Migrate Box Folders to a SharePoint Document Library in Microsoft 365
Question details
A Microsoft 365 administrator needs to transfer files and folders from a Box enterprise account into a target SharePoint Document Library.
- Product
- Microsoft SharePoint
- Device & OS
- not provided
- Scenario
- Performing an enterprise data migration from Box cloud storage to Microsoft 365 SharePoint.
- Observed behavior
- The administrator aims to successfully configure the Box migration using the official Microsoft 365 admin center tools.
Ensure you have Global Administrator or SharePoint Administrator privileges in your Microsoft 365 tenant, and verify that you possess admin credentials for the source Box account.
Use Migration Manager in the SharePoint Admin Center
The official and recommended approach for migrating Box content directly to Microsoft 365 without third-party tools.
Microsoft 365 provides a built-in Migration Manager designed specifically to handle large-scale data transfers from cloud providers like Box, Google Workspace, and Dropbox. This tool allows administrators to map users, scan for unsupported files, and execute the migration in phases.
Log in to the Microsoft 365 admin center with your administrator credentials. In the left navigation pane, select 'Show all' and click on 'SharePoint' to open the SharePoint admin center.
In the SharePoint admin center's left-hand menu, click on 'Migration'. This will open the Migration Manager dashboard displaying various cloud sources.
Locate the 'Box' section on the dashboard and click 'Get started'. Click 'Connect to Box' and follow the authentication prompts to grant Microsoft 365 access to your enterprise Box environment.
Once connected, add your Box users. Run an initial scan to discover the folders and files. Review the generated scan report to identify any large files, unsupported characters, or potential migration blockers.
Map the source Box folders to their corresponding target 'SharePoint Document Library' sites. Select the mapped entries and click 'Migrate' to initiate the data transfer process.
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Frequently Asked Questions
Do I need special permissions to migrate Box to SharePoint?
Yes, you must be assigned either the Global Administrator or SharePoint Administrator role in Microsoft 365. Additionally, you need administrator or co-administrator privileges on the source Box enterprise account.
Will file permissions be migrated from Box to SharePoint?
Migration Manager attempts to map Box permissions to SharePoint permissions. To ensure this works correctly, you must map your Box user identities to your Microsoft 365 user identities in the Migration Manager before starting the transfer.
Can I migrate specific Box folders instead of the entire account?
Yes. The Migration Manager allows you to filter and select specific users, files, or folders for migration. This is highly recommended for executing phased migrations rather than moving all enterprise data at once.
What happens if a file type or name is not supported in SharePoint?
Files containing invalid characters in their names or exceeding SharePoint's file size limits will be flagged during the initial scan phase. You can download and review the scan reports to rename or exclude these files prior to running the migration.
