Box File Access MCP Server

Overview

The Box File Access MCP allows AI assistants to interact with your Box cloud storage account. It provides capabilities for searching files and reading document contents, currently supporting PDF and Word formats.

Authentication Options

You have two main options for authenticating with Box:

Option 1: JSON Web Token (JWT) Authorization (Recommended)

This method provides persistent connection to Box and is recommended for long-term use.

Prerequisites:

• A paid Box enterprise account or a free Box developer account
• Box User ID
• JWT configuration

Steps to set up JWT authorization:

1. Sign up for a free developer account if you don't have a Box enterprise account
2. Visit the Box Developer Console and create a new application
3. Set the authorization type to "JSON Web Token"
4. Go to "Configuration > Add and Manage Public Keys" and generate a Public/Private Keypair
5. Set up 2-factor authentication if prompted
6. Configure the application with:
   • "App + Enterprise Access" permissions
   • Enable the "make API calls using the as-user header" option
7. Reauthorize the application after modifying these settings
8. Base64 encode your JWT configuration file:

   cat /path/to/your/box-jwt-config.json | base64
   

9. Use the encoded value in your MCP configuration

Option 2: Developer Token Authorization (Easier but Limited)

This method is simpler but tokens expire after 60 minutes.

Steps to set up Developer Token authorization:

1. Visit the Box Developer Console and create a new application
2. Navigate to the application's configuration settings
3. Click "Generate Developer Token"
4. Use this token in your MCP configuration

Installation

Add the following configuration to your AI assistant's MCP configuration:

Using JWT Authorization (Recommended):

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "box": {
      "command": "npx",
      "args": ["box-mcp-server"],
      "env": {
        "BOX_JWT_BASE64": "YOUR_BASE64_ENCODED_JWT",
        "BOX_USER_ID": "YOUR_BOX_USER_ID"
      }
    }
  }
}

Using Developer Token (Easier but time-limited):

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "box": {
      "command": "npx",
      "args": ["box-mcp-server"],
      "env": {
        "BOX_DEV_TOKEN": "YOUR_DEV_TOKEN_GOES_HERE"
      }
    }
  }
}

Capabilities

The Box File Access MCP currently supports:

1. Searching for files in your Box account
2. Reading file contents from:
   • PDF documents
   • Word documents

Support for additional file types is planned for future releases.