Airtable Sync integration: Box

Setting up a Box to Airtable sync

1. Navigate to a base where you want to sync data into Airtable.

2. Add a new synced table by clicking the + Add or import button.

3. Scroll down to the bottom of the list and click the XX more sources… option.

4. Browse or search for “Box” and then click Box.

5. Select an existing Box account, if you’ve already connected to Box before, or link to a new Box account if this is the first time you've set this sync up. Connecting a new account will take you to the authentication window. For more info on authentication and authorization consult this support article section.

6. After you have connected your account successfully, select the folder that you want to use to create the synced table.

7. Then, choose whether or not to sync Box Folders in addition to files. Click Next.

8. Next, you’ll be presented with two sync options to choose from:

   1. All fields from the source view, including any fields added by Box in the future

   2. Specific fields from the Box source.

      1. If you choose to sync specific fields you’ll be shown a menu where you can toggle each individual field that you want to sync from Box.

      2. Here is a list of all of the field data that is provided by Box that can be synced to Airtable: File path, File name, Type (file or folder), Created time (of the Airtable record), Created By (who created the file on Box), Last Modified Time (of the Box file / folder), Last Modified By (which Box user last modified the file), File Extension (boxnote, png, jpg, pdf, etc.), File Size (in bytes), Description, Parent Folder, Link (a direct link to the Box file), ID (the unique file ID assigned by Box).

9. Click the Next button after you have chosen which fields should be synced to Airtable.

10. Before creating your synced table, there are Settings options that allow you choose how often you want to sync, and how to handle records deleted or hidden in the source (Box):

    1. The frequency of syncing. Right now, the options are manual syncing and automatic syncing which happens around every 5 minutes

    2. Whether or not deleted records (files / folders in the selected Box folder) should be removed from the Airtable table. By default, deleted events will be removed.

11. Once you’ve selected your desired sync settings, click the Create table button. Depending on how large the data set being synced in from Box is, it may take a few moments for the synced table to be created. The sync operation will retrieve all files (and optionally, folders) in the Box folder selected and generate Airtable records.

Security and OAuth scopes

• Authentication - There is no separate plugin or app that needs to be installed on the user’s Box instance. The data that we retrieve from Box’s API is transmitted securely via HTTPS and will not be used for any purpose other than the synced table. Although the scopes include root_readwrite permissions, these are only necessary for file downloads from Box, and the Box sync integration does not ever write anything to Box. The OAuth consent screen will look something like this:
  
  Airtable will only have access to the folders and files that the user who connected the Box sync has access to. If the user who connected a Box sync leaves the company and their Box account gets deactivated, the sync will stop working.

• Box sync integration scopes - For more information on Box scopes, check out Box's documentation here.

  Scope name	Scope purpose
  root_readonly	For reading files that are accessible to the user
  root_readwrite	For writing and downloading files that are accessible to the user

FAQs