Box AI for Documents

When viewing certain file types in Box, you can ask Box AI to summarize document content, search key points, and write outline drafts. In turn, Box AI can save you time in analyzing your meeting notes, reports, and marketing assets, while giving you better insights on your documents.

Supported file types:

• Text documents (for Box Notes files, see Box AI for Notes)
• Image files
• Spreadsheets (limited to text-dense files)
• Presentation slides

Querying a Single Document File With Box AI

To query a file with Box AI:

• Open a file with Preview
  1. Select Box AI () from the Preview toolbar.
  2. Ask your AI query.

• Box AI Action* Select a file from :
• 1. • Hover over the Box AI () button to:
       • Summarize the content in the file
       • Ask a question

Querying multiple documents with Box AI**

1. Select multiple files from:
   
   • All Files page,
   • within a folder,
   • Collections, or
   • search results
2. Click the Box AI button from the toolbar.
3. Ask your AI query.

Asking AI Queries

In the Box AI sidebar panel, you can select one of the suggestions provided for quick document insights. The suggestions are based on the document type and can include:

• Summarize this document
• What are the key takeaways?
• How can this document be improved?
• Are there any next steps defined?

For more specific responses, enter your question or request into the Message Box AI text box and press Enter or select Ask.

If you want to view responses in a wider space, such as when a response contains information in tables, select Switch to modal view (). A dialog box will open where you can continue your query. To return to Box AI in the sidebar panel, select () in the Box AI dialog box.

Working with Responses

After submitting the question or request, Box AI generates responses in real time. If you want to stop the response, select Stop Response. Following a response, you can ask follow-up questions to gain better insights. These questions help build context and narrow down results. 

To save a response, select Copy (). It is sent to your clipboard, and you can then paste it elsewhere.

To give feedback on a response, see Giving Feedback on AI Responses.

To clear the chat history, select Clear conversation (), which gives you the option to start a new topic, or exit out of the document. Your chat history is refreshed when you reopen the document. 

To review citations, showing which parts of the source document were referenced when generating the response, hover over the number(s) in the bottom left corner of the response. A small window shows the source text from the document.

Agents Selection

If enabled for your organization, you can choose agents assigned to you by your admin to get more customized responses when working with Box AI.

To switch Agents or Models:

1. Click on the Agent button next to the Box AI icon. 
2. From the list, select from available agents.
3. Ask Box AI your questions to test responses.

The list of agents will depend on what your Admin has enabled for your organization. 

Guidelines for Box AI Questions

Box AI pulls information only from the document you loaded in preview. If you ask any questions outside of the scope of the document, Box AI informs you that it cannot answer the question with the information provided. As you ask Box AI to analyze your document, consider these suggestions:

• Be as specific as possible. Use parameters, such as asking for numbered lists, brevity, tables and central themes or key points. For example:
  • OK: list key points
  • Better: Can you list the key points in a numbered list?
  • OK: What’s the point of this document?
  • Better: Can you briefly and succinctly outline only the most important points with a list?
• Stay within the scope of the document.

Box AI Unit Usage

For pricing information and AI unit usage rules, contact your Box account executive or visit our pricing page.

Troubleshooting

If you are unable to use Box AI, check the following with your admin:

• Is Box AI enabled for your organization?
• Is Box AI for Documents enabled in your organization?
• Do you have the correct permission for the file?

For information on enabling Box AI as admin, see Enterprise Settings: Box AI Tab – Box Support

Known Limitations

• Questions on, or including these topics or commands, return mixed and sometimes inaccurate information:
  
  • Calculations, table structures, and numbers
  • Counting words or phrases
  • Document metadata such as page number, authors, file size, word count, and collaborators (Box AI doesn't take into account any of these document components)
  • Images, videos, charts, graphs, etc. that are within text documents (as opposed to questions when viewing images, videos, etc., directly)
  • Video
  • Audio
• Questions are limited to 1,000 characters
• Text content size limit is 1MB, with larger files only processing the first 1MB of text
• Non-English languages may produce lower quality results

Limitations With Image Files

• Box AI cannot return responses on images in a Box Hub
• Box AI uses a version of the image that is a maximum of 2048 x 2048 pixels. This means that very small or fine details might not visible if the original image was larger, which could impact the response.
• For image formats that support multi-page (such as tif and heic), Box AI will process up to 10 pages from the file

Box AI Principles

To view Box’s policies and practices surrounding using AI, visit The Box AI Principles Page  and Box AI: Acceptable Use Policy & Guiding Principles.

See Also

• Box AI for Notes
• Box AI for Hubs