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Box Notes Frequently Asked Questions

FAQ , End User , Box Notes , Users , Troubleshooting , Article , Product Utilization

Product basics

Creating and editing notes

Collaboration, sharing, and comments

Organization, move, copy, and favorites

Templates

Version history and activity reporting

Desktop sync and offline access

Mobile

Box AI for Notes

Limits, admin controls, and known issues

Troubleshooting

 

Product basics

What is Box Notes?

Box Notes is a document-creation tool built into Box. You can take notes, format content, add images and tables, share ideas, and collaborate in real time without leaving Box.

 

How do Box Notes differ from Word, Google Docs, or other file types in Box?

Box Notes are native Box documents. They open in the Box Notes editor in a browser or in the Box mobile apps. They are online-only formats and cannot be made available offline through Box Drive or the Box mobile apps.

 

Do I need to save a Box Note?

No. Box Notes save automatically to Box as you work. You do not need a separate Save action for normal editing.

 

Do I need to lock a Box Note before editing?

No. Multiple collaborators can edit the same note in real time. Identifier icons follow each collaborator as they edit or select text.

 

Is there a public API for Box Notes?

Not at this time.

 

 

Creating and editing notes

How do I create a new Box Note?

You can create a blank note in several ways:

  • From the Notes sidebar, click the plus icon next to Notes. Box stores the note in your default My Box Notes folder.
  • From a folder in the Box web app, click New, then Box Note. Box stores the note in the current folder.
  • From an open Box Note, click New.
  • Open https://app.box.com/notes/create_note as a browser bookmark or shortcut.

Click the header to set a title. Forward slashes and backslashes are not allowed in titles.

 

Can I change where newly created notes are stored by default?

Yes. Open any existing Box Note, open the gear menu in the left navigation, and choose Change Default Save Location. Select an existing folder or create a new one.

 

What content can I add to a Box Note?

In addition to formatted text, you can insert content such as tables, call-out boxes, code blocks, hyperlinks, images, and other blocks from the inline menu. Click the + symbol on the left of the text editor to open that menu.

 

How do I insert and format tables?

Insert a table from the Notes editor, or copy a table from another source and paste it into the note. Use the cell menu or the table grid controls to add or remove rows and columns, set headers, merge cells, sort columns, change background color, and distribute column widths evenly.

 

How do I print a Box Note?

Open the More Options menu (ellipsis in the upper-right corner) and select Print. Do not use the browser or operating-system File > Print path. Box documents that printing from the OS File menu does not work correctly because browsers often cannot locate the note content on the page.

 

 

Collaboration, sharing, and comments

Who can view or edit my Box Note?

Folder collaborators and folder permissions apply to notes stored in that folder. Anyone who can view the folder can view the note. Anyone with Editor access to the folder can edit it.

You can also invite people to edit a single Box Note without inviting them to the containing folder. Those people receive Editor access to the note only. The note appears in their Files view and can be renamed, but not moved or deleted by that invite method.

Folder-level collaborators still retain their folder permissions even if you also invite people to the individual note.

 

How do I share a Box Note?

Click Share in the upper-right corner. Common options include:

  • Get Link with Can View for read-only access
  • Get Link with Can Edit for edit access
  • Invite people to edit to add collaborators to the note itself
  • Manage people to review and change collaborators, including people who inherit access from the parent folder

A Can Edit shared link also allows recipients to view the note's version history.

 

Can anonymous users edit a Box Note through an edit shared link?

No. Users must sign in to Box to edit. Anonymous users cannot edit Box Notes even when the shared link is set to Can Edit.

 

Can administrators or users disable edit shared links?

Yes.

  • Users can disable Edit Shared Links in Account Settings under Shared Links by choosing Preview the shared item only.
  • Administrators can set default shared-link access or disable Edit Shared Links in Enterprise Settings under Content and Sharing. When Edit Shared Links are disabled, the Can View / Can Edit control is not available.

 

Why does a password-protected shared link fail to open a Box Note?

Shared links that require a password, or notes in folders that require a password on shared links, are not supported for Box Notes. In that case, the note does not load.

 

Can Box Notes be used in folders with Hide Collaborators enabled?

No. Box Notes cannot be used in folders that have the Hide Collaborators security property set.

 

How do comments and annotations work in Box Notes?

Editors and co-owners can highlight text and leave annotations, or open the Comments sidebar to comment on the note. Collaborators can reply, @mention people, and resolve annotations.

Box can send notifications for comments and annotations when the recipient has comment notifications enabled for owned or joined items. Viewers opening a note through a shared link can leave comments on the full document and reply in threads, but cannot leave comments on specific parts of the document.

 

How can I see what changed since I last opened a note?

When you reopen a note that others have modified, additions made since your last view are highlighted in purple. Use the highlighter control in the upper-right corner to hide or show those highlights.

You can also open Recent Activity from a collaborator badge to see who recently viewed or edited the note, and watch collaboration cursors to see where active editors are working.

 

How many people can edit a Box Note at once?

Box documents a maximum of 30 people editing a note at the same time. After that limit, additional users see a snapshot or read-only view.

 

 

Organization, move, copy, and favorites

How do I move or copy a Box Note?

Open the More Options menu and select Move or copy this note. Choose a destination folder, optionally create a new folder, then choose Move or Copy.

 

What happens to version history when I move or copy a note?

Moving a note retains its version history. Copying a note does not retain version history.

 

How do I open the parent folder of a note?

In the left-hand Notes list, click the parent folder name on the note's row, or use the More Options menu for that note.

 

How do Favorites work with Box Notes?

Open the Notes sidebar and use the star view to see favorited notes. Mark a note as a favorite from the More Options menu, or click the star next to the note in Recent Notes.

 

What appears in Recent Notes?

Creating or opening a note adds it to your recents list. Box displays the 1000 most recent notes.

 

 

Templates

Can I create a Box Note from a template?

Yes, on paid plans. Templates are not available to free Box accounts.

Create a note from a template from the Notes sidebar (Note from Template) or from the Files page (Box Note from Template). You can use default templates, custom templates you can access as a collaborator, or a template opened from a shared link.

 

How do I create a custom template?

Create a Box Note, fill it with the structure and content you want, open More Options, and choose Set this as a Template. That note file becomes the template. If you delete it, the template is no longer available.

 

How do I share a custom template with others?

Common methods:

  • Add people as collaborators on the folder that contains the template so it appears in their Custom template list.
  • Invite them to edit the template directly.
  • Send a shared link. Shared-link recipients must open the template and click Use this Template. Templates shared only by link do not appear in the Custom tab.

Collaborators with Viewer Uploader, Editor, Co-owner, or Owner access can edit or disable a template.

 

How do I disable a template?

Open the template, open More Options, and choose Disable this Template. The template becomes a regular Box Note again. Deleting the template also removes it, but you would need to recreate it later.

 

 

Version history and activity reporting

How does Box Notes version history work?

While you work, Box Notes automatically create versions. The version history interface describes saves roughly every 5 minutes, or at the first update after at least 5 minutes of inactivity.

Open More Options, then Version History. The panel lists versions with date, time, and editor. You can preview a past version and choose Restore. Restoring does not discard history. The restored version becomes the current version and is added to the existing history.

 

Is Notes version history the same as the normal Box file version history?

No. They are separate. The regular Box web app version history is disabled or hidden for Box Notes. Use the Notes version history panel instead.

 

Can I see exactly who changed which text in a version?

Not at this time. Version history shows the editor associated with a version, but does not identify the exact text each person changed within that version.

 

Is version history available on mobile?

Not at this time.

 

How do Box Notes appear in Admin Console reports?

Box Notes are included in Admin Console reports:

  • Creating a note can be recorded as Created or Uploaded.
  • Viewing a note may be recorded as File Opened and may sometimes include a Download.
  • Edits and annotations are recorded as Uploaded. For concurrent editing, the person who made the most recent edit in the reporting interval is listed as the uploader.
  • Deletes are recorded as Trash.

Box can provide a more complete Notes activity log on request through a Customer Success Manager or box-notes-log-request@box.com.

 

 

Desktop sync and offline access

How do Box Notes work with Box Drive?

In Box Drive, Box Notes remain online-only. They cannot be marked available offline.

 

Can I use Box Notes without an internet connection?

No. Box Notes require network access in the web app, Box Drive, and Box mobile apps.

 

 

Mobile

Can I create and edit Box Notes on iOS and Android?

Yes. Both Box for iOS and Box for Android can create, edit, comment on, and share Box Notes. Changes save automatically. Editor or Co-owner access is required to edit. Other collaborators have view access.

 

Are tables fully editable on mobile?

No. Existing table content can be edited on iOS, but you cannot create tables or change table structure on mobile. On Android, tables are read-only.

 

Which newer Notes features are limited on mobile?

The mobile apps still use the current Notes editor for existing content, but several creation and formatting features are restricted. Mobile limitations include:

  • No contextual menus
  • No Tables of Contents
  • Call-out boxes can be viewed, edited, and deleted, but not created or recolored
  • No creating dividers, headers, new font styles, block quotes, Markdown, typography controls, or code blocks
  • Images cannot be resized

 

Can I use Box AI inside Notes on mobile?

Yes, when Box AI is available for the account. Open a note and tap the Box AI icon to ask questions, extract insights, or generate summaries.

 

 

Box AI for Notes

Is Box AI available in Box Notes?

Yes, for Business and above accounts when Box AI for Notes is enabled for the organization. You can generate drafts, refine selected text, ask questions about content, add sources, and insert responses into the note.

 

How do I start Box AI in a note?

Open a note, click the plus icon, and select Box AI, or use the keyboard shortcut Command/Ctrl + Shift + I. You can also use the Box AI sidebar for suggested prompts such as summarizing the document or identifying key takeaways.

 

What should I check if Box AI is missing from Notes?

Confirm with an administrator that the organization is provisioned for Box AI and that Box AI for Notes is enabled.

 

 

Limits, admin controls, and known issues

What content size limits does Box recommend for Notes?

Box recommends staying within approximately:

  • 200 pages of text, or about 500,000 characters
  • 100 items in a list
  • Images up to 20 MB

Exceeding these limits can cause lag, unexpected behavior, or browser tab crashes.

 

Why is the New Box Note button disabled for some users?

If an administrator enables Restrict content creation, the New Box Note control can be disabled because Notes create content in a first-level folder context for some creation paths. Confirm the Content and Sharing enterprise setting with the administrator.

 

Which browsers support Box Notes?

Box Notes are supported on current desktop browsers covered by Box's browser policy, plus iOS Safari and Chrome and Android Chrome for viewing existing notes in mobile browsers.

 

What firewall hosts should be allowlisted for Box Notes?

Allowlist the hosts listed in Box's firewall configuration article for Box applications. Incomplete allowlisting can prevent Notes from loading or saving.

 

What common editor issues should I know about?

Documented known issues include:

  • Images wider than a table cell can overflow the cell border.
  • Wide tables may hide controls until the user attempts sideways scrolling.
  • Structural formatting can be lost when pasting from Notes to Excel desktop, while Excel-to-Notes paste preserves more formatting.
  • Pre-Notes 2.0 Title and Sub-title styles are not included in updated tables of contents unless converted to heading styles.
  • Copying from third-party products can change formatting.
  • Annotations and collaboration cursors are not yet implemented for code blocks.
  • Copying images from third-party sites into a Box Note is not supported.

 

 

Troubleshooting

Why will a Box Note not load?

Check these common causes first:

  • The shared link or parent folder requires a password.
  • The folder has Hide Collaborators enabled.
  • The browser or network blocks required Box hosts.
  • The user lacks permission to the note or folder.
  • The note is being opened offline or from a Drive or Sync offline path.

 

Why can a collaborator view but not edit a note?

Confirm the person's access level. Editor or Co-owner access is required to edit. Viewer access is view-only. Anonymous shared-link users also cannot edit. Enterprise settings may also disable Can Edit shared links.

 

Why is Notes performance poor or the browser tab crashing?

Check note size against Box's recommended limits for text volume, list length, and image size. Large notes can lag or crash the browser tab. Split content, reduce image size, or remove unnecessary embedded content.

 

Why did a title fail to save?

Remove forward slashes and backslashes from the title. Box does not save titles that contain those characters.

 

 

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