Move Box files to your own bucket

This post moves your Box files into a storage bucket you own. You download the files from Box as a zip and import the zip in file.rocks.

If you are coming from another service, see move Dropbox to your own bucket or move Amazon Photos to your own bucket.

1. What you need

You need your Box account, a computer with a desktop browser, and a bucket already connected to file.rocks. For a large account you may also want the Box Drive app.

2. Download from the Box website

Box's help page "Download Files and Folders from Box" says to select the items you want, then: "Click Download to begin the download process. Your selected items will be downloaded together in a single zip file."

That zip is ready to import as it is. You do not need to unzip it first.

3. The limits on Box's Common Issues page

Box's help page "Common Issues with Downloading Files" lists these limits. It says: "Bulk download is limited to 150GB. Recommended download is 25GB."

For folders, the same page says: "Note: There is a 100,000-file limit per folder when downloading complete folders in a browser. Recommended download is 10,000 files. You may need to split large folders into subfolders to get below this limit."

The page also notes: "Please note that empty subfolders will be ignored and not included in the zip file." It adds: "If you are a Previewer, Uploader or Previewer-Uploader on the folder, you would not be able to download files in this folder."

4. Larger accounts with Box Drive

Box's help page "Making Content Available Offline" covers Box Drive. Right click a Box folder in Explorer or Finder, and "In the context menu that displays, click Always keep on device." Box Drive then downloads the folder to your computer.

Box's Box Drive FAQ says you can mark folders for offline access "up until your machine only has 2GB left of free space". Check your free disk space before you start.

5. Zip the Box Drive folders

Box Drive saves regular folders, not a zip. The file.rocks import takes zip files, so our advice is to zip those folders yourself before you import them. The import page's own instruction is: "Zip the folder of files you want to upload (Finder: Compress, or any zip tool)."

6. Import the zip in file.rocks

Sign in at file.rocks. Click Settings in the sidebar, then open Import. Stay on the From zip tab, under the heading Import from zip.

1. Under "What are you importing?", pick Other zip.
2. Choose your Destination bucket.
3. Fill in Destination folder (optional) if you want one. The path line shows where files will land, starting from "Files land under (bucket root)/…".
4. Media files only is checked by default for Other zip. Turn off Media files only if you need documents, PDFs, or other non-media files.
5. Click Choose one or more .zip files and pick your zip. Start import stays disabled until a file is chosen.
6. Click Start import. When it finishes, use Open destination to see your files.

Folder paths inside the zip are kept under your destination folder. Your Box folders show up the same way in the bucket.

If you would rather upload the zip and unpack it later, see how to unzip a file in your own bucket.

Your files stay in the bucket you connected, and file.rocks is how you manage them.