Edit Drive files on 3rd-party storage systems

As an administrator, you can let users in your organization edit Google Docs, Sheets, and Slides (Google files) stored on third-party storage systems, such as Box. 

To enable editing and collaboration, Google caches files stored on third-party servers for 30 days. While files are being cached, their content is subject to Google’s terms. Google files stored on third-party servers are subject to the terms of the third party. 

In addition, Google files stored on third-party servers can be managed, controlled, removed, and exported only through the third-party provider's controls. Google Drive file-management controls, including access control, data location commitments, data loss prevention (DLP), vault retention policies, and Drive API access are not available to Google files stored on third-party servers. 

Let users edit Google files on Box

1. In the Box admin console, enable the Box for Google Workspace integration. Learn how to enable the integration.
2. Verify that sharing settings let users receive files from users outside whitelisted domains:
   1. Sign in to your Google Admin console.

      Sign in using your administrator account (does not end in @gmail.com).

   2. In the Admin console, go to Menu  AppsGoogle WorkspaceDrive and Docs.
   3. Click Sharing settings.
   4. To apply the setting to everyone, leave the top organizational unit selected. Otherwise, select a child organizational unit or a configuration group.
   5. In the Sharing outside your organization section, check the Allow users in your organization to receive files from users outside of whitelisted domains box.
   6. Click Save.

User account requirements

• If your organization has a paid account with the storage provider, each user must be signed in with a Google Workspace account.

• The email addresses associated with a user's storage provider account and Google Workspace account must match. To ensure that addresses match, add the email addresses associated with your users' storage provider accounts as email aliases of their Google Workspace accounts. Learn how to add aliases in the Admin console.

Additional resources

• ​Get support for working with files stored on Box.
• Learn more about using Docs editors with Box.
• Learn more about Drive sharing settings.