Cascading Folder Level Metadata: Simplifying metadata at scale

Today, we're excited to announce the general availability of Cascading Folder Level Metadata! We're making it easier than ever for users to add additional context to content, more effectively structure business-centric data, and trigger workflows and security policies based on metadata. 

With this feature, users can add metadata at the folder level, and create cascade policies to apply metadata to items in the folder - whether it be existing items or those newly created in or moved to the folder.  Cascading Folder Level Metadata enhances the metadata experience in Box, making it more efficient to apply metadata at scale and ensuring the consistent application of metadata to power content management across the extended enterprise.

How does it work? 

1. Apply Metadata at the Folder Level. Now available in Box's web application, users can create metadata at the folder level by applying an enterprise scoped template. As with file metadata, folder level metadata can be accessed by collaborators and uses the existing permissions model.
2. Enable a Cascade Policy. Once users add a metadata template, they can simply enable a cascade policy for the selected template. By enabling a cascade policy, all existing items in the chosen folder get the same template and attributes applied. All new items that get moved to or created in the chosen folder inherits the template and attributes as well.
3. Determine an Overwrite Action. Once the cascade policy is enabled, users can select a one time overwrite action to handle conflicting and existing metadata. This overwrite policy is executed when a policy is first created, but does not continue to overwrite metadata when new items enter the selected folder - we don't want to lose existing metadata on files. 

This exciting new feature is now available today! To learn more about Cascading Folder Level Metadata, please visit Box Community.