How do I upload a file using the Box API using app credentials?

Question

I want the user to upload to our server and have our server then upload the file to a specific folder in Box using the API. How can I do this? What credentials should I use?

curl https://app.box.com/api/oauth2/token \
-d 'grant_type=client_credentials&client_id=CLIENT_ID&client_secret=SECRET'

returns

{"access_token":"TOKEN","expires_in":3793,"restricted_to":[],"token_type":"bearer"}

curl https://upload.box.com/api/2.0/files/content   \
-H "Authorization: Bearer TOKEN" -X POST  -F \ 
[email protected] -F folder_id=3306197480

returns

{"type":"error","status":404,"code":"not_found","context_info":{"errors":[{"reason":"invalid_parameter","name":"parent","message":"Invalid value 'd_3306197480'. 'parent' with value 'd_3306197480' not found"}]},"help_url":"http://developers.box.com/docs/#errors","message":"Not Found","request_id":"1157604954550c7c754b9c9"}

Had to get an access token and refresh token as a user with access to the folder. Then I had to store those tokens on the server and periodically refresh the access token. — Tom Wu
– Tom Wu, Commented Mar 27, 2015 at 7:57

Greg · Accepted Answer · 2015-03-26 07:43:26Z

4

It sounds like the API is returning a 404 because the user associated with the access token doesn't have permissions to see the folder you're uploading to. Your server will need to authenticate as a user that is collaborated on that folder instead of authenticating as the user uploading the file.

answered Mar 26, 2015 at 7:43

Greg

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1 Comment

some_groceries Over a year ago

oh my god yes! added the app user as a collaborator and it worked.

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