Remove User Collaborations

Hi ​@jorowi, thank you for reaching out.

Here are the most effective and efficient ways to selectively remove their collaboration access while preserving what they still need:

1. Leverage group-based access (best practice)

If your organization uses user groups corresponding to departments or roles, this is the cleanest way to manage access in bulk:

• Go to Admin Console > Users & Groups > Groups (or directly from the user’s profile under Group Memberships).
• Remove the user from the specific groups associated with their previous role.
• This immediately revokes their access to all associated folders in one step without affecting their other direct collaborations.
  See Users & Groups Settings to learn more
   

2. Audit and filter access with a Collaborations Report

Before removing access, you can identify exactly which items need to be revoked:

• Go to Admin Console > Reports > Collaborations Report.
• Filter by the specific user to export a complete list containing folder paths, item IDs, and permission levels.
• Use this spreadsheet to isolate the specific folders associated with the previous role versus the ones they should keep.
   

3. Bulk removal via the Admin Console

If you prefer to make updates directly within the UI:

• Navigate to Admin Console > Users & Groups.
• Click on the user to open their profile details.
• Under the Folder Collaborations section, select Edit.
• Check the boxes for the specific folders you wish to revoke and click Remove Access.
   

4. Automated removal via Box CLI or Box API (recommended for 30k+ items)

Given the large scale (30k+ collaborations), making tens of thousands of edits in a web browser can be time-consuming or encounter browser timeouts. Scripting via the Box CLI or Box SDKs (Python, Node, etc.) is the fastest approach:

1. Query Collaborations: Retrieve the user’s active collaborations via GET /users/{user_id}/collaborations.
2. Cross-Reference: Compare the returned items against the list of folder paths/IDs you identified in your audit report.
3. Batch Delete: Issue deletion requests (DELETE /collaborations/{collaboration_id}) only for the obsolete collaborations.

This approach allows you to automate the selective removal of thousands of collaborations within minutes while keeping necessary items intact.
 

Hope this helps! If you need further assistance, or encountered issues, please submit a ticket to our Product Support, or click here to access the ticket form. Thanks!