Box is a cloud storage service provided by Box Inc. and now offers “Box Sign” as a new Box service. This article describes Questetra’s automated process that works with Box Sign.
1. About Box Sign
Box Sign is a service that adds digital signatures to files stored in Box. A request email is sent to the recipient by specifying the file to be signed and the email address of the person whose signature is to be requested. The recipient of the email accesses the file on Box and signs it. When all signatories have signed the file, a PDF file showing the signed file and the proof of the signature will be created in the specified folder in Box.
Box Documentation: Introducing Box Sign
Box Sign Activation
Box Sign is a service that is available to all users with Box accounts, but is disabled by default; it requires prior arrangements such as Box Sign functionality being enabled by a user with an administrator account on the Box platform and permissions being granted to the user or group.
Also, the Questetra automated process described in this article will not work with the individual service user accounts (Individual, Personal Pro, Business Starter).
Box Documentation: Enabling Box Sign
2. Questetra’s Automated Processes
Box Sign: Create Sign Request
Questetra has added a built-in auto-step to perform the above Box Sign signature request. (Available in Ver. 14.1, Advanced Edition and above)
By using this newly added auto-step, [Box Sign: Create Sign Request], Box will automatically send a signature request email after specifying files and signatories in the Questetra application.
Prepare the information required to send a request in Data Items and specify the input values in the respective configuration fields.
- The Box registered email address of the authenticated user in [C1: OAuth2 Setting] will be the sender of the request email.
- If the value of the Data Item specified in [C4: Email Addresses of the signers] is empty or exceeds 35, it will result in an error
- If a password is used (a String-type Data Item is specified in [C5: Password for each signer]) and the number of values does not match the number of signer email addresses (e.g. it is empty), it will result in an error
- If the target file is watermarked, it will result in an error (as of 2022-10-28)
- The signing order is not configurable
- A Box template cannot be used
Box Sign: Monitor Sign Request
Furthermore, from version 15.1, a built-in auto-step [Box Sign: Monitor Sign Request] has been added. This auto-step will continue to check the progress of the signing request created with [Box Sign: Create Sign Request] until the request is complete.
3. Box and Questetra Integration Settings
Configure authentication settings for integration with Box.
For specific instructions, please refer to the article Using Box to Send Files to People Outside the Company.
4. Sample App
When a file is registered in the Human Task ‘Specify File/Signer’, the file will be uploaded to the specified folder in Box. An email requesting a signature for the uploaded file will be sent to the email address registered at the ‘Specify File/Signer’ Step. The recipient of the email will access the file from the incoming email and sign it. The App will continue to monitor progress until all signers have signed.
Workflow App Settings
Data Items
| Data Item Name | Data Type | Field Name | Required | Specify File/Signer step | Description |
| Title | – | ― | – | Editable | Process title |
| File | File Type | q_file | ✓ | Editable | Register files to be uploaded/signed |
| Folder ID | String-type (single line) | q_folder_id | – | No display | Specify the folder where the file will be uploaded / Box folder ID where the PDF file for signature will be saved (use default value) (*1) |
| File ID | String-type (single line) | q_file_id | – | No display | The ID of the target file in the Box is saved (*2) |
| Signatory Address | String-type (multiple lines) | q_address | ✓ | Editable | Enter the email address to which the request email will be sent When entering multiple entries, a new line is inserted for each entry (*3) |
| Password | String-type (multiple lines) | q_password | – | Editable | Enter the password required when the recipient signs the request (*4) If it does not match the number of email addresses, an error will occur (*3) |
| Email Subject | String-type (single line) | q_subject | – | Editable | This will be the subject line of the request email If no input is provided, the Box defaults will be used |
| Email Body | String-type (multiple lines) | q_body | – | Editable | This will be the body of the request email If no input is provided, the Box defaults will be used |
| Request ID | String-type (single line) | q_request_id | – | No display | The value acquired at [Box Sign: Create Sign Request] will be saved |
| Status | String-type (single line) | q_status | – | No display | The status of the request will be saved |
| Not Yet Signed | String-type (multiple lines) | q_not_signed | – | No display | The addresses of requestees who have not signed will be saved |
| Signed | String-type (multiple lines) | q_signed | – | No display | The addresses of requestees who have signed will be saved |
| Declined | String-type (multiple lines) | q_declined | – | No display | The addresses of requestees who have declined to sign will be saved |
| Signed Document ID | String-type (single line) | q_signed_file_id | – | No display | The ID of the duplicated PDF file for signing is saved |
| Log File ID | String-type (single line) | q_log_file_id | – | No display | The ID of the signature log file that Box creates will be saved |
- (*1) To separate the folder where the file is uploaded and the folder where the PDF file for signature is saved, please add a Data Item to separate the two folders
- (*2) The ID is obtained when the file is uploaded and the value is automatically entered. If you wish to manually enter the ID of a file that has already been uploaded to Box, use [Exclusive Gateway] or other settings to bypass the file uploading process
- (*3) If specific signers are specified each time, use [Initial Value] and set its permission to [Only display] or [No display]
- (*4) It is assumed that the signers know the password in advance
‘File Upload’ Step
The [Box: Upload File] step uploads files attached to the workflow to the specified Box folder.
| Item Name | Required | Description |
| C1: OAuth2 Settings* | ✓ | Specify OAuth2 settings to be used for connection to Box. The OAuth2 setting to be specified requires a token to be obtained in advance. (see “Box and Questetra Integration Settings”) |
| C2: File type data item whose attached files will be uploaded * | ✓ | Specify the Data Item containing the file to be uploaded, in this case “File”. |
| C3: Folder ID that files will be uploaded (Root folder if blank) | – | Specify the ID of the folder where the uploaded file will be saved In this case, specify “#{#q_folder_id}”, which is the field name of the Data Item “Folder ID”. |
| C4: String type data item that will save uploaded file IDs | – | Specify the Data Item to which the ID of the uploaded file is to be saved. |
| C5: String type data item that will save uploaded file URLs | – | Specify the Data Item to which the URL of the uploaded file will be saved. Not used in this case. |
‘Request Signature’ Step
The [Box Sign: Create Sign Request] step, sends emails requesting a signature to the signatories specified by the email addresses.
| Item Name | Required | Description |
| C1: OAuth2 Settings | ✓ | Specify OAuth2 settings to be used for connection to Box. The OAuth2 settings you specify must have a token obtained in advance (see “Box and Questetra Integration Settings”). |
| C2: Source File ID to create a signing document from | ✓ | Specify the Data Item “File ID” to which the ID of the uploaded file will be saved. |
| C3: Folder ID to save the signing document (Root cannot be used) | – | Specify the ID of the Box folder where the signed PDF file and certificate PDF will be stored This time, specify the Data Item “Folder ID”. |
| C4: Email Addresses of the signers (Write one per line) | ✓ | Specify the Data Item “Signer Address” in which the signer’s email address is entered. |
| C5: Password for each signer (please start a new line for each case) | – | Specify the Data Item “Password” in which the password is to be entered. If you do not want to use the password, specify “blank” at the top of the drop-down and delete the “Password” Data Item. |
| C6: Email Subject (Default subject if blank) | – | Specify “#{#q_subject}” that refers to the data item “Email Subject” in which the string that will become the subject of the email to be sent is entered. |
| C7: Message to include in the email (Default message if blank) | – | Specifies “#{#q_body}” that refers to the Data Item “Email Body” in which the string that will become the body of the email to be sent is entered. |
| C8: Days until expiration | – | When setting a signing expiration date, specify the number of days until expiration with a number. Not used in this case. |
| C9: Data item to save ID of the sign request | – | Specify the Data Item where the Request ID returned by Box will be saved. Here, specify “Request ID”. |
‘Monitor Progress’ step
[Box Sign: Monitor Sign Request] periodically accesses Box and obtains the progress status of signature requests managed by Box. Changes in the progress will update the values stored in each Data item. It will continue to monitor until all signature requests are completed.| Item Name | Required | Description |
| C1: OAuth2 Setting | ✓ | Specify OAuth2 settings to be used for connection to Box. The OAuth2 settings you specify must have a token obtained in advance (see “Box and Questetra Integration Settings”). |
| C2: Sign Request ID | ✓ | Specify the Data Item where the Request ID obtained in the “Request Signature” step will be saved. Specify the Data Item ‘Request ID’ |
| C3: Data item to save the status of the sign request | – | The Box Status obtained by monitoring will be saved. Specify the Data Item ‘Status’ |
| C4-A: Data item to save the signers who have not signed yet | – | Specify the Data Item ‘Not Yet Signed’ |
| C4-B: Data item to save the signers who have signed | – | Specify the Data Item ‘Signed’ |
| C4-C: Data item to save the signer who has declined | – | Specify the Data Item ‘Declined’ |
| C5: Data item to save the File ID of the signed document | – | Specify the Data Item ‘Signed Document ID’ |
| C6: Data item to save the File ID of the signing log | – | Specify the Data Item ‘Log File ID’ |
Workflow App Operation
Enter the information required for the first Human Task “Specify File/Signer”. If the signer and folder are the same every time, you can set the address and folder ID in [Initial Value] so that the input can be completed by simply selecting the file.
In the following automatic step “File Upload,” the file is uploaded to the folder in the Box specified in the “Folder ID” Data Item, and the file ID in Box is obtained and saved in the “File ID” Data Item.
In the “Request Signature” step, the values of the specified Data Items are passed to Box, and Box will send a signature request email based on this information. The sender’s information will be the information registered in Box by the User who has set up OAuth2 authentication.
In the “Monitor Progress” step, it monitors whether the person who received the signature request has signed. If you set multiple receivable addresses in “Signer’s Address” and execute, Box will be accessed periodically to check the progress until everyone has signed. When you finish signing via a received email, the values of the Data Items ‘Status’, ‘Unsigned”, ‘Signed”, and ‘Declined” are updated. Please check while reloading the Process Details screen.
About [Status]
- sent: Signature request email sent
- viewed: Signature request email viewed
- signed: All the signatories signed
- declined: Any of the signatories declined
- error_converting: Conversion error occurred (inside Box)
The auto-step ends when the [Status] becomes signed, declined, or error_converting.
The ‘error_converting’ is a state where an error (failed to generate the signature PDF) occurred on the Box side when executing [Box Sign: Create Signature Request], and the request email was not sent.
The sample Apps introduced here are simple enough to check the operation of Box Sign, but Questetra provides many other automated processes that work with Box, so please challenge yourself to develop more convenient workflow Apps that use a combination of these processes.
Reference：
Utilising Box From Your Workflow
Process Start Triggered by a File Upload to Box