Using Box Features to Organize, Access, and Work with Files

Box Box-Drive Fileshare

Choose Where to Store Box Files

Use the table below to determine where Box content should be stored.

Storage Location	Use This For	Access and Sharing Notes
Departments	Official department folders.	Used for department-owned content.
Ad Hoc	Departmental data folders that are not Level 1 data.	These folders should be managed through group membership when possible.
Level 1 Data	Files that contain Level 1 data.	Access is managed by groups. Users cannot share data from these folders.
Level 1 Data - Externally Shared	Level 1 data that must be shared with external email addresses.	Chico State access is managed by groups. External users must be added individually.
Level 2 Data	Files that contain Level 2 data.	Access is managed by groups. Groups may be managed by a designated individual.
Level 2 Data - Externally Shared	Level 2 data that must be shared with external email addresses.	Chico State access is managed by groups. External users must be added individually.

Organize and Describe Box Content

Box includes several features that can help you organize files, add context for collaborators, and group related content without moving files from their original folders.

Add Folder Descriptions

Folder descriptions help collaborators understand what belongs in a folder, how files should be named, or how the folder should be used.

Note: Folder descriptions are only visible in Box on the web. They do not appear in Box Drive, Box Edit, or Box for Office.

To create or edit a folder description:

Open Box in a web browser.
Find the folder you want to describe.
Select the folder.
Select Details in the right panel.
Enter or edit the folder description.

Users with Editor permissions can create, edit, or delete folder descriptions.

Use Tags to Group Related Files

Tags help mark, sort, and search for related files across Box. Tags are useful when files are stored in different folders but belong to the same project, topic, or workflow.

Box tags are already enabled for Chico State Box accounts. For detailed instructions, see Box Support’s Using Tags documentation.

Use Collections to Group Content Privately

Collections let you create private groupings of files and folders in your Box account. The files and folders may be shared with others, but the collection itself is private and visible only to you.

Use Collections when you want a personal group of related Box content without moving the original files or folders.

For detailed instructions, see Box Support’s Using Collections documentation.

Quickly Access Files and Folders

Use Favorites, Box bookmarks, or browser bookmarks to quickly return to files and folders you use often.

Use Favorites for Frequently Used Content

Favorites are useful for files and folders you open often.

To add a file or folder to Favorites:

In Box, locate the file or folder.
Select More Options.
Select Collections.
Select Favorites.

To view your Favorites, select My Collections from the left side of Box, then select Favorites.

Create a Box Bookmark

Box bookmarks let you place a link to a file or folder inside another Box folder. This is helpful when content belongs in one location but needs to be easy to find from another location.

To create a Box bookmark:

Go to the file or folder you want to bookmark.
Select Share.
Copy the shared link.
Go to the folder where you want the bookmark to appear.
Select New.
Select Bookmark.
Paste the URL.
Enter a bookmark name.
Select Create.

Create a Browser Bookmark

Each Box file and folder has a unique URL that can be bookmarked in your web browser. Browser bookmarks are useful for personal shortcuts to Box content.

Because each browser handles bookmarks differently, use your browser’s bookmark option after opening the Box file or folder.

Work with Files in Box

Box includes tools for previewing, annotating, and opening files. Some file types may need to be downloaded before they work correctly in desktop applications.

Annotate Files in Box Preview

Box Annotations let you mark up many file types directly in Box Preview without opening another application. You can highlight part of a file and add a comment or question.

Comments are recorded in the File Activity pane with the commenter’s name, comment time, and page number.

Note: Annotations are not currently available for Excel files.

For detailed instructions, see Box Support’s Annotating Documents documentation.

Open PDFs from Box

If a PDF does not open correctly from Box, download the file before opening it in Adobe Acrobat.

To open a PDF from a shared Box link:

Open the shared Box link.
Select Download.
Open the downloaded PDF in Adobe Acrobat.
If prompted, select Enable All Features.

If Adobe Acrobat shows a loading icon or stops responding:

Close Adobe Acrobat.
If prompted, select Close the program.
Open the folder where the PDF was downloaded.
Double-click the PDF to open it again.

Use Box Drive on Your Computer

Box Drive lets you access files stored in Box from your computer. Files appear in File Explorer, but they are streamed from Box and are not stored permanently on your computer unless made available offline.

Understand Box Drive Icons

Icon	Meaning
Blue cloud	The item is up to date in Box.
Orange cycle	The item is being saved to Box.
Red exclamation mark	The item has a problem.
Red padlock	The item is locked.

If Box Drive icons do not appear, exit and reopen the Box Drive app. If the issue continues, contact IT Support Services.

Search in Box Drive

Box Drive search in File Explorer has limited functionality. For best results, search from Box on the web or use the Box Drive app.

To search from the Box Drive app:

Open the Box icon from the Windows hidden icons tray.
Enter your search terms in the Box Drive search window.

Create Desktop Shortcuts with Box Drive

You can create shortcuts to Box Drive files and folders from File Explorer. Changes made through a shortcut still update the original content in Box.

To create a desktop shortcut:

Open Box Drive in File Explorer.
Find the file or folder.
Right-click the item.
Select Send to.
Select Desktop (create shortcut).

Share Files from Box on the Web

Box Drive does not include full sharing and collaboration tools. To share files, manage collaborators, or create shared links, use Box on the web.

Scan Documents to Box

There are several ways to scan documents into Box. Choose the option that best matches your workflow and data security needs.

Scan Method	Best For	Important Notes
Email scans to a Box folder	Simple scanning workflows where the content is not Level 1 data.	This method is not appropriate for Level 1 data.
Scan to a workstation folder that syncs with Box Drive	Workflows where a configured workstation is available.	The workstation must be turned on and properly configured.
Scan to Box from a supported MFP application	Secure direct scanning from supported multi-function printers.	This option may require setup or service through the printer vendor.

Email Scans to a Box Folder

If you have the correct folder permissions, you can allow uploads to a Box folder by email.

Open the folder in Box.
Open the folder settings.
Enable Allow uploads to this folder via email.
Copy the folder email address.
Use the multi-function printer’s scan-to-email feature to send documents to that address.

Note: Do not use this method for Level 1 data.

Scan to a Workstation Folder that Syncs with Box Drive

Some multi-function printers can scan to a folder on a workstation. If that folder is inside Box Drive, scanned files will upload to Box after they are saved to the workstation.

This option requires the workstation to be turned on and may require printer configuration, workstation sharing settings, and stored credentials on the printer.

Scan to Box from a Supported Multi-Function Printer

Some supported multi-function printers include a direct Scan to Box option. This option may require setup or service through the printer vendor.

To connect your Box account:

Log in to the printer with your PIN.
Select Secure Print Scan.
Select Scan.
Select Scan to Box.
Follow the prompts to authorize your Box account.
Open the authorization email from uniFLOW.
Sign in with your Chico State Box account.
Grant access to Box.

To scan after setup:

Log in to the printer with your PIN.
Select Secure Print Scan.
Select Scan.
Select Scan to Box.
Choose your scan settings.
Select Start.
Select the destination Box folder.
Enter or confirm the file name.
Send the scan to Box.
Log out of the printer.

Learn More About Box

Additional Box training is available through Chico State Media, Box University, and CSU Learn.

Watch Chico State Box Video Tutorials

Chico State Media includes Box video tutorials for navigation, searching, uploading content, Box Notes, sharing, notification settings, activity logs, bookmarks, tags, and Box Drive.

Visit the Box Video Tutorials channel in Chico State Media. Sign in with your Chico State credentials when prompted.

Use Box University

Box University provides self-paced Box training. Sign in with your Chico State Box account and use Single Sign-On when prompted.

Go to Box University.
Select Login with Box.
Select Use Single Sign On (SSO).
Enter your Chico State email address.
Select Authorize.
Sign in with your Chico State credentials.
Select Browse for Training.

Find Box Training in CSU Learn

CSU Learn includes live and online training options.

Sign in to CSU Learn.
Select Training Schedule.
Search for box.
Review available live and online training options.

Still need help? Contact IT Support Services for further assistance.

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