We recently addressed an issue affecting metadata updates using File Request in Box. We would like to take the opportunity to further explain the issue and the steps we have taken to keep similar issues from happening in the future.

Between 09:10 AM PDT on July 22, 2026 and 03:36 PM PDT on July 23, 2026, some users may have experienced delays in metadata updates while uploading files using File Request. The issue occurred when repeated attempts to process a subset of unsuccessful metadata events reduced available processing capacity and delayed other events. We restored the metadata functionality of File Requests by limiting unnecessary retries, reducing processing idle time, and improving the handling of failures that would not succeed when retried. In addition, we are improving retry behavior, monitoring, and response procedures for similar asynchronous processes.

Analysis

At the time of the issue, the system automatically retried failed file processing. During an extended period of failures, these retries consumed most of the system's capacity, causing files to pile up in a queue. As processing slowed, more files encountered issues that retries could not resolve, further increasing the delay.

We restored normal processing by temporarily reducing retry attempts, removing redundant retries, and allowing permanent failures to fail without being repeatedly processed. We continued monitoring the service before confirming that full functionality had been restored.

Corrective Actions

The following corrective actions have been completed or are planned:

• Completed changes to limit retries and stop repeatedly processing failures that cannot be resolved through retries.
• Applying the same, improved retry handling to other asynchronous processes, preventing similar occurrences from happening to other File Request features.
• Improving alerting and response procedures for processing backlogs and retained unsuccessful events to ensure that temporary issues can later be retried safely.

We are continuously working to improve Box and want to make sure we are delivering the best product and user experience we can. We hope we have provided some clarity here and we would be happy to answer any questions you may still have regarding this matter.

Sincerely,

The Box Team