Box Developer Documentation

Generate text with Box AI

Generate text with Box AI

Box AI API is available to all Enterprise Plus customers.

You can use Box AI to generate text based on provided content. For example, you can ask Box AI to generate a template based on the content you read or create in Box Notes. Then you can embed the generated text directly into your document.

Before you start

Make sure you followed the steps listed in getting started with Box AI to create a custom app and authenticate.

Send a request

To send a request, use the POST /2.0/ai/text_gen endpoint.

cURL
curl -i -L POST "https://api.box.com/2.0/ai/text_gen" \
     -H "content-type: application/json" \
     -H "authorization: Bearer <ACCESS_TOKEN>" \
     -d '{
          "prompt": "Write a social media post about protein powder.",
          "items": [
         {
            "id": "12345678",
            "type": "file",
            "content": "More information about protein powders"
        },
        ],
          "dialogue_history": [
            {
                "prompt": "Can you add some more information?",
                "answer": "Public API schemas provide necessary information to integrate with APIs...",
                "created_at": "2013-12-12T11:20:43-08:00"
            }
        ],
          "ai_agent": {
            "type": "ai_agent_text_gen",
            "basic_gen": {
              "model": "azure__openai__gpt_4o_mini"
            }
         }
     }'
TypeScript Gen
await client.ai.createAiTextGen({
  prompt: 'Parapharse the document.s',
  items: [
    new AiTextGenItemsField({
      id: fileToAsk.id,
      type: 'file' as AiTextGenItemsTypeField,
      content:
        'The Earth goes around the sun. Sun rises in the East in the morning.',
    }),
  ],
  dialogueHistory: [
    {
      prompt: 'What does the earth go around?',
      answer: 'The sun',
      createdAt: dateTimeFromString('2021-01-01T00:00:00Z'),
    } satisfies AiDialogueHistory,
    {
      prompt: 'On Earth, where does the sun rise?',
      answer: 'East',
      createdAt: dateTimeFromString('2021-01-01T00:00:00Z'),
    } satisfies AiDialogueHistory,
  ],
} satisfies AiTextGen);
Python Gen
client.ai.create_ai_text_gen(
    "Parapharse the document.s",
    [
        CreateAiTextGenItems(
            id=file_to_ask.id,
            type=CreateAiTextGenItemsTypeField.FILE.value,
            content="The Earth goes around the sun. Sun rises in the East in the morning.",
        )
    ],
    dialogue_history=[
        AiDialogueHistory(
            prompt="What does the earth go around?",
            answer="The sun",
            created_at=date_time_from_string("2021-01-01T00:00:00Z"),
        ),
        AiDialogueHistory(
            prompt="On Earth, where does the sun rise?",
            answer="East",
            created_at=date_time_from_string("2021-01-01T00:00:00Z"),
        ),
    ],
    ai_agent=ai_text_gen_agent_config,
)
.NET Gen
await client.Ai.CreateAiTextGenAsync(requestBody: new AiTextGen(prompt: "Parapharse the document.s", items: Array.AsReadOnly(new [] {new AiTextGenItemsField(id: fileToAsk.Id, type: AiTextGenItemsTypeField.File) { Content = "The Earth goes around the sun. Sun rises in the East in the morning." }})) { DialogueHistory = Array.AsReadOnly(new [] {new AiDialogueHistory() { Prompt = "What does the earth go around?", Answer = "The sun", CreatedAt = Utils.DateTimeFromString(dateTime: "2021-01-01T00:00:00Z") },new AiDialogueHistory() { Prompt = "On Earth, where does the sun rise?", Answer = "East", CreatedAt = Utils.DateTimeFromString(dateTime: "2021-01-01T00:00:00Z") }}) });
Swift Gen (Beta)
try await client.ai.createAiTextGen(requestBody: AiTextGen(prompt: "Parapharse the document.s", items: [AiTextGenItemsField(id: fileToAsk.id, type: AiTextGenItemsTypeField.file, content: "The Earth goes around the sun. Sun rises in the East in the morning.")], dialogueHistory: [AiDialogueHistory(prompt: "What does the earth go around?", answer: "The sun", createdAt: try Utils.Dates.dateTimeFromString(dateTime: "2021-01-01T00:00:00Z")), AiDialogueHistory(prompt: "On Earth, where does the sun rise?", answer: "East", createdAt: try Utils.Dates.dateTimeFromString(dateTime: "2021-01-01T00:00:00Z"))]))
Java
List<BoxAIDialogueEntry> dialogueHistory = new ArrayList<>();
dialogueHistory.add(
        new BoxAIDialogueEntry(
            "Make my email about public APIs sound more professional",
            "Here is the first draft of your professional email about public APIs.",
            BoxDateFormat.parse("2013-05-16T15:26:57-07:00")
        )
    );
BoxAIResponse response = BoxAI.sendAITextGenRequest(
    api,
    "Write an email to a client about the importance of public APIs.",
    Collections.singletonList(new BoxAIItem("123456", BoxAIItem.Type.FILE)),
    dialogueHistory
);
Python
items = [{
    "id": "1582915952443",
    "type": "file",
    "content": "More information about public APIs"
}]
dialogue_history = [{
        "prompt": "Make my email about public APIs sound more professional",
        "answer": "Here is the first draft of your professional email about public APIs",
        "created_at": "2013-12-12T10:53:43-08:00"
    },
    {
        "prompt": "Can you add some more information?",
        "answer": "Public API schemas provide necessary information to integrate with APIs...",
        "created_at": "2013-12-12T11:20:43-08:00"
}]
ai_agent = {
    'type': 'ai_agent_text_gen',
    'basic_gen': {
        'model': 'openai__gpt_3_5_turbo_16k'
    }
}
answer = client.send_ai_text_gen(
    dialogue_history=dialogue_history,
    items=items,
    prompt="Write an email to a client about the importance of public APIs.",
    ai_agent=ai_agent
)
print(answer)
.NET
BoxAIResponse response = await client.BoxAIManager.SendAITextGenRequestAsync(
    new BoxAITextGenRequest
    {
        Prompt = "What is the name of the file?",
        Items = new List<BoxAITextGenItem>() { new BoxAITextGenItem() { Id = "12345" } },
        DialogueHistory = new List<BoxAIDialogueHistory>()
        {
            new BoxAIDialogueHistory() { Prompt = "What is the name of the file?", Answer = "MyFile", CreatedAt = DateTimeOffset.Parse("2024-05-16T15:26:57-07:00") }
            new BoxAIDialogueHistory() { Prompt = "What is the size of the file?", Answer = "10kb", CreatedAt =  DateTimeOffset.Parse("2024-05-16T15:26:57-07:00") }
        }
    };
);
Node
client.ai.textGen(
    {
        prompt: 'What is the capital of France?',
        items: [
            {
                type: 'file',
                id: '12345'
            }
        ],
        dialogue_history: [
            {
                prompt: 'What is the capital of France?',
                answer: 'Paris',
                created_at: '2021-10-01T00:00:00Z'
            },
            {
                prompt: 'What is the capital of Germany?',
                answer: 'Berlin',
                created_at: '2021-10-01T00:00:00Z'
            }
        ]
    })
    .then(response => {
        /* response -> {
            "answer": "The capital of France is Paris.",
            "created_at": "2021-10-01T00:00:00Z",
            "completion_reason": "done"
        } */
    });

Parameters

To make a call, you must pass the following parameters. Mandatory parameters are in bold.

Note: The items array can have exactly one element.

ParameterDescriptionExample
promptThe request for Box AI to generate or refine the text. The prompt's length cannot exceed 10000 characters.Create a meeting agenda for a weekly sales meeting.
items.idBox file ID of the document.1233039227512
items.typeThe type of the supplied input.file
items.contentThe content of the item, often the text representation.This article is about Box AI.
dialogue_history.promptThe prompt previously provided by the client and answered by the Large Language Model (LLM).Make my email about public APIs sound more professional
dialogue_history.answerThe answer previously provided by the LLM.Here is a draft of your professional email about public APIs.
dialogue_history.created_atThe ISO date formatted timestamp of when the previous answer to the prompt was created.2012-12-12T10:53:43-08:00
ai_agentThe AI agent used to override the default agent configuration. This parameter allows you to, for example, replace the default LLM with a custom one using the model parameter, tweak the base prompt to allow for a more customized user experience, or change an LLM parameter, such as temperature, to make the results more or less creative. Before you use the ai_agent parameter, you can get the default configuration using the GET 2.0/ai_agent_default request. For specific use cases, see the AI model overrides tutorial

Use cases

Generate text based on the provided file content and a prompt.

curl -i -L POST "https://api.box.com/2.0/ai/text_gen" \
     -H "content-type: application/json" \
     -H "authorization: Bearer <ACCESS_TOKEN>" \
     -d '{
    "items": [
        {
            "id": "12345678",
            "type": "file"
        }
    ],
    "prompt": "Create a short blog post that provides information on Box AI for Documents and focuses on best practices for asking questions. You can add emoticons, but not too many."
}'

The result will be as follows:

{
    "answer": "📝 **Box AI for Documents: Best Practices for Asking Questions** 🤔\n\n---\n\nWelcome to our blog post on Box AI for Documents! 🎉 Today, we're going to dive into some best practices when it comes to asking questions within this innovative platform.\n\n1. **Be Clear and Concise**: When formulating a question in Box Notes, make sure your query is clear and to the point. This helps Box AI understand exactly what you're looking for.\n\n2. **Provide Context**: Giving context around your question can significantly improve the accuracy of the response generated by Box AI. Include relevant details or background information.\n\n3. **Use Keywords**: Utilize keywords related to your query within the question itself. This can help Box AI better identify the main topic of your inquiry.\n\n4. **Avoid Ambiguity**: Try to avoid vague or ambiguous questions that could lead to misunderstandings. The more precise you are, the better Box AI can assist you.\n\n5. **Review Suggestions Carefully**: After receiving suggestions from Box AI, take the time to review them carefully before incorporating them into your document. Ensure they align with your intended message.\n\nBy following these best practices, you can maximize the effectiveness of Box AI for Documents and streamline your workflow like never before! 💼✨\n\nStay tuned for more tips and tricks on leveraging technology for enhanced productivity! 👩‍💻🚀",
    "created_at": "2024-11-04T02:46:23.459-08:00",
    "completion_reason": "done"
}