---
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/tree/main/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/tree/main/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

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.