Using Box for Microsoft Teams

With the Box for Microsoft Teams integration, you can share and access content stored in Box directly within Teams – without flipping back and forth between programs.

Content doesn’t have to originate in Box to be shared with this integration. For example, files on your local machine are automatically uploaded into a secure Box folder when you share them in Teams. They are not sent to native content stores such as OneDrive and SharePoint.

With the Box for Microsoft Teams integration you can:

• Share from Box: Seamlessly share Box content to Channels and Chats or upload local files to a Channel and its associated Box folder.
• Allow or deny file permissions to Channel and Chat members who don’t have prior permission to access the content you share.
• Access Box files, folders, and Box Notes within Teams from a Box Files tab. Without toggling away from your Teams session, you can preview, download, and search Box files, folders, and Box Notes.
• Preview Content: View content cards for shared Box files that expand to full previews of content. You can use it to preview more than 140 different types of files directly from Teams.
• Access core content capabilities such as opening files in the editor of your choice and creating new files and folders from Teams. 

Sharing Box Content in Teams

You can share Box content in Teams in three different ways:

• Upload content from your local machine – When you upload a local file, Box stores the newly-uploaded file in a Teams folder dedicated to that channel.
• Share files from Box – Box generates a bookmark link in the channel folder for all channel members to access the file.
• Paste shared links from Box – Box generates a bookmark link in the channel folder for all channel members to access the file.

Uploading a local file in a Channel or Chat

The Box for Teams integration enables you to:

• Upload a file to Box.
• Upload files to Box by dragging-and-dropping them into Teams messages.  When you drag-and-drop up to ten files into a message in a Teams public chat or public channel and then post the message, Box automatically uploads the files to a Box folder dedicated to that channel or chat.
• Edit the file with Microsoft Online without leaving the Teams interface.
• Preview to view the file without leaving the Teams interface.
• Access other available actions such as copying a content card, and opening the file in a browser to view the file in the Box web app.

Uploading a File

To upload a file in a Channel or Chat:

1. Open Teams and go to a specific Channel or Chat.
2. Click the Box icon in the chat interface.
3. If the Box icon is not visible in your chat window, you need to open it from the context menu. See Message extensions for more information.
4. Specify whether to upload or share a file.
5. Select the file and send your message.

Dragging-and-Dropping to Upload a File

The Box for Teams integration enables you to add up to ten files at a time to Box by dragging-and-dropping them into a message in a public channel or public chat in Teams.

To drag-and-drop files into a message in Teams:

1. Hover on the file.
2. Click the left mouse button and hold.
3. Drag the file into the Team window and hover in the message's text input field.
4. Release the mouse button.  Box displays the upload window, showing files being uploaded.
5. Wait until the upload is complete and the upload window closes.
6. Teams displays the file content card in the message.
7. Click Post.  Teams sends the message and attached file, and Box adds the file into the Box folder that you've previously designated for the Teams channel or chat.

Sharing a Box file in a Teams Channel or Chat

The Box for Teams integration enables you to:

• Share a file from Box.
• Choose access permissions for the shared file.
• Edit the file with Microsoft Online without leaving the Teams interface.
• Preview the file without leaving the Teams interface.
• Access other available actions such as copying a content card, and opening the file in a browser to view the file in the Box web app.

Sharing a Box file in a Teams Channel or Chat

To share a file from Box:

1. Open Teams and go to a specific Channel or Chat.
2. Click the Box icon in the chat interface.
3. If the Box icon is not visible in your chat window, you need to open it from the context menu. See Message extensions for more information.
4. Specify whether to upload or share a file.
5. Navigate to the file you want to send.
6. Select the file and choose the permission level from the drop down menu.
7. Confirm the changes to permissions.
8. A content card of the file appears before you send the message. If there are any Channel or Chat members who do not already have access to the file you're sharing, an instant permissions card appears with the option to grant additional permissions to these users. This view is only visible to the sender.
9. You need to send the message before you can grant permissions. If you try to grant permissions before sending the message, an error message Return to the main window to perform this action appears.
10. Once you grant the access, the card refreshes to show the content card with file details. 

Posting a link from Box in a Teams Channel or Chat

The Box for Teams integration enables you to:

• Share a link to a file in Box.
• If necessary, grant access permissions to all Channel or Chat members who receive your message, without leaving the Teams interface.

To Post a shared link from Box in a Teams Channel or Chat:

1. From you Box account, select the file you want to share and create a shared link.
2. Go to Teams and paste the shared link into the conversation window.
3. A content card of the file appears below the shared link before you send the message. If any Channel or Chat members do not have access to the file you're sharing, including users who are invited through group collaboration, an instant permissions card appears with the option to grant additional permissions to these users. This view is visible only to the sender.
4. You need to send the message before you can grant permissions. If you try to grant permissions before sending the message, an error message Return to the main window to perform this action appears.
5. Once you grant the access, the card refreshes to show the content card with file details. 

For more information, see Configuring Individual Shared Link Settings.

Difference between Channels and Chats

• When sharing a file in a chat message, Box indicates the specific number of chat members who lack access (it does not indicate this in a channel message). By granting members access to the file, you are making them collaborators (as compared to channel members, to whom you’re simply granting file access).
  • In addition, if other users in the chat already have access to the file through a user group, but are not direct collaborators on the file, Teams displays the permissions   card.
• For channels, you can also choose which access level you want to grant to the file. Available options are Edit, View and download, and View only.
• As people are added/removed from a channel, Box adds/removes them from the corresponding Box folder.

Editing Box Files and Box Notes in Microsoft Teams

There are two ways you can edit your Microsoft files and Box Notes from  Box for Microsoft Teams:

• by clicking on the file or Box Note and opening it on Box for editing, or
• by editing the file or Box Note directly in Microsoft Teams.

Editing a File in a Box Browser

To edit your file in the browser, just click on it. The file opens in a separate Box browser window. There you can edit it like other Office files stored on Box, by selecting your preferred editor. This editing method applies to all files accessed through Box Files tab or Box Personal App.

Editing a Box File or Box Note in Teams

In addition to clicking the file and being redirected to Box for editing, you can now edit your Microsoft files and Box Notes within MS Teams.

To edit your file or Box Note directly in Teams:

1. Find the Microsoft file or Box Note that has been shared in a chat or channel.
2. Click the ellipsis “...” and select Edit, or click Edit on the content card next to Preview.
3. The Office Online or Box Notes editor appears within Microsoft Teams.

You can now edit the file like other Office online files without leaving Teams. All the changes are automatically saved to Box, and you can work with other people on the same file at the same time.

If you are not logged in to Box, after clicking the Edit button you will be redirected to the login page.

Using the Box Files Tab

For each Team for which you’ve installed  Box for Microsoft Teams, each channel auto-generates a Box Files tab.  

This tab displays the default folder Box uses to capture and store content shared in this specific channel. To access this folder in Box, open the Box Web app and navigate to Microsoft Teams Folder > [[Team Name]] > [[Channel Name]].

In this folder you can view full previews and access editing capabilities of content previously shared directly within Teams. Additionally, you can modify content, change permissions, and manage users from the Box Web app, and these changes are reflected in Teams.

Chats

You can also access the Box Files tab for one-on-one or group chats. This tab displays the single default folder for chats, titled Microsoft Teams Chat Files, which stores uploaded content across all Teams Chats.

Seamless Login

Box provides seamless login for Box account holders in the Teams integration. After a Box account holder logs into the Box Teams integration for the first time, Box streamlines token validation in the integration and reduces the account holder's subsequent number of logins to the integration.

If you're a Box admin, to enable seamless login for all your account holders, be sure to specify a custom subdomain for your Box tenant.

Receiving your Box notifications in Microsoft Teams

If your enterprise's admin has enabled the Box for Teams integration and you have signed into the integration, Box automatically sends basic notifications to you on Teams, for example:

• you are set as a collaborator on a file,
• user comments on a file.

If you prefer not to receive your Box notifications on Teams, you can disable this option: 

1. Open your Box web account.
2. Click your Box account icon. Box displays the Account Settings window.
3. Click Notifications.
4. In the App Notifications section, uncheck Receive Box notifications in Teams.

You can turn on Box notifications in the Account Settings later on - navigate to Notifications -> App Notifications and check Receive Box notifications in Teams.
Box does not enable you to select which types of notifications to receive.

Related Links

Introducing Box for Microsoft Teams

Logging in to Box for Teams for the First Time

Assigning a Default Box Folder to a Teams Channel

Deploying Box for Teams in your Enterprise

Understanding how Content and Thumbnail Permissions Control Display

Box for Teams FAQ