box_ai_ask_file_single_toolLABSCO SUMMARY
Read the warning at the top before you install it.
Box now runs a hosted server it supports, and this community one is frozen — new Box API surface will not appear here. What it still offers is a per-family documented tool inventory in the open, and self-hosted authentication modes the hosted route does not give you: client credentials grant, JWT, and running it inside your own network. Choose it deliberately for those reasons, not by default.
What it is
A self-hosted MCP server over the Box API, covering file and folder operations, search, collaboration, metadata, document generation, tasks and Box AI. Box has since shipped an officially supported hosted MCP server and asks people to migrate to it; this repository is marked discontinued and no longer maintained.
What you get
- Box AI over your own content:
box_ai_ask_file_single_toolfor one document,box_ai_ask_file_multi_toolto compare several,box_ai_ask_hub_toolacross a hub - Structured extraction from documents with
box_ai_extract_structured_using_template_toolorbox_ai_extract_structured_using_fields_tool, and open-ended extraction withbox_ai_extract_freeform_tool - File work:
box_file_info_tool,box_file_upload_tool,box_file_download_tool,box_file_text_extract_tool, plus copy, move, rename, delete, locking and retention dates - Folders and search:
box_folder_items_list_tool,box_folder_create_tool,box_search_tool,box_search_folder_by_name_tool - Document generation from templates:
box_docgen_template_list_tool,box_docgen_create_batch_tool,box_docgen_get_job_by_id_tool - Collaboration, tasks, metadata, shared links, users, groups and web links, each as its own documented tool family
Requirements
Box asks you to migrate to its hosted MCP server — that warning is the first thing in the README, and it is the right starting point for anyone choosing today. For this one: Box OAuth application credentials in .env (BOX_CLIENT_ID, BOX_CLIENT_SECRET, BOX_REDIRECT_URL), then uv sync and uv run src/mcp_server_box.py. The package is mcp-server-box. Transport and authentication are command-line choices — --transport accepts stdio, sse or http (default stdio, HTTP port 8005), --box-auth-type accepts oauth, ccg, jwt or mcp_client, and --mcp-auth-type accepts oauth, token or none; token mode reads BOX_MCP_SERVER_AUTH_TOKEN.
Setup effort
Build from source — git clone https://github.com/box-community/mcp-server-box.git
USE CASES
01
Asking a question of a document you cannot paste
Point Box AI at a file ID or a hub and get an answer grounded in the stored content.
02
Pulling the same fields out of many contracts
Run structured extraction against a metadata template so every document comes back in the same shape.
03
Generating documents from a template in bulk
List the DocGen templates, submit a batch, then poll the job by ID.
04
Running Box automation inside your own network
Use JWT or client credentials authentication and an HTTP transport, which is the case the hosted server does not cover.
117 tools
Listed in project docs. Your client may show a different list.
box_ai_ask_file_multi_toolbox_ai_ask_hub_toolbox_ai_extract_freeform_toolbox_ai_extract_structured_using_fields_toolbox_ai_extract_structured_using_template_toolbox_ai_extract_structured_enhanced_using_fields_toolbox_ai_extract_structured_enhanced_using_template_toolbox_ai_agent_info_by_id_toolbox_ai_agents_list_toolbox_ai_agents_search_by_name_toolbox_collaboration_list_by_file_toolbox_collaboration_list_by_folder_toolbox_collaboration_delete_toolbox_collaboration_update_toolbox_collaboration_file_group_by_group_id_toolbox_collaboration_file_user_by_user_id_toolbox_collaboration_file_user_by_user_login_toolbox_collaboration_folder_group_by_group_id_toolbox_collaboration_folder_user_by_user_id_toolbox_collaboration_folder_user_by_user_login_toolbox_docgen_template_create_toolbox_docgen_template_list_toolbox_docgen_template_get_by_id_toolbox_docgen_template_get_by_name_toolbox_docgen_template_delete_toolbox_docgen_template_list_tags_toolbox_docgen_template_list_jobs_toolbox_docgen_create_batch_toolbox_docgen_create_single_file_from_user_input_toolbox_docgen_list_jobs_by_batch_toolbox_docgen_get_job_by_id_toolbox_docgen_list_jobs_toolbox_file_info_toolbox_file_copy_toolbox_file_delete_toolbox_file_move_toolbox_file_rename_toolbox_file_set_description_toolbox_file_lock_toolbox_file_unlock_toolbox_file_retention_date_set_toolbox_file_retention_date_clear_toolbox_file_set_download_open_toolbox_file_set_download_company_toolbox_file_set_download_reset_toolbox_file_tag_list_toolbox_file_tag_add_toolbox_file_tag_remove_toolbox_file_thumbnail_url_toolbox_file_thumbnail_download_toolbox_file_download_toolbox_file_upload_toolbox_file_text_extract_toolbox_folder_info_toolbox_folder_items_list_toolbox_folder_create_toolbox_folder_rename_toolbox_folder_move_toolbox_folder_copy_toolbox_folder_delete_toolbox_folder_set_description_toolbox_folder_favorites_add_toolbox_folder_favorites_remove_toolbox_folder_tag_add_toolbox_folder_tag_remove_toolbox_folder_list_tags_toolbox_folder_set_collaboration_toolbox_folder_set_sync_toolbox_folder_set_upload_email_toolbox_who_am_ibox_authorize_app_toolbox_groups_search_toolbox_groups_list_members_toolbox_groups_list_by_user_toolbox_metadata_template_create_toolbox_metadata_template_list_toolbox_metadata_template_get_by_key_toolbox_metadata_template_get_by_name_toolbox_metadata_set_instance_on_file_toolbox_metadata_get_instance_on_file_toolbox_metadata_update_instance_on_file_toolbox_metadata_delete_instance_on_file_toolbox_search_toolbox_search_folder_by_name_toolbox_shared_link_file_get_toolbox_shared_link_file_create_or_update_toolbox_shared_link_file_remove_toolbox_shared_link_file_find_by_shared_link_url_toolbox_shared_link_folder_get_toolbox_shared_link_folder_create_or_update_toolbox_shared_link_folder_remove_toolbox_shared_link_folder_find_by_shared_link_url_toolbox_shared_link_web_link_create_or_update_toolbox_shared_link_web_link_get_toolbox_shared_link_web_link_remove_toolbox_shared_link_web_link_find_by_shared_link_url_toolbox_task_complete_create_toolbox_task_review_create_toolbox_task_details_toolbox_task_update_toolbox_task_remove_toolbox_task_file_list_toolbox_task_assign_by_email_toolbox_task_assign_by_user_id_toolbox_task_assignments_list_toolbox_task_assignment_details_toolbox_task_assignment_update_toolbox_task_assignment_remove_toolbox_users_list_toolbox_users_locate_by_name_toolbox_users_locate_by_email_toolbox_users_search_by_name_or_email_toolbox_web_link_create_toolbox_web_link_get_by_id_toolbox_web_link_update_by_id_toolbox_web_link_delete_by_id_toolBEFORE YOU INSTALL
What to know first
Tools you get
117 tools named in the project's documentation.
Requires
- BOX_CLIENT_ID in your environment
- BOX_CLIENT_SECRET in your environment
Where it runs
The documented client runs the server on your machine.
INSTALLATION
Connect your client
Server setup
TERMINAL
git clone https://github.com/box-community/mcp-server-box.git
cd mcp-server-box
uv syncMCP Clients
Claude Desktop — stdio
CLAUDE DESKTOP — STDIO · JSON
{
"mcpServers": {
"mcp-server-box": {
"command": "uv",
"args": [
"--directory",
"<YOUR_PATH_TO_MCP_SERVER_BOX>",
"run",
"src/mcp_server_box.py"
]
}
}
}The configuration on this page does not set BOX_CLIENT_ID and BOX_CLIENT_SECRET; the project's instructions put them in a .env file. Check which folder the server reads that file from before you rely on it.
