Query files/folders by metadata
Changed onFor new integrations, use the v2026.0 Query API. This is the latest version of the Query API, with advanced capabilities including multi-template queries and Query Insights, and is the API we will continue to enhance with new Query capabilities.
Create a search using SQL-like syntax to return items that match specific metadata.
By default, this endpoint returns only the most basic info about the items for which the query matches. To get additional fields for each item, including any of the metadata, use the fields attribute in the query.
Request
- Base URLhttps://api.box.com/2.0
- URLhttps://api.box.com/2.0/metadata_queries/execute_read
- AuthOAuth 2Authorization code: https://account.box.com/api/oauth2/authorizeToken URL: https://api.box.com/oauth2/token
Request body
Example request
{
"from": "enterprise_123456.someTemplate",
"query": "value >= :amount",
"query_params": {
"amount": "100"
},
"ancestor_folder_id": "0",
"order_by": [
{
"field_key": "amount",
"direction": "asc"
}
],
"limit": 50,
"marker": "AAAAAmVYB1FWec8GH6yWu2nwmanfMh07IyYInaa7DZDYjgO1H4KoLW29vPlLY173OKsci6h6xGh61gG73gnaxoS+o0BbI1/h6le6cikjlupVhASwJ2Cj0tOD9wlnrUMHHw3/ISf+uuACzrOMhN6d5fYrbidPzS6MdhJOejuYlvsg4tcBYzjauP3+VU51p77HFAIuObnJT0ff",
"fields": [
"extension",
"created_at",
"item_status",
"metadata.enterprise_1234.contracts",
"metadata.enterprise_1234.regions.location"
]
}Response
Returns a list of files and folders that match this metadata query.
Example response
{
"entries": [
{
"id": "12345",
"etag": "1",
"type": "file",
"sequence_id": "3",
"name": "Contract.pdf",
"sha1": "85136C79CBF9FE36BB9D05D0639C70C265C18D37",
"file_version": {
"id": "12345",
"type": "file_version",
"sha1": "134b65991ed521fcfe4724b7d814ab8ded5185dc"
},
"description": "Contract for Q1 renewal",
"size": 629644,
"path_collection": {
"total_count": 1,
"entries": [
{
"id": "12345",
"etag": "1",
"type": "folder",
"sequence_id": "3",
"name": "Contracts"
}
]
},
"created_at": "2012-12-12T10:53:43-08:00",
"modified_at": "2012-12-12T10:53:43-08:00",
"trashed_at": "2012-12-12T10:53:43-08:00",
"purged_at": "2012-12-12T10:53:43-08:00",
"content_created_at": "2012-12-12T10:53:43-08:00",
"content_modified_at": "2012-12-12T10:53:43-08:00",
"created_by": {
"id": "11446498",
"type": "user",
"name": "Aaron Levie",
"login": "ceo@example.com"
},
"modified_by": {
"id": "11446498",
"type": "user",
"name": "Aaron Levie",
"login": "ceo@example.com"
},
"owned_by": {
"id": "11446498",
"type": "user",
"name": "Aaron Levie",
"login": "ceo@example.com"
},
"shared_link": {
"url": "https://www.box.com/s/vspke7y05sb214wjokpk",
"download_url": "https://www.box.com/shared/static/rh935iit6ewrmw0unyul.jpeg",
"vanity_url": "https://acme.app.box.com/v/my_url/",
"vanity_name": "my_url",
"access": "open",
"effective_access": "company",
"effective_permission": "can_download",
"unshared_at": "2018-04-13T13:53:23-07:00",
"is_password_enabled": true,
"permissions": {
"can_download": true,
"can_preview": true
},
"download_count": 3,
"preview_count": 3,
"one_time_passcode": {
"mode": "allowlist",
"allowlist": [
{
"type": "email",
"value": "alice@example.com",
"created_at": "2026-05-19T12:00:00Z",
"created_by": {
"id": "11446498",
"type": "user"
}
},
{
"type": "domain",
"value": "example.com",
"created_at": "2026-05-19T12:00:00Z",
"created_by": {
"id": "11446498",
"type": "user"
}
}
]
}
},
"parent": {
"id": "12345",
"etag": "1",
"type": "folder",
"sequence_id": "3",
"name": "Contracts"
},
"item_status": "active",
"version_number": "1",
"comment_count": 10,
"permissions": {
"can_delete": true,
"can_download": true,
"can_invite_collaborator": true,
"can_rename": true,
"can_set_share_access": true,
"can_share": true,
"can_annotate": true,
"can_comment": true,
"can_preview": true,
"can_upload": true,
"can_view_annotations_all": true,
"can_view_annotations_self": true,
"can_apply_watermark": true
},
"tags": [
"approved"
],
"lock": {
"id": "11446498",
"type": "lock",
"created_by": {
"id": "11446498",
"type": "user",
"name": "Aaron Levie",
"login": "ceo@example.com"
},
"created_at": "2012-12-12T10:53:43-08:00",
"expired_at": "2012-12-12T10:53:43-08:00",
"is_download_prevented": true,
"app_type": "office_wopiplus"
},
"extension": "pdf",
"is_package": true,
"expiring_embed_link": {
"access_token": "c3FIOG9vSGV4VHo4QzAyg5T1JvNnJoZ3ExaVNyQWw6WjRsanRKZG5lQk9qUE1BVQ",
"expires_in": 3600,
"token_type": "bearer",
"restricted_to": [
{
"scope": "item_download",
"object": {
"id": "12345",
"etag": "1",
"type": "folder",
"sequence_id": "3",
"name": "Contracts"
}
}
],
"url": "https://cloud.app.box.com/preview/expiring_embed/..."
},
"watermark_info": {
"is_watermarked": true
},
"is_accessible_via_shared_link": true,
"allowed_invitee_roles": [
"editor"
],
"is_externally_owned": true,
"has_collaborations": true,
"metadata": {
"enterprise_27335": {
"marketingCollateral": {
"$canEdit": true,
"$id": "01234500-12f1-1234-aa12-b1d234cb567e",
"$parent": "folder_59449484661",
"$scope": "enterprise_27335",
"$template": "marketingCollateral",
"$type": "properties-6bcba49f-ca6d-4d2a-a758-57fe6edf44d0",
"$typeVersion": 2,
"$version": 1
}
}
},
"expires_at": "2012-12-12T10:53:43-08:00",
"representations": {
"entries": [
{
"content": {
"url_template": "https://dl.boxcloud.com/api/2.0/internal_files/123/versions/345/representations/png_paged_2048x2048/content/{+asset_path}?watermark_content=4567"
},
"info": {
"url": "https://api.box.com/2.0/internal_files/123/versions/345/representations/png_paged_2048x2048"
},
"properties": {
"dimensions": "2048x2048",
"paged": "true",
"thumb": "true"
},
"representation": "png",
"status": {
"state": "success"
}
}
]
},
"classification": {
"name": "Top Secret",
"definition": "Content that should not be shared outside the company.",
"color": "#FF0000"
},
"uploader_display_name": "Ellis Wiggins",
"disposition_at": "2012-12-12T10:53:43-08:00",
"shared_link_permission_options": [
"can_preview"
],
"is_associated_with_app_item": true,
"collections": [
{
"id": "11446498",
"type": "collection",
"name": "Favorites",
"collection_type": "favorites"
}
],
"is_download_available": true,
"download_url": "https://dl.boxcloud.com/d/1/example_token/download",
"authenticated_download_url": "https://api.box.com/2.0/files/12345/content",
"allowed_shared_link_access_levels": [
"open"
]
}
],
"limit": 100,
"next_marker": "0!-M7487OpVfBTNBV-XsQjU50gQFlbFFu5nArMWD7Ck61GH_Qo40M1S2xN5zWZPBzEjaQS1SOjJiQoo5BsXEl1bCVLRZ2pTqo4SKp9tyqzWQK2L51KR_nC1EgF5I_TJSFw7uO2Bx4HweGETOjh5_2oPSWw5iMkM-OvGApeR0lGFO48FDKoyzJyLgz5aogxoKd8VE09CesOOnTnmZvrW0puylDc-hFjY5YLmWFBKox3SOWiSDwKFkmZGNHyjEzza1nSwbZg6CYsAdGsDwGJhuCeTNsFzP5Mo5qx9wMloS0lSPuf2CcBInbIJzl2CKlXF3FvqhANttpm2nzdBTQRSoJyJnjVBpf4Q_HjV2eb4KIZBBlLy067UCVdv2AAWQFd5E2i6s1YiGRTtgMEZntOSUYD4IYLMWWm5Ra7ke_SP32SL3GSjbBQYIyCVQ.."
}Changes
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