Box
Connects to Box cloud storage to search, read, and extract content from PDF and Word documents stored in your Box account.
Integrates with Box cloud storage to enable searching, reading, and processing of PDF and Word documents for applications like automated document analysis and content extraction.
What it does
- Search files in Box storage
- Read PDF document contents
- Extract text from Word documents
- Process documents for content analysis
- Access Box enterprise accounts
Best for
About Box
Box is a community-built MCP server published by hmk that provides AI assistants with tools and capabilities via the Model Context Protocol. Integrate with Box cloud storage to extract PDF text and process Word documents. Ideal for automated document analysis a It is categorized under productivity, file systems.
How to install
You can install Box in your AI client of choice. Use the install panel on this page to get one-click setup for Cursor, Claude Desktop, VS Code, and other MCP-compatible clients. This server runs locally on your machine via the stdio transport.
License
Box is released under the BSD-3-Clause license. This is a permissive open-source license, meaning you can freely use, modify, and distribute the software.
box-mcp-server
Usage
You will need:
BOX_USER_ID
and one of the following:
BOX_JWT_BASE64(recommended)BOX_JWT_CONFIG_PATHBOX_JWT
Auth
JSON Web Token (JWT) Authorization (recommended)
How to get a JWT
Using a JWT Config allows persistent connection to Box.
You will need a paid Box enterprise account, or you can sign up for a free developer account (make sure you are signed out of Box before clicking that link).
Visit the Box Developer Console and create a new application. Make sure the authorization type is JSON Web Token.
Go to Configuration > Add and Manage Public Keys and Generate a Public/Private Keypair.
If you have not already, Box prompt you to set up 2 factor authentication and Authorize the application as an administrator in your box account. You will need to:
- give the application
App + Enterprise Access, and - enable the
make API calls using the as-user headeroption
via the Box Application's Configuration page. Make sure to reauthorize the application if you are modifying these settings.
Base64 encoding JWT
To encode your JWT in Base64, you can use the following command in your terminal:
cat /path/to/your/box-jwt-config.json | base64
Replace /path/to/your/box-jwt-config.json with the actual path to your JWT configuration file. This will output the Base64 encoded JWT which you can then use in your environment variables.
Claude Desktop Configuration
{
"mcpServers": {
"box": {
"command": "npx",
"args": ["box-mcp-server"],
"env": {
"BOX_JWT_BASE64": "YOUR_BASE64_ENCODED_JWT",
"BOX_USER_ID": "123456"
}
}
}
}
Developer Token Authorization (easiest)
Using a developer token is the easiest way to integrate with Box, but will only last 60 minutes.
To get started, set the BOX_DEV_TOKEN to a Box Developer Token.
Begin by visiting the Box Developer Console and create a new application. The authorization type does not currently matter, as all support Box Developer Token.
Once your application is created, navigate to its configuration setings and click Generate Developer Token.
Claude Desktop Configuration
{
"mcpServers": {
"box": {
"command": "npx",
"args": ["box-mcp-server"],
"env": {
"BOX_DEV_TOKEN": "YOUR_DEV_TOKEN_GOES_HERE"
}
}
}
}
Capabilities
- Searching files
- Reading files
- Word
- Others
Development
Prerequisites
Before you begin, ensure you have the following installed:
- Node.js (recommended v22 or higher)
- npm
- git
- dotenv
Setting up Development Environment
To set up the development environment, follow these steps:
-
Fork the repository
- Click the "Fork" button in the top-right corner of this repository
- This creates your own copy of the repository under your Github acocunt
-
Clone Your Fork:
git clone https://github.com/YOUR_USERNAME/box-mcp-server.git cd box-mcp-server -
Add Upstream Remote
git remote add upstream https://github.com/hmk/box-mcp-server.git -
Copy the dotenv file
cp .env.template .env -
Install dependencies:
npm install -
Run watch to keep index.js updated:
npm run watch -
Start the model context protocol development server:
dotenv npx @modelcontextprotocol/inspector node PATH_TO_YOUR_CLONED_REPO/dist/index.js -
If the development server did not load the environment variable correctly, set the
BOX_DEV_TOKENon the left-hand side of the mcp inspector.
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