Box

Overview
API Provider Setup
Authenticate
Events
Querying
API Docs

Authenticate with Box

You can authenticate with Box to create your own instance of the Box element through the UI or through APIs. Once authenticated, you can use the element instance to access the different functionality offered by the Box platform.

On this page
Authenticate Through the UI
Authenticate Through API
Parameters
Example Response

Authenticate Through the UI

Use the UI to authenticate with Box and create an element instance. Box authentication follows the typical OAuth 2 framework and you will need to sign in to Box as part of the process.

If you are configuring events, see the Events section.

To authenticate an element instance:

  1. Sign in to Cloud Elements, and then search for Box in our Elements Catalog. Search
  2. Hover over the element card, and then click Authenticate. Create Instance
  3. Enter a name for the element instance.
  4. With Document Hub Tagging select whether you want to enable document tagging.
  5. Optionally type or select one or more Element Instance Tags to add to the authenticated element instance.
  6. Click Create Instance.
  7. Provide your Box credentials, and then allow the connection.

After successfully authenticating, we give you several options for next steps. Make requests using the API docs associated with the instance, map the instance to a virtual data resource, or use it in a formula template.

Authenticate Through API

Authenticating through API is a multi-step process that involves:

1
Redirect URL

2
Authenticate Users

3
Authenticate Instance

Getting a Redirect URL

1
Redirect URL

2
Authenticate Users

3
Authenticate Instance

Use the following API call to request a redirect URL where the user can authenticate with the API provider. Replace {keyOrId} with the element key, box.

GET /elements/{keyOrId}/oauth/url?apiKey=<api_key>&apiSecret=<api_secret>&callbackUrl=<url>&siteAddress=<url>

Query Parameters

Query Parameter Description
apiKey The key obtained from registering your app with the provider. This is the Consumer Key that you recorded in API Provider Setup section.
apiSecret The secret obtained from registering your app with the provider. This is the Consumer Secret that you recorded in API Provider Setup section.
callbackUrl The URL that will receive the code from the vendor to be used to create an element instance. This is the Callback URL that you noted at the end of the API Provider section.

Example cURL

curl -X GET
-H 'Content-Type: application/json'
'https://api.cloud-elements.com/elements/api-v2/elements/box/oauth/url?apiKey=fake_api_key&apiSecret=fake_api_secret&callbackUrl=https://httpbin.org/get&state=box'

Example Response

Use the oauthUrl in the response to allow users to authenticate with the vendor.

{
  "oauthUrl": "https://www.box.com/api/oauth2/authorize?response_type=code&client_id=57du4eiw3cseqfrs06bn9hg37ff344hv&redirect_uri=https%3A%2F%2Fhttpbin.org%2Fget&state=box",
  "element": "box"
}

Authenticating Users and Receiving the Authorization Grant Code

1
Redirect URL

2
Authenticate Users

3
Authenticate Instance

Provide the response from the previous step to the users. After they authenticate, Box provides the following information in the response:

  • code
  • state
Response Parameter Description
code The Authorization Grant Code required by Cloud Elements to retrieve the OAuth access and refresh tokens from the endpoint.
state A customizable identifier, typically the element key (box) .

Authenticating the Element Instance

1
Redirect URL

2
Authenticate Users

3
Authenticate Instance

Use the /instances endpoint to authenticate with Box and create an element instance. If you are configuring events, see the Events section.

To create an element instance:

  1. Construct a JSON body as shown below (see Parameters):

    {
  "element": {
    "key": "box"
  },
  "providerData": {
    "code": "<AUTHORIZATION_GRANT_CODE>"
  },
  "configuration": {
    "oauth.callback.url": "<CALLBACK_URL>",
    "oauth.api.key": "<CONSUMER_KEY>",
    "oauth.api.secret": "<CONSUMER_SECRET>",
    "filter.response.nulls": true
  },
  "tags": [
    "<Add_Your_Tag>"
  ],
  "name": "<INSTANCE_NAME>"
}

  2. Call the following, including the JSON body you constructed in the previous step:

    POST /instances

  3. Locate the token and id in the response and save them for all future requests using the element instance.

Example cURL

curl -X POST \
  https://api.cloud-elements.com/elements/api-v2/instances \
  -H 'authorization: User <USER_SECRET>, Organization <ORGANIZATION_SECRET>' \
  -H 'content-type: application/json' \
  -d '{
  "element": {
    "key": "box"
  },
  "providerData": {
    "code": "xoz8AFqScK2ngM04kSSM"
  },
  "configuration": {
    "oauth.callback.url": "<CALLBACK_URL>",
    "oauth.api.key": "<CONSUMER_KEY>",
    "oauth.api.secret": "<CONSUMER_SECRET>"
  },
  "tags": [
    "MyTag"
  ],
  "name": "My Box Instane"
}'

Parameters

API parameters not shown in Cloud Elements are in code formatting.

Parameter Description Data Type
'key' The element key.
box		 string
name:name A unique name for the element instance created during authentication. string
oauth.callback.url The Redirect URL from Box that you noted at the end of the Endpoint Setup section. string
oauth.api.key The Client Id from Box that you noted at the end of the Endpoint Setup section string
oauth.api.secret The Client Secret from Box that you noted at the end of the Endpoint Setup section string
tags Optional. User-defined tags to further identify the instance. string

Example Response

{
  "id": 427236,
  "name": "FromAPI-tags",
  "createdDate": "2017-06-06T21:29:33Z",
  "token": "s;dkjhsadlkjhfvlkadflvakdfvaqewcs",
  "element": {
    "id": 22,
    "name": "Box",
    "hookName": "Box",
    "key": "box",
    "description": "Add a Box Instance to connect your existing Box account to the Cloud Storage and Documents Hub, allowing you to manage files and folders. You will need your Box account information to add an instance.",
    "image": "elements/provider_box.png",
    "active": true,
    "deleted": false,
    "typeOauth": true,
    "trialAccount": false,
    "configDescription": "If you do not have an Box.net account, you can create one at <a href=\"http://www.box.com\" target=\"_blank\">Box.Net Signup</a>",
    "resources": [],
    "transformationsEnabled": false,
    "bulkDownloadEnabled": false,
    "bulkUploadEnabled": false,
    "cloneable": true,
    "extendable": true,
    "beta": false,
    "authentication": {
      "type": "oauth2"
    },
    "extended": false,
    "hub": "documents",
    "protocolType": "http",
    "parameters": [],
    "private": false
  },
  "elementId": 22,
  "provisionInteractions": [],
  "valid": true,
  "disabled": false,
  "maxCacheSize": 0,
  "cacheTimeToLive": 0,
  "configuration": {
    "base.url": "",
    "oauth.api.secret": "wvyQdUrNvXbHabxPVcxZV60G0ELMEx3n",
    "event.notification.subscription.id": null,
    "event.metadata": "{\"webhook\": {\"file\": {\"eventTypes\": [\"created\", \"updated\", \"deleted\"]},\n        \"folder\": {\"eventTypes\": [\"created\", \"updated\", \"deleted\"]}}}",
    "oauth.subuser.email": null,
    "oauth.user.token": "KtWxcp0Rz4VYRdHh72g1mBu0yPW8Zbq8",
    "oauth.user.id": "263773421",
    "filter.response.nulls": "true",
    "pagination.type": "offset",
    "event.notification.callback.url": null,
    "oauth.callback.url": "https://httpbin.org/get",
    "event.notification.signature.key": null,
    "oauth.user.refresh_token": "mbqHxMQ0okd24mom1wsj3PMx41JLWpfAtmdtiSN0kWvbYGqpALCc6TldBVZrF92Z",
    "oauth.user.refresh_interval": null,
    "oauth.api.key": "57du4eiw3cseqfrs06bn9hg37ff344hv",
    "document.tagging": null,
    "oauth.user.refresh_time": "1496784574729",
    "event.notification.enabled": "false"
  },
  "eventsEnabled": false,
  "traceLoggingEnabled": false,
  "cachingEnabled": false,
  "externalAuthentication": "none",
  "user": {
    "id": 1234567
  }
}