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Question

How to get "Description" and "Last Updated By" value via API?

  • May 22, 2025
  • 2 replies
  • 43 views
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I've uploaded files via "file request" web form, and its form requires an input mail address and comments.  We can see its mail address as "Last updated by" and commetns as "Description" as below.

BOX1_kmLe7FTjwNzW1VQvEB5DDw.png

 

However, I cannot get its value via API :-(

$ curl -i -X GET "https://api.box.com/2.0/files/xxxxxxxxx" --header 'Authorization: Bearer xxxxx'

Executed it via curl, and get value like below.

"created_by":{"type":"user","id":"2","name":"Anonymous User","login":""},
"modified_by":{"type":"user","id":"2","name":"Anonymous User","login":""}

And no descriptions.

 

So question is, how to get its value that we can see with browser via API?

 

 

 

    2 replies

    C
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    Hi Hideki

    You should be able to retrieve the email from the 'uploader_display_name' field and description from the 'description' field
    https://api.box.com/2.0/files/123?fields=modified_by,created_by,uploader_display_name,description

    Gives 

    {
        "type": "file",
        "id": "123",
        "etag": "1",
        "modified_by": {
            "type": "user",
            "id": "2",
            "name": "Anonymous User",
            "login": ""
        },
        "created_by": {
            "type": "user",
            "id": "2",
            "name": "Anonymous User",
            "login": ""
        },
        "uploader_display_name": "peter@peter.com",
        "description": "213"
    }

    If you don't require the upload to enter an email address the 'uploader_display_name' will be 'File Request' as below

    "uploader_display_name": "File Request"

     

    Best Regards, Peter Christensen, Platform Solutions Engineer, Box

    C
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    Hello Peter,

    Thanks, that's what I wanted! :-)

     

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