Box Developer Documentation

Change Folder Owner

Change Folder Owner

To change the owner of a folder, first invite the user you wish to transfer the folder to as a collaborator on the folder.

cURL
curl -i -X POST "https://api.box.com/2.0/collaborations" \
     -H "authorization: Bearer <ACCESS_TOKEN>" \
     -H "content-type: application/json" \
     -d '{
       "item": {
         "type": "file",
         "id": "11446498"
       },
       "accessible_by": {
         "type": "user",
         "login": "user@example.com"
       },
       "role": "editor"
     }'
TypeScript Gen
await client.userCollaborations.createCollaboration({
  item: {
    type: 'file' as CreateCollaborationRequestBodyItemTypeField,
    id: file.id,
  } satisfies CreateCollaborationRequestBodyItemField,
  accessibleBy: {
    type: 'user' as CreateCollaborationRequestBodyAccessibleByTypeField,
    id: getEnvVar('USER_ID'),
  } satisfies CreateCollaborationRequestBodyAccessibleByField,
  role: 'editor' as CreateCollaborationRequestBodyRoleField,
} satisfies CreateCollaborationRequestBody);
Python Gen
client.user_collaborations.create_collaboration(
    CreateCollaborationItem(type=CreateCollaborationItemTypeField.FILE, id=file.id),
    CreateCollaborationAccessibleBy(
        type=CreateCollaborationAccessibleByTypeField.USER, id=get_env_var("USER_ID")
    ),
    CreateCollaborationRole.EDITOR,
)
.NET Gen
await client.UserCollaborations.CreateCollaborationAsync(requestBody: new CreateCollaborationRequestBody(item: new CreateCollaborationRequestBodyItemField() { Type = CreateCollaborationRequestBodyItemTypeField.File, Id = file.Id }, accessibleBy: new CreateCollaborationRequestBodyAccessibleByField(type: CreateCollaborationRequestBodyAccessibleByTypeField.User) { Id = Utils.GetEnvVar(name: "USER_ID") }, role: CreateCollaborationRequestBodyRoleField.Editor));
Swift Gen (Beta)
try await client.userCollaborations.createCollaboration(requestBody: CreateCollaborationRequestBody(item: CreateCollaborationRequestBodyItemField(type: CreateCollaborationRequestBodyItemTypeField.file, id: file.id), accessibleBy: CreateCollaborationRequestBodyAccessibleByField(type: CreateCollaborationRequestBodyAccessibleByTypeField.user, id: Utils.getEnvironmentVariable(name: "USER_ID")), role: CreateCollaborationRequestBodyRoleField.editor))
Java
BoxCollaborator user = new BoxUser(api, "user-id")
BoxFolder folder = new BoxFolder(api, "folder-id");
folder.collaborate(user, BoxCollaboration.Role.EDITOR);
Python
from boxsdk.object.collaboration import CollaborationRole

user = client.user(user_id='11111')
collaboration = client.folder(folder_id='22222').collaborate(user, CollaborationRole.VIEWER)

collaborator = collaboration.accessible_by
item = collaboration.item
has_accepted = 'has' if collaboration.status == 'accepted' else 'has not'
print(f'{collaborator.name} {has_accepted} accepted the collaboration to folder "{item.name}"')
.NET
// collaborate folder 11111 with user 22222
BoxCollaborationRequest requestParams = new BoxCollaborationRequest()
{
    Item = new BoxRequestEntity()
    {
        Type = BoxType.folder,
        Id = "11111"
    },
    Role = "editor",
    AccessibleBy = new BoxCollaborationUserRequest()
    {
        Type = BoxType.user,
        Id = "22222"
    }
};
BoxCollaboration collab = await client.CollaborationsManager.AddCollaborationAsync(requestParams);
Node
// Invite user 123456 to collaborate on folder 987654
client.collaborations.createWithUserID('123456', '987654', client.collaborationRoles.EDITOR)
	.then(collaboration => {
		/* collaboration -> {
			type: 'collaboration',
			id: '11111',
			created_by: 
			{ type: 'user',
				id: '22222',
				name: 'Inviting User',
				login: 'inviter@example.com' },
			created_at: '2016-11-16T21:33:31-08:00',
			modified_at: '2016-11-16T21:33:31-08:00',
			expires_at: null,
			status: 'accepted',
			accessible_by: 
			{ type: 'user',
				id: '123456',
				name: 'Collaborator User',
				login: 'collaborator@example.com' },
			role: 'editor',
			acknowledged_at: '2016-11-16T21:33:31-08:00',
			item: 
			{ type: 'folder',
				id: '987654',
				sequence_id: '0',
				etag: '0',
				name: 'Collaborated Folder' } }
		*/
	});
iOS
client.collaborations.create(
    itemType: "folder",
    itemId: "22222",
    role: .editor,
    accessibleBy: "33333",
    accessibleByType: .user
) { (result: Result<Collaboration, BoxSDKError>) in
    guard case let .success(collaboration) = result else {
        print("Error creating collaboration")
        return
    }

    print("Collaboration successfully created")
}

Then, update the created collaboration by changing the role of that invited user to owner.

cURL
curl -X PUT https://api.box.com/2.0/collaborations/1234 \
    -H "authorization: Bearer <ACCESS_TOKEN>" \
    -H "content-type: application/json" \
    -d '{
      "role": "owner"
    }'
.NET
BoxCollaborationRequest requestParams = new BoxCollaborationRequest()
{
    Id = "12345",
    Role = "owner"
};
BoxCollaboration collab = await client.CollaborationsManager.EditCollaborationAsync(requestParams);
Java
Collection<BoxCollaboration.Info> pendingCollaborations = BoxCollaboration.getPendingCollaborations(api);
for (BoxCollaboration.Info collabInfo : pendingCollaborations) {
    collabInfo.setRole(BoxCollaboration.Role.OWNER);
    collabInfo.getResource().updateInfo(collabInfo);
}
Python
from boxsdk.object.collaboration import CollaborationRole, CollaborationStatus

collaboration = client.collaboration(collab_id='12345')
updated_collaboration = collaboration.update_info(CollaborationRole.OWNER)
Node
client.collaborations.update('12345', {role: client.collaborationRoles.OWNER})
    .then(collaboration => {
        // ...
    });

Depending on the settings, a user with access to a folder might be able to invite other users, yet in all cases only the current owner of a folder can transfer the ownership.