# Box Overview

Box is a cloud storage platform designed to provide secure storage for enterprises. Individuals can still sign up for a box on a free plan with 10GB of storage. 

The Enterprise Plus and Enterprise Advanced account tiers have access to all features and functionality of Box, and as a result, The Cloud Storage Guide will focus on these tiers. 

<figure><img src="/files/jLcFO8pDBdunkLUuqodp" alt=""><figcaption></figcaption></figure>

### Feature Overview

<table><thead><tr><th width="154.265625"></th><th width="267.5625">Description</th><th>Notes</th></tr></thead><tbody><tr><td>Shared Content</td><td>Objects owned and managed by the organization</td><td>Has a User icon and color change to denote that multiple users have access</td></tr><tr><td>Individual Content</td><td>Personal user content</td><td>Folders shown as basic manilla file folders with no extra icon</td></tr><tr><td>Mailbox</td><td>Emails, contacts, and calendars</td><td>Not included</td></tr><tr><td>Versions</td><td>Historical snapshot of documents that can be restored</td><td>50 - Unlimited, depending on tier</td></tr><tr><td>Document Collaboration</td><td>Real-time simultaneous editing</td><td>Permissions can be set for individual users or groups. </td></tr><tr><td>Account Administration</td><td>Managing users, account, and organization information</td><td>Called <a data-footnote-ref href="#user-content-fn-1">"Admin Console"</a> and available to Primary Admin and selected Co-Admins</td></tr><tr><td>Auditing and Reporting</td><td>Usage and access information</td><td>Accessible through the Reports tool in the Admin Console</td></tr><tr><td>SFTP , FTP, AS2 transfers</td><td>Secure file transfer protocol  support </td><td>Not supported natively; Supported via a 3rd-party solution like <a href="https://www.couchdrop.io/connectors/box">Couchdrop</a></td></tr><tr><td>Additional Features</td><td>Other features included with a subscription</td><td>Unlimited storage, Data governance, enhanced AI, Box Drive, workflows</td></tr></tbody></table>

### What makes Box unique

All Box business accounts include unlimited storage throughout the organization, and use other features to attract organizations to higher tiers like higher single file limits, enhanced AI, and faster support. Instead of a storage limit, Box uses a default bandwidth limit for download/upload Ingress/Egress Bandwidth. This is a soft limit of 1TB per month per user, subject to a fair use policy.

With an emphasis on security, Box has several features to help organizations stay secure and compliant, including Box Governance and Box Shield. These help safeguard data and limit actions such as preventing users from trashing data and ransomware protection. Box claims that in the event of a ransomware attack, only files synced via Box Sync or Box Drive will be affected.

Box calls itself the "Intelligent Content Management platform" in that it combines cloud-based file sharing with automation, data governance, and enhanced metadata. It can also meet several compliance standards such as PCI DSS and HIPAA, and is ITAR registered. The AI-powered insights with the customizable AI agents can help identify content that should be labeled and subject to compliance guidelines and suggest solutions to remedy issues.&#x20;

### How storage is allocated and handled

Because Box has unlimited storage, there aren't storage limitations to worry about.&#x20;

However, bandwidth can be a concern, especially for organizations that move data frequently. The 1TB per user limit includes both uploads and downloads. For example, a user who downloads 800GB could only upload 200GB in the same month before hitting the cap. Once the cap is hit, uploads/downloads are restricted, or in some cases, disabled entirely.&#x20;

Caps cannot be updated directly. Instead, the request must be made through a Box representative. An increased cap can also be negotiated as part of an Enterprise quote.&#x20;

### How user management works

Every member of the organization with access to Box is counted as a user and is called a Managed User. Each Managed User added increases the monthly cost by the per-user amount.

An Unmanaged User is any user who is separate from the primary organization but still needs to have access to collaborate with content within the organization's storage. These users are unlicensed and unpaid and not bound by the organization's security policies.&#x20;

Admins can add Managed and Unmanaged Users individually or in bulk, as well as convert Unmanaged Users into Managed users.&#x20;

{% hint style="danger" %}
Because Unmanaged Users are independent of security policies, they can be a security risk and break compliance, so Box recommends using them minimally with tight controls.&#x20;
{% endhint %}

### Proprietary document types

The only proprietary document type in Box is Box Notes, which are two unique file formats generated from the document generation tool. Box Notes allows co-editing and collaboration in real time from multiple users in the organization. Files generated have the **.boxnote** or .**boxcanvas** extension.&#x20;

Because these files are unique to Box, they can't be opened outside of Box while keeping all features and formatting intact.&#x20;

{% hint style="warning" %}
Box Notes are difficult to convert, and many conversion tools struggle to convert them beyond JSON format. If needed outside Box with the original formatting and content, it's recommended to copy and paste on a document basis or use a tool like boxnotes2html.&#x20;
{% endhint %}

### How content ownership works

Content created by Box is owned by the organization, regardless of where it's created. While Managed Users can create folders private to themselves by default, Admins can still gain access at any time by updating settings or using the Content Manager.

The Content Manager allows admins to view managed users and service accounts, browse any user's content (including trashed content), and completely manage a user's files, including restoring, deleting, sharing, and managing collaborators.&#x20;

{% hint style="warning" %}
Because Admins own and have access to all content, it is not recommended to keep sensitive personal files in a Box business account.&#x20;
{% endhint %}

### How sharing and permissions work&#x20;

Box has seven different default collaborator levels, discussed in detail on the [User roles and privileges page](/cloud-storage-platforms/box-overview/users-and-groups/user-roles-and-privleges.md). Roles can be refined further through Enterprise Settings.&#x20;

Shared Links can be created to give access to users both within and outside the organization. These links can be customized with security controls like password protection and auto-expiration, and the URL can be customized to be more user-friendly.&#x20;

Users can also send a Shared Link to request files from anyone with the link, with customizable form fields that show as file metadata.&#x20;

Admins can restrict sharing to within the organization or by adding an Allow List.&#x20;

### How syncing with local storage works

Box Drive is an application that allows users to access files in the Box account from their desktop. It also provides enhanced security for content by integrating with Box Shield and the ability to update access through the application.&#x20;

Files marked for offline use are downloaded and can be updated from the local device. Once the user is back online, the file will be automatically synced and updated on the cloud version. Locking the file stops other users from being able to edit it until the lock is removed.&#x20;

Objects that are synced to Box Drive will appear in the "Synced" tab of Box settings in the web interface.&#x20;

{% hint style="success" %}
Box Sync, the deprecated syncing agent, still exists, but is uninstalled automatically as part of installing Box Drive.&#x20;
{% endhint %}

### How billing works

Billing is done annually or monthly on a per-user basis. The Enterprise Plus and Enterprise Advanced plans are available annually only. On the Enterprise Advanced Plan, it is possible to negotiate a higher download/upload limit per user as part of the custom quote.&#x20;

Add-ons are also available to purchase on an annual basis. Core API calls, AI Units, Document Generation APIs, and Sign API credits are refreshed monthly with an annual commitment.&#x20;

***

#### Click on a box below for more details about Egnyte

<table data-view="cards"><thead><tr><th></th><th data-hidden data-card-cover data-type="files"></th><th data-hidden data-card-target data-type="content-ref"></th></tr></thead><tbody><tr><td>Users and Groups in Box</td><td></td><td><a href="/pages/QP7LDhiFD3dXaySaXuxI">/pages/QP7LDhiFD3dXaySaXuxI</a></td></tr><tr><td>Storage and Sharing in Box</td><td></td><td><a href="/pages/LA0JyhpHbQhXw6u2XnRZ">/pages/LA0JyhpHbQhXw6u2XnRZ</a></td></tr><tr><td>Reporting and Auditing in Box</td><td></td><td><a href="/pages/LA0JyhpHbQhXw6u2XnRZ">/pages/LA0JyhpHbQhXw6u2XnRZ</a></td></tr><tr><td>Frequent Admin Issues in Box</td><td></td><td><a href="/pages/Xr7BrtOOFGB6QSpLYxND">/pages/Xr7BrtOOFGB6QSpLYxND</a></td></tr></tbody></table>

[^1]: via the "Admin Console" (admin.google.com)


---

# Agent Instructions: Querying This Documentation

If you need additional information that is not directly available in this page, you can query the documentation dynamically by asking a question.

Perform an HTTP GET request on the current page URL with the `ask` query parameter:

```
GET https://docs.the-cloud-storage-guide.io/cloud-storage-platforms/box-overview.md?ask=<question>
```

The question should be specific, self-contained, and written in natural language.
The response will contain a direct answer to the question and relevant excerpts and sources from the documentation.

Use this mechanism when the answer is not explicitly present in the current page, you need clarification or additional context, or you want to retrieve related documentation sections.