Box stores enterprise files with strong permission controls, version history, and retention policies. Connecting Box to clariBI brings file metadata and content search into your AI analyses, so audit and discovery questions answer themselves without manually navigating folder trees.
Why connect Box
Box search is fine when you know the document name. Analytical questions like "how much did our legal folder grow this year?" or "which contracts come up for renewal in Q4?" usually require manual review.
With Box connected, you can ask "How many contracts were uploaded this quarter?", "Find files older than 2 years in the legal folder", or "Latest files mentioning a specific vendor name" and the AI engine returns the answer with each file referenced.
How the connection works
clariBI talks to Box through its hosted MCP server at https://mcp.box.com. Authentication uses an OAuth flow against an OAuth app you register in the vendor's developer console. Tokens stay encrypted server-side and never leave clariBI in clear form.
sequenceDiagram
actor U as You
participant C as clariBI
participant V as Box
U->>C: Click Authorize with Box
C->>V: Open OAuth authorization
V-->>U: Grant read access?
U->>V: Approve
V-->>C: Authorization code
C->>V: Exchange code for tokens
V-->>C: Access + refresh tokens
C->>C: Encrypt and store credentials
C-->>U: Connection ready
Available tools
clariBI exposes the read-only Box tools that the vendor's MCP server publishes at connection time. Write operations (create, update, delete, send, refund) are filtered out by a name-pattern blocklist before any tool reaches the analysis engine, so connecting Box cannot modify data on the vendor side.
The exact tool inventory depends on the Box features your account has access to. After connecting, try a few natural-language questions to see what Box data clariBI can pull.
Data flow during analysis
When you ask a question that maps to Box, the AI engine routes to the right tool, reads the result, and pairs the answer with a chart you can pin to a dashboard.
sequenceDiagram
actor U as You
participant C as clariBI
participant AI as AI engine
participant V as Box
U->>C: Ask a question about enterprise file metadata
C->>AI: Plan the analysis
AI->>V: Call the right tool
V-->>AI: Tool result
AI->>AI: Summarize and chart
C-->>U: Answer plus visual
Setting up the connection
- Open Data Sources in the clariBI sidebar.
- Click Add data source.
- Open the MCP Servers tab.
- Click the Box card.
- Click Authorize with Box.
- Sign in to Box in the popup window and grant the requested read scopes.
- Back in clariBI, give your data source a name.
- Click Finish.
Permissions and data access
clariBI requests the root_readonly scope. No files can be uploaded, modified, deleted, or shared through this integration. Box folder-level permissions still apply, so users only see what their Box role allows. Disconnect anytime from Box account settings or from clariBI Settings.
Troubleshooting
| Error | Cause | Fix |
|---|---|---|
| "Folder access denied" | Some folders restrict access at the Box permission layer beyond the workspace default. | Have a Box admin grant your user read access to the folder, then retry. |
| "Enterprise admin approval required" | Box enterprise plans can require admin approval for third-party app installs. | Ask your Box admin to approve clariBI in Box Admin Console, then reconnect. |