Need some help understanding app users/service accounts in Box

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  • Official comment
    Kourtney

    Yes, it sounds like your understanding of your options is correct:

    • obtain access token for a user that already has access 
    • collaborate the service account onto just the content it needs access to 
    • use the token of the service account and use the as-user header to act as a user that already has access 

    For security purposes, I would recommend going with the second option there and collaborating your service account in on just the content it needs to access. 

    You can get the identity of this user a few different ways: 

    • Use the default access token of the JWT app call the get current user endpoint, which will return an email that looks like AutomationUser_xxxx_@boxdevedition.com, which you will need to collaborate on the content
    • Via the content manager in the admin console search the name of your app and right click on it. Select login as user and when you're in that account go to the top right hand corner and click the circle to get to account settings and you'll see the AutomationUser_xxxx_@boxdevedition.com email address listed under the account tab. That's the email address you need to add as the collaborator. 

    Hope that helps! 

    Best,

    Kourtney, Box Developer Advocate

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  • Randy Hardin

    Wow- thanks! That took me exactly where I needed to go. Everything kind of fell together once I could get to that service account ID. I now have it working as a limited app, with permissions only to the folders and files that it needs to collaborate with. Thanks for getting me over that hump- I'd never have gotten there without your guidance.

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  • Kourtney

    Randy, 

    Thank you for the update - that makes me very happy to hear! Congrats on getting everything up and running :) I will say that the team is working on improving our documentation and we have some upcoming product changes to hopefully help ease the difficulties you encountered. 

    Best,

    Kourtney, Box Developer Advocate

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  • JonathanEdward

    @Kourtney.

    I have issue with uploading file via .NET SDK same as below discussion

    https://support.box.com/hc/en-us/community/posts/360049135234-How-can-I-utilize-Box-Accelerator-using-Box-API-or-Java-SDK-

    How can I reach to Supporter for the support/clarification? 

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  • jnickell

    Kourtney,

      The information you provided about obtaining the email address was very helpful. I tried using the "Content manager" approach. In my case I had to switch to the account that is "Owner" of our Box tenant. When trying to do this as a co-owner the "sign in as account" just signed me into my own account. I'm posting this as much for my own reference next time I need to find the email of an app user so we can invite them as a collaborator.

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