We noticed a strange issue with Box video preview.
We uploaded the same video file (about 5MB) to two different folders:
one for internal use
one for external access
The video plays smoothly in the internal folder, but in the external folder it just keeps spinning/buffering and won’t preview properly.
We also tried uploading another small video file (about 1MB) from a different account, and that one also could not be previewed online.
Since both files are very small, we’re wondering if this could be related to folder settings, permissions, or shared link settings.
Has anyone seen this before or know what might cause it?
Thanks!
Best answer by Jey Bueno Box
Hello @fifi, thank you for the follow up and for sharing these important details.
If the permission and shared link settings are correct, then yes, the difference in the account type of the file owner is indeed the cause of the video file preview issue.
Account type requirement for Video Preview:
Video file preview is a premium feature that is available to Business-level Box accounts and above.
Personal free account limitations:
Personal free accounts do not have the capability to generate or host video previews for files they own. This explains why your test with another personal free account also failed to preview the 1MB video online, even though the upload was successful.
Collaborator preview behavior:
If a video file is owned by a Business Plus-level account (or higher), external users with free or personal accounts can still preview that video when they access it as collaborators.
However, if the folder/file is owned by a personal free account, the video preview cannot be generated or viewed online by anyone, regardless of their collaborator permissions.
Video file preview is a premium feature only available to Business-level Box accounts and above (such as Business, Business Plus, Enterprise, Enterprise Plus, or Enterprise Advanced).
Once upgraded, video previews will automatically generate for any videos they own, allowing collaborators (including free/personal users) to preview them online.
Transfer file ownership to an Enterprise/Business Account
Box storage and preview capabilities are determined by the file owner’s account type, not the collaborator’s account type.
Move the video files or the containing folder into a workspace owned by your Enterprise/Business account. Once the files are owned by the Enterprise account, all collaborators (including those with personal free accounts) will be able to preview the videos online without issues.
✅ Alternative workarounds (no upgrade required)
Download and view locally
If upgrading or transferring ownership is not feasible, collaborators can download the video files to their local devices and play them using their native media players.
Use shared links with download permissions
Ensure that the shared links generated for these video files have “Downloads allowed” enabled so that external users can easily download and view the files locally since online preview is unavailable.
Please let us know if you have any other concerns. Glad to help!
The issue you are experiencing with video preview buffering/spinning in the external folder is likely related to Watermarking or Shared Link Permissions settings on that folder.
Here are the primary causes and settings to check:
1. Folder Watermarking (most likely cause)
If Watermarking is enabled on the external folder (or inherited from a parent folder), it restricts how certain file types are previewed and downloaded:
Behavior: When watermarking is enabled, it prevents collaborators with lower permission levels (such as Previewer-Uploaders, Previewers, and Viewers) from viewing or downloading files that do not support watermarking.
Video Preview Impact: While watermarked video preview is supported in Beta for Enterprise Plus accounts, it often causes loading/buffering issues or is completely blocked depending on the user’s specific collaboration permission level.
How to check/disable:
Navigate to the external folder in Box.
Click the ellipsis (…) next to the folder name.
Select Watermarking.
Toggle off Enable watermarking for this file/folder.
2. Shared Link & Download Restrictions
If the external folder is accessed via a shared link, check if direct downloads have been disabled:
Behavior: If “Can view only” (download disabled) is set at the folder or enterprise level, Box must restrict the preview experience. For video files, this can sometimes prevent the video player from streaming/buffering the file segments properly online.
How to check/adjust:
Open the folder settings or the shared link settings for the external folder.
Ensure the shared link permission is set to “Can view and download” rather than "Can view only".
If you are an Admin, verify in the Admin Console > Enterprise Settings > Content & Sharing > Shared Link Permissions that downloads are not restricted globally.
3. Collaborator Permission Levels
Verify the permission levels of the users accessing the external folder. If they are collaborated in as Previewer or Uploader, they have restricted read/write access which can block video streaming and thumbnail generation. Ensure they have at least Viewer permissions to smoothly stream previews.
Please let us know if this resolves the issue. If this continues, please submit a ticket to our Product Support for further investigation. Thank you!
The external users have Editor access. After comparing the two folders, we noticed that the folder used internally belongs to an enterprise account, while the folder used for external access belongs to a personal free account.
We’re wondering whether the difference in the account type of the file owner could be causing the issue.
We also tested this with another account that is also a personal free account. The 1MB video uploaded successfully, but it still could not be previewed online.
Hello @fifi, thank you for the follow up and for sharing these important details.
If the permission and shared link settings are correct, then yes, the difference in the account type of the file owner is indeed the cause of the video file preview issue.
Account type requirement for Video Preview:
Video file preview is a premium feature that is available to Business-level Box accounts and above.
Personal free account limitations:
Personal free accounts do not have the capability to generate or host video previews for files they own. This explains why your test with another personal free account also failed to preview the 1MB video online, even though the upload was successful.
Collaborator preview behavior:
If a video file is owned by a Business Plus-level account (or higher), external users with free or personal accounts can still preview that video when they access it as collaborators.
However, if the folder/file is owned by a personal free account, the video preview cannot be generated or viewed online by anyone, regardless of their collaborator permissions.
Video file preview is a premium feature only available to Business-level Box accounts and above (such as Business, Business Plus, Enterprise, Enterprise Plus, or Enterprise Advanced).
Once upgraded, video previews will automatically generate for any videos they own, allowing collaborators (including free/personal users) to preview them online.
Transfer file ownership to an Enterprise/Business Account
Box storage and preview capabilities are determined by the file owner’s account type, not the collaborator’s account type.
Move the video files or the containing folder into a workspace owned by your Enterprise/Business account. Once the files are owned by the Enterprise account, all collaborators (including those with personal free accounts) will be able to preview the videos online without issues.
✅ Alternative workarounds (no upgrade required)
Download and view locally
If upgrading or transferring ownership is not feasible, collaborators can download the video files to their local devices and play them using their native media players.
Use shared links with download permissions
Ensure that the shared links generated for these video files have “Downloads allowed” enabled so that external users can easily download and view the files locally since online preview is unavailable.
Please let us know if you have any other concerns. Glad to help!
