# Box Data Extract

Box is a cloud content management platform used by teams to store, share, and collaborate on documents. The Box Data Extract source in Coupler.io lets you pull text content and AI-generated insights directly from files stored in your Box folders.

With this source, you can go beyond just syncing files — you can extract structured data and ask questions about document content using Box AI.

**Why connect Box Data Extract to Coupler.io?**

* Extract raw text from Box documents and load it into spreadsheets, databases, or AI tools
* Use Box AI to pull structured metadata from documents without manual review
* Ask natural-language questions about your Box files and get answers as structured data
* Route document content to destinations like Google Sheets, BigQuery, or AI tools such as ChatGPT, Claude, or Gemini

## Prerequisites

Before you start, make sure you have:

* A Box account with access to the folder you want to extract data from
* A Box Developer App with a **Client Credentials Grant** or **JWT** authentication configured
* Your Box API credentials: **Client ID**, **Client Secret**, and **Enterprise ID** (or **User ID**)
* The **Folder ID** of the Box folder you want to process (visible in the URL when you open the folder in Box)

{% hint style="success" %}
If you're not sure which entity to start with, try **Stream text representation folders** first — it gives you the raw text content of your documents and works without any AI prompt configuration.
{% endhint %}

## Quick start

{% stepper %}
{% step %}
**Create a new data flow in Coupler.io** and select **Box Data Extract** as the source.
{% endstep %}

{% step %}
**Enter your Box API credentials.** You'll need your Client ID, Client Secret, and either your Enterprise ID or User ID. These come from your Box Developer App settings at developer.box.com.
{% endstep %}

{% step %}
**Set your Folder ID.** Paste the ID of the Box folder containing the files you want to process. You can find this in the URL when you open the folder in Box — it's the number after `/folder/`.
{% endstep %}

{% step %}
**Choose an entity.** Select from Stream text representation folders, Stream AI ask folders, Stream AI extract folders, or Stream AI extract structured folders depending on what kind of data you need.
{% endstep %}

{% step %}
**Configure entity-specific settings.** If you selected an AI entity, enter the relevant prompt in the Ask AI Prompt or Extract AI Prompt field. Enable **Recursive** if you want to include subfolders.
{% endstep %}

{% step %}
**Choose your destination.** Send your data to Google Sheets, Excel, BigQuery, Looker Studio, or an AI tool like ChatGPT, Claude, Cursor, Gemini, Perplexity, or OpenClaw.
{% endstep %}

{% step %}
**Run your data flow manually** to confirm everything is working before setting up a schedule.
{% endstep %}
{% endstepper %}

## Available entities

| Entity                               | Description                                                           |
| ------------------------------------ | --------------------------------------------------------------------- |
| Stream text representation folders   | Raw text content extracted from documents in the specified Box folder |
| Stream AI ask folders                | AI-generated answers to a custom question asked about each document   |
| Stream AI extract folders            | Metadata extracted from documents using a free-form Box AI prompt     |
| Stream AI extract structured folders | Structured data extracted using a predefined field schema via Box AI  |


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# Agent Instructions: Querying This Documentation

If you need additional information that is not directly available in this page, you can query the documentation dynamically by asking a question.

Perform an HTTP GET request on the current page URL with the `ask` query parameter:

```
GET https://docs.coupler.io/sources/category/files-and-tables/box-data-extract.md?ask=<question>
```

The question should be specific, self-contained, and written in natural language.
The response will contain a direct answer to the question and relevant excerpts and sources from the documentation.

Use this mechanism when the answer is not explicitly present in the current page, you need clarification or additional context, or you want to retrieve related documentation sections.