Box Integration with Simpplr

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Table of Contents

Overview

Enable Simpplr for Box

Establish your org domain(s) for the integration

Enable Box at the app level

Updates to your service account

Enable Box as the Site owner

Link Box folders to site

Enable Box as an individual user

Using Box files and folders

Overview

Simpplr's Box integration allows your organization to connect its Box files and folders directly to Simpplr. With this integration, you can attach files from Box to content and feed posts. You can also search for files, upload new files to Simpplr and Box, share and allow users to like, favorite and share on their own Simpplr profiles.  

Note:

When enabled, users’ access to linked Box files will be determined by their Box permissions. Box folders added to sites may not be accessible to all site members by default, and users who have access with Simpplr permissions may need to request access through Box.

Enable Simpplr for Box

To ensure Simpplr is available for Box, log in to Box as your org's admin, go to Box Admin > Apps and do the following:

1. Scroll down to Individual Application Controls and uncheck the Featured Apps filter.
   
2. Search for Simpplr for Box. Select Configure.
   

If Simpplr for Box is set to Disabled, set to Available.

 

Establish your org domain(s) for the integration

Before the integration can be established, Simpplr must first establish a domain connection. This will determine which domain(s) can be used for the integration; for example, company.com can be added as a domain, but if you have employees under othercompany.com, you can also add that domain so that the integration will work for all users. 

The Simpplr App manager user must be the user to complete these steps. To get started:

1. From your user profile in Simpplr, go to Manage > Application > Integrations.
2. From the Domains tab, find Box and select Add domain name.
3. Enter your company domain name and click Add. If you have multiple domains, repeat these steps. 
4. Now when your users connect at the user profile level, their domain will be supported if separate from the primary company domain.

Note:

Only one drive can be connected to a Simpplr site at a time. More on this below.

 

Enable Box at the app level

To link Box folders to a Simpplr site, Box must be integrated with Simpplr. To integrate Box, follow the steps below: 

1. As an App manager, in Simpplr, go to Manage > Application > Integrations > File management.
   
2. Check Box. Then scroll down and click Save.
3. App managers will also need to connect their Simpplr user profile to Box. They must be the first user to connect their profile, or the integration will not work for anyone. More below. 

A Box root folder will be created once the Simpplr App manager connects their individual account.

If this user disconnects the integration at the app level, the Box root folder will no longer be displayed.

When Box has been enabled on your app, all user permissions will be respected in Simpplr from Box. If users do not have access to folders/files in Box, they will not have access in Simpplr unless given by the Box admin user.

Enable Box as the Site owner

To link Box folders to a site where Box has been integrated, you must select Box as the site’s file storage. To do so, follow the steps below:

Note:

Only a Site owner can adjust file storage for a site. If you can’t see the below options, you may not be the Site owner.

1. From your site, go to Manage site > Setup and scroll down to External files.
2. In the dropdown, select Box files. You can only select one storage option per Site.
   

Link Box folders to site

Once Box has been selected as file storage for a site, a folder named 'Box files' will be automatically created in the Files tab of the site. To add more folders to your site, follow the steps below: 

Note:

All Site owners and managers can link folders to a site, as long as they’re connected to Box and the site is connected to Box.

1. In your Simpplr site, go to Files.
   
2. Click on the Box files folder.
   
3. Click Link Box Folder. If you can’t see this option, you may need to create a new Box folder first.

   
   

   
   

   Note:

   You can also choose New Box Folder. Doing so will create a new folder directly in Box. If you create a new folder inside another folder, the permissions will be inherited from the parent folder.
4. Select the folder you wish to link to the Simpplr site.
5. The folder is now linked to the Simpplr site. You can view the folder in Manage site > Files.

You can also unlink folders. Any folders unlinked are removed from the site root folder. The permissions for the folder are removed from the site group.

Enable Box as an individual user

To access Box files, a user must connect their user profile to the integration, including the App manager who enabled it at the app level. To enable Box at the user level:

1. From your user menu, go to Profile & settings > Edit profile & settings > External apps.
2. Next to Box, click Connect account.
3. You’ll see the option to log in to Box. Enter your credentials.
   
   
4. After signing in, click Grant access to Box.
   
5. Click Save. Box is now connected to your Simpplr profile.

Note:

If you haven't accessed any Box files from within Simpplr. after 60 days of inactivity, you'll need to reconnect your account and reauthorize the connection.

Using Box files and folders

View files

To view the files linked to your Simpplr site, go to Files.

In Files, you’ll see your site’s folders. Click a folder to view its files. The Box folders you've linked will also be listed here.

How are file search results ranked?

Box search results are served by Box only. Simpplr only passes the request to Box search APIs and serves the response in our UI, but we do not make any changes to it.

Add files to content

You can use the File Manager to add Box files to your content. Files will be returned from linked folders.

• Box files can be added to content if the site is connected to Box and the user is connected to Box
• Sites which have linked Box folders will be shown in the File Manager listing.

Add files to feed posts

Via File Manager, any Box files accessible to the user can be added to feed posts from within the linked folder. When attaching a Box file in feed (including home feed), the search results will be returned from the linked folders only on the basis of Access Management configuration, and will include all Box files that are linked in Simpplr. 

Remove files

You can remove attached files by going to the Content details screen and clicking the X next to the file. 

Upload files

Under the site search bar, you’ll see the option to drop in files or Select from your computer. Here, you can drop files you’d like to upload to the site.

If you click Select from your computer, you’ll be prompted to search your computer for the file you want, and click Open to upload.

File options

Under Options, each file has a dropdown. Here you can interact with the file in several different ways, like downloading the file, sharing it, or (if applicable) viewing the file in its linked storage account.

Note:

If you click Add new version, it’s strongly recommended that you keep the same file type for the new version of the file. Changing the file type in a new version may alter the look and formatting of the file.

You can also move files between linked folders.

File details screen

Clicking on a file in a post or in the Files tab of your site will bring you to the File Details screen.

This screen gives you many of the same options as the Options dropdown in the Files tab. You can:

• Like the file
• Favorite it
• Share it
• You can share files with public and private sites. If you share a file to a private site, it will only be shared to the feed of that private site. If you share it with a public site, you’ll have three sharing options:

• Followers
• A user
• Another site
• (if applicable) view the file in its linked storage account
• Version history
• Add new version
• Download it

Note:

The share option in the file options menu and file details page will be hidden if feed mode is not set to Timeline, comments on content and feed posts. Also, if you are no longer allowed access to a file in Box, you’ll get a 404 when clicking on a file and routing to File Details.

Search for files

You can search for files using the search bar in the top left. Search results will include files contained in pages, files uploaded to a Simpplr site, and files linked to a Simpplr site from file storage. 

Files in your feed

You can open and download files directly from pages in your feed, if the page has a file attached. If Box is integrated on the app level, you’ll need to make sure that it's connected to your account before you can access the file. 

You’ll get results from all sites you have access to, and can upload those files. 

You can attach files from any file storage account integrated with your org. 

Adding files to content

You can add files to pages, events, albums and blogs. 

When searching for files or attachments to add, your search results will include content you have access to.