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Connecting Box

This guide walks you through connecting a Box storage destination to Pluton.

Prerequisites​

Before connecting Box, you need:

  1. A Box account (Personal, Business, or Enterprise) - Sign up here
  2. A Box Developer App with OAuth 2.0 credentials
  3. Client ID and Client Secret from the Box Developer Console

Getting Your Credentials​

Step 1: Create a Box Developer App​

  1. Go to the Box Developer Console
  2. Click Create New App
  3. Select Custom App
  4. Choose User Authentication (OAuth 2.0) as the authentication method
  5. Give your app a name (e.g., "Pluton Backups") and click Create App

Step 2: Configure Your App​

  1. In the app configuration page, go to the Configuration tab
  2. Under OAuth 2.0 Credentials, copy the Client ID and Client Secret
  3. Under OAuth 2.0 Redirect URI, add http://127.0.0.1:53682/ as a redirect URI (required for the rclone authorize flow)
  4. Under Application Scopes, ensure Read and write all files and folders is enabled
  5. Click Save Changes

Step 3: Generate an OAuth Token​

Since Pluton runs on a server that may not have a web browser, you need to generate an OAuth token using rclone authorize:

  1. Install rclone on a machine with a web browser
  2. Run the following command: 
    rclone authorize "box" "your_client_id" "your_client_secret"
  3. A browser window will open — log in with your Box account and grant access
  4. Copy the JSON token blob printed to the terminal

Connecting to Pluton​

Pluton Box

Step 1: Add Storage​

  1. In Pluton, navigate to Storages
  2. Click Add Storage button
  3. Select Box from the provider list

Step 2: Configure Connection​

Fill in the required fields:

  • Storage Name: A friendly name (e.g., "Box Backups")
  • Client ID: Your Box OAuth Client ID
  • Client Secret: Your Box OAuth Client Secret
  • OAuth Access Token: Paste the JSON token blob obtained from rclone authorize

Step 3: Advanced Options (Optional)​

Additional settings available:

  • Root Folder ID: Set a non-root folder as the starting point. Use 0 for the root folder (default). You can find a folder's ID in the URL when viewing it on box.com
  • Config File: Path to a Box App config.json file for JWT (Service Account) authentication as an alternative to OAuth
  • Client Credentials: Enable to use the OAuth2 Client Credentials flow instead of interactive login. Useful for server-to-server authentication
  • Upload Cutoff: Cutoff for switching to multipart upload (default: 50 MiB, minimum 50 MiB)
  • Commit Retries: Maximum number of times to try committing a multipart file (default: 100)
  • List Chunk: Size of listing chunk, from 1 to 1000 (default: 1000)
  • Owned By: Only show items owned by a specific user (enter their email address)
  • Impersonate User: When using a service account, impersonate this user ID to act on behalf of another user

Step 4: Test and Save​

  1. Click Test Connection to verify credentials
  2. If successful, click Save
  3. Your Box storage is now ready for backup plans

Common Issues​

Token Expired: Box OAuth tokens expire periodically. Re-run rclone authorize "box" with your Client ID and Client Secret to generate a fresh token, then update it in Pluton.

App Not Authorized: For Box Business/Enterprise accounts, an admin may need to authorize your app in the Admin Console → Apps → Custom Apps before it can be used.

Redirect URI Mismatch: Ensure http://127.0.0.1:53682/ is listed as a redirect URI in your Box app configuration. This is required for the rclone authorize flow.

File Size Limits: Box has file size limits based on your plan (free: 250 MB, Business: 5 GB, Enterprise: 15 GB per file). Ensure your backup files do not exceed the limit.

Rate Limiting: Box enforces API rate limits. If you encounter "Too Many Requests" errors, the operation will automatically retry. For very large transfers, consider running backups during off-peak hours.

Best Practices​

  • Create a dedicated Box Developer App specifically for Pluton to keep credentials isolated
  • Use a Root Folder ID to restrict backups to a specific folder rather than the entire Box account
  • For Box Business/Enterprise, use Service Account (JWT) authentication for unattended server operations
  • Monitor storage usage in the Box Admin Console to ensure you have sufficient space
  • Box maintains file version history — check your plan's version retention settings
  • Keep your OAuth token updated by refreshing it whenever you notice connection issues