Box: Best Practices

These tips help you keep your Box account organized and find your files quickly.

Use the folder tree

On the All Files page, Box can show a tree view of your folders, similar to File Explorer, so you can move between folders quickly.

  1. Click the down arrow next to All Files.
    All Files heading with the Show Folder Tree tooltip
  2. The folder tree opens. Click a folder to go to it, or use Search Folders at the top of the tree.

Keep personal files in their own folder

Your Box account holds both personal folders (yellow) and folders shared with you (blue). To keep work and personal items separate, create a folder named Personal Folders and keep your personal files there.

  1. Click All Files in the left sidebar.
    Box left sidebar with All Files selected
  2. Click New in the upper-right corner, then Folder.
    Box New menu with Folder selected
  3. Enter Personal Folders as the folder name and click Create.
    Create a New Folder window with Personal Folders entered as the name
  4. Move your personal (yellow) folders into Personal Folders. For steps, see Box: Move and Copy Files and Folders.

For more about creating folders, see Box: Create New Files and Folders.

Add files and folders to Favorites

Favorites is a built-in collection that gives you quick access to the files and folders you use most. To add an item to Favorites, do either of these:

  • Hover over the file or folder, click the Collections icon (a square with a star), and check Favorites.
  • Drag the file or folder onto Favorites under My Collections in the left sidebar.
    Dragging a folder onto Favorites under My Collections

To see your favorites:

  • Click Favorites in the left sidebar to open them.
    Favorites under My Collections in the left sidebar
  • Or click the down arrow next to Favorites to list them right in the sidebar.
    Favorites expanded in the left sidebar, listing favorite files and folders

To remove an item from Favorites, open Favorites, right-click the item, select Collections, and uncheck Favorites.

Organize with Collections

Collections let you group files and folders however you like, for example by project, without moving them. Your collections are private: even if the items in them are shared, only you can see your collections.

Create a collection

  1. In the left sidebar, click the plus sign (+) next to My Collections.
    Create Collection plus sign next to My Collections
  2. Enter a name for the collection, for example Active Projects, and click Create.
    Create a Collection window with Active Projects entered as the name
  3. The new collection appears under My Collections.
    My Collections in the left sidebar listing Favorites and Active Projects

Add or remove items

  • To add a file or folder, right-click it, select Collections, and check the collection you want.
  • To remove an item, open the collection, right-click the item, select Collections, and uncheck the collection.

For more information, see Box's article Using Collections.

Find recent files

  • The Recent Files bar at the top of the All Files page shows the files you opened most recently.
  • The Recents page, in the left sidebar, lists your recently opened files with more detail, including the folder each file is in.

Search

To find a file or folder, use the search bar at the top of any Box page. For details, see Box: Search for Files, Folders and Content.

Change your home page

By default, Box opens to All Files. You can have it open to Favorites, Recents or My Collections instead.

  1. Click your profile icon in the upper-right corner and select Account Settings.
    Box profile menu with Account Settings circled
  2. On the Account tab, under General Options, choose an option from the Home Page list.
  3. Click Save Changes in the upper-right corner.
    Account Settings with the Home Page list open and Save Changes circled

For more information, see Box's article Manage Account Settings.

Confidential data: Don't store Confidential data in Box. If you have a business need to store Confidential data, submit a request and we'll provide an approved storage location. For details, see the Regulated Data Chart.

[authored via Jane by aca34 on 2026-10-01 20:33 UTC]

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