How to Export File Metadata from Box

Box Admin Console Reports

Box CLI + Metadata Queries

# List all files in a folder with system metadata
box files:list FOLDER_ID --json > box_files.json

# Query files by metadata template
box metadata-queries:execute-read \
  --from "enterprise_12345.contractMetadata" \
  --ancestor-folder-id 0 \
  --json > contract_metadata.json

# Convert JSON to CSV (using jq + csvkit, or Python)
python3 -c "
import json, csv, sys
with open('box_files.json') as f:
    data = json.load(f)
w = csv.writer(sys.stdout)
w.writerow(['Name','ID','Size','Created','Modified','Owner'])
for item in data.get('entries', data) if isinstance(data, dict) else data:
    w.writerow([
        item.get('name',''),
        item.get('id',''),
        item.get('size',''),
        item.get('created_at',''),
        item.get('modified_at',''),
        item.get('owned_by',{}).get('login','')
    ])
" > box_metadata.csv

Python + Box SDK

from boxsdk import CCGAuth, Client
import csv

# Authenticate with Client Credentials Grant
auth = CCGAuth(
    client_id="YOUR_CLIENT_ID",
    client_secret="YOUR_CLIENT_SECRET",
    enterprise_id="YOUR_ENTERPRISE_ID"
)
client = Client(auth)

def list_folder_recursive(folder_id="0"):
    """Walk all folders and collect file metadata."""
    files = []
    items = client.folder(folder_id).get_items(
        fields=["name","id","size","created_at","modified_at",
                "owned_by","sha1","description","tags","path_collection"]
    )
    for item in items:
        if item.type == "file":
            files.append(item)
        elif item.type == "folder":
            files.extend(list_folder_recursive(item.id))
    return files

all_files = list_folder_recursive()

with open("box_metadata.csv", "w", newline="") as f:
    writer = csv.writer(f)
    writer.writerow([
        "Name", "ID", "Size", "Created", "Modified",
        "Owner", "SHA1", "Description", "Tags", "Path"
    ])
    for file in all_files:
        path = " / ".join(
            [e.name for e in file.path_collection["entries"]]
        ) if file.path_collection else ""
        writer.writerow([
            file.name,
            file.id,
            file.size,
            file.created_at,
            file.modified_at,
            file.owned_by.login if file.owned_by else "",
            file.sha1 or "",
            file.description or "",
            ", ".join(file.tags) if file.tags else "",
            path
        ])

print(f"Exported {len(all_files)} files to box_metadata.csv")