Box Quota FAQs

  1. How much storage am I allowed on Box? 
    For all Berkeley faculty, staff, and students, the following quotas apply: 
    Individual Accounts: 50GB 
    Special Purpose Accounts (SPAs): 500GB 
  2. How do I check how much storage I’m using in Box?
    To see the usage in your Box account, go to https://berkeley.app.box.com/account, then scroll down to "Account Details" and look for "Storage Used". To see the usage in a SPA, log into Google or Box as that SPA, and then follow the links above.
  3. What is a SPA and how do I know if I have one? 
    Special Purpose Accounts, or SPAs, are CalNet IDs that can be shared by multiple users for collaborative purposes. To view a list of SPAs you belong to, visit https://spa.berkeley.edu/spa
  4. How do I create a SPA-owned Box account?
    To create a SPA owned Box account, you will first need to create a SPA and then use that account to create the associated Box account. Create a SPA first, then create a Box account while logged in with the SPA.
  5. What kind of data is appropriate to be stored in Box?
    Box is approved for active files and content. Box should not be used for the purposes of backing up or archiving your data.
  6. My data is appropriate to be stored in Box. How can I request a storage limit increase?

    In order to receive a storage limit increase you'll need to complete this form

    Please make sure that you are storing departmental data in SPA accounts rather than your personal account so that the data is not subject to the account lifecycle process. Additionally just a reminder that Box is only approved for active data, not backups or archives - this is restricted by the terms of our contract with Box. If you are using Box for inactive data (archive or backup purposes) please let us know so that we can refer you to Research IT and they can assist you with a more appropriate storage location.

    Finally, just a note that Box can't hold single files larger than 15GB, please let us know if you have these as we'll need to work out a different solution with you.

    Box storage limit increases are given incrementally rather than all at once. In the future, if you need another increase, you can submit the form again.

  7. How do I transfer data from one Box account to another?
    You can transfer files/folder ownership between Box accounts by following these instructions.
    Scroll down to the section "In Box, how do I transfer ownership of content to an organizational or group Box account?" and follow those steps to transfer files in your individual Box account into either SPA accounts.
    The top level account will be the owner of all the folders and files that are nested below, where usage is calculated against the owner account’s quota.
  8. Box seems to be miscalculating my total storage used. It looks like I’m using more storage than I really am and it’s putting me over my quota. What should I do? 
    Box is aware of this issue. For now, please submit a support ticket with the Service Desk so we can ask Box to recalculate your storage on your behalf.