Box Automation via Rube MCP
Automate Box operations including file upload/download, content search, folder management, collaboration, metadata queries, and sign requests through Composio's Box toolkit.
Toolkit docs: composio.dev/toolkits/box
Prerequisites
- •Rube MCP must be connected (RUBE_SEARCH_TOOLS available)
- •Active Box connection via
RUBE_MANAGE_CONNECTIONSwith toolkitbox - •Always call
RUBE_SEARCH_TOOLSfirst to get current tool schemas
Setup
Get Rube MCP: Add https://rube.app/mcp as an MCP server in your client configuration. No API keys needed — just add the endpoint and it works.
- •Verify Rube MCP is available by confirming
RUBE_SEARCH_TOOLSresponds - •Call
RUBE_MANAGE_CONNECTIONSwith toolkitbox - •If connection is not ACTIVE, follow the returned auth link to complete Box OAuth
- •Confirm connection status shows ACTIVE before running any workflows
Core Workflows
1. Upload and Download Files
When to use: User wants to upload files to Box or download files from it
Tool sequence:
- •
BOX_SEARCH_FOR_CONTENT- Find the target folder if path is unknown [Prerequisite] - •
BOX_GET_FOLDER_INFORMATION- Verify folder exists and get folder_id [Prerequisite] - •
BOX_LIST_ITEMS_IN_FOLDER- Browse folder contents and discover file IDs [Optional] - •
BOX_UPLOAD_FILE- Upload a file to a specific folder [Required for upload] - •
BOX_DOWNLOAD_FILE- Download a file by file_id [Required for download] - •
BOX_CREATE_ZIP_DOWNLOAD- Bundle multiple files/folders into a zip [Optional]
Key parameters:
- •
parent_id: Folder ID for upload destination (use"0"for root folder) - •
file: FileUploadable object withs3key,mimetype, andnamefor uploads - •
file_id: Unique file identifier for downloads - •
version: Optional file version ID for downloading specific versions - •
fields: Comma-separated list of attributes to return
Pitfalls:
- •Uploading to a folder with existing filenames can trigger conflict behavior; decide overwrite vs rename semantics
- •Files over 50MB should use chunk upload APIs (not available via standard tools)
- •The
attributespart of upload must come before thefilepart or you get HTTP 400 withmetadata_after_file_contents - •File IDs and folder IDs are numeric strings extractable from Box web app URLs (e.g.,
https://*.app.box.com/files/123gives file_id"123")
2. Search and Browse Content
When to use: User wants to find files, folders, or web links by name, content, or metadata
Tool sequence:
- •
BOX_SEARCH_FOR_CONTENT- Full-text search across files, folders, and web links [Required] - •
BOX_LIST_ITEMS_IN_FOLDER- Browse contents of a specific folder [Optional] - •
BOX_GET_FILE_INFORMATION- Get detailed metadata for a specific file [Optional] - •
BOX_GET_FOLDER_INFORMATION- Get detailed metadata for a specific folder [Optional] - •
BOX_QUERY_FILES_FOLDERS_BY_METADATA- Search by metadata template values [Optional] - •
BOX_LIST_RECENTLY_ACCESSED_ITEMS- List recently accessed items [Optional]
Key parameters:
- •
query: Search string supporting operators (""exact match,AND,OR,NOT- uppercase only) - •
type: Filter by"file","folder", or"web_link" - •
ancestor_folder_ids: Limit search to specific folders (comma-separated IDs) - •
file_extensions: Filter by file type (comma-separated, no dots) - •
content_types: Search in"name","description","file_content","comments","tags" - •
created_at_range/updated_at_range: Date filters as comma-separated RFC3339 timestamps - •
limit: Results per page (default 30) - •
offset: Pagination offset (max 10000) - •
folder_id: ForLIST_ITEMS_IN_FOLDER(use"0"for root)
Pitfalls:
- •Queries with offset > 10000 are rejected with HTTP 400
- •
BOX_SEARCH_FOR_CONTENTrequires eitherqueryormdfiltersparameter - •Misconfigured filters can silently omit expected items; validate with small test queries first
- •Boolean operators (
AND,OR,NOT) must be uppercase - •
BOX_LIST_ITEMS_IN_FOLDERrequires pagination viamarkeroroffset/usemarker; partial listings are common - •Standard folders sort items by type first (folders before files before web links)
3. Manage Folders
When to use: User wants to create, update, move, copy, or delete folders
Tool sequence:
- •
BOX_GET_FOLDER_INFORMATION- Verify folder exists and check permissions [Prerequisite] - •
BOX_CREATE_FOLDER- Create a new folder [Required for create] - •
BOX_UPDATE_FOLDER- Rename, move, or update folder settings [Required for update] - •
BOX_COPY_FOLDER- Copy a folder to a new location [Optional] - •
BOX_DELETE_FOLDER- Move folder to trash [Required for delete] - •
BOX_PERMANENTLY_REMOVE_FOLDER- Permanently delete a trashed folder [Optional]
Key parameters:
- •
name: Folder name (no/,\, trailing spaces, or./..) - •
parent__id: Parent folder ID (use"0"for r