of a Box Hub. Returns an answer with citations from the hub's content.
  </definition>
  <definition term="aiExtractFreeform">
    Extract metadata from a Box file using a natural-language prompt. Returns structured key-value pairs for the described fields. Files must have fewer than 1 MB of extracted text.
  </definition>
  <definition term="aiExtractStructuredFromMetadataTemplate">
    Extract structured metadata from a Box file using an existing enterprise metadata template. Box AI fills in the template fields automatically.
  </definition>
</definitions>


### Box Hubs

Box Hubs are curated collections of files and folders organized around a topic or project. Content in a Hub can come from anywhere in Box regardless of folder structure.
<definitions>
  <definition term="listHubs">
    List all Box Hubs accessible to the authenticated user. Returns hub IDs, titles, and descriptions.
  </definition>
  <definition term="getHubDetails">
    Get metadata and details for a specific Box Hub.
  </definition>
  <definition term="getHubItems">
    List files and folders associated with a specific Box Hub.
  </definition>
</definitions>


### Utilities

<definitions>
  <definition term="whoAmI">
    Retrieve details about the currently authenticated Box user, including name, email, and account type. Use this to confirm authentication is working.
  </definition>
  <definition term="listTools">
    List all tools available on the Box MCP server. Use this to discover capabilities not exposed as named actions, such as write operations and admin operations.
  </definition>
  <definition term="callTool">
    Call any tool on the Box MCP server directly by name. Use this as a fallback for tools not yet exposed as named actions (such as `upload_file`, `create_folder`, or `create_collaboration`). Use `listTools` first to discover available tool names and their arguments.
  </definition>
</definitions>


## Connector networking configuration

Use the [Action configuration settings](/elastic/kibana/pull/280898/reference/configuration-reference/alerting-settings#action-settings) to customize connector networking, such as proxies, certificates, or TLS settings. You can set configurations that apply to all your connectors or use `xpack.actions.customHostSettings` to set per-host configurations.

## Get OAuth credentials

<important>
  The Box MCP server requires a Box enterprise account or a Box developer account. Personal (individual) Box accounts are not supported and will fail during authentication or when calling tools. However, all individual accounts can be turned into developer accounts by creating a custom OAuth app.
</important>

The Box MCP server authenticates through the Box Admin Console integration, not a custom OAuth app. To get your credentials:
1. Log in to your [Box Admin Console](https://app.box.com/master).
2. Go to **Integrations** and search for **Box MCP server**.
3. Open the integration and select **Configure**.
4. Under **Additional Configuration**, select **Add Integration Credentials**,
5. Enter a name and **Redirect URI** as `https://<your-kibana-host>/api/actions/connector/_oauth_callback`, then select **Save**.
6. Make sure the **Manage AI Requests** scope is enabled.
7. Copy the generated **Client ID** and **Client Secret**.
8. In Kibana, enter the **Client ID** and **Client Secret**. Kibana preconfigures the authorization URL and token URL.
9. Complete the authorization flow to connect your Box account.