diff --git a/R/boxr_add_description.R b/R/boxr_add_description.R
index fa9ed85..a57c414 100644
--- a/R/boxr_add_description.R
+++ b/R/boxr_add_description.R
@@ -12,6 +12,8 @@
 #' 
 #' @export
 box_add_description <- function(file_id, description) {
+  
+  file_id <- as_box_id(file_id)
   file_id <- handle_file_id(file_id)
   
   req <- httr::RETRY(
diff --git a/R/boxr_collab.R b/R/boxr_collab.R
index ee6a880..1ba0ff3 100644
--- a/R/boxr_collab.R
+++ b/R/boxr_collab.R
@@ -66,6 +66,11 @@ box_collab_create <- function(dir_id = NULL, user_id = NULL,
                               file_id = NULL, group_id = NULL, login = NULL,
                               role = "editor", can_view_path = FALSE) {
 
+  dir_id <- as_box_id(dir_id)
+  user_id <- as_box_id(user_id)
+  file_id <- as_box_id(file_id)
+  group_id <- as_box_id(group_id)
+  
   # if login is provided, ignore user_id
   if (!is_void(login)) {
     user_id <- NULL
@@ -177,6 +182,9 @@ box_dir_invite <- function(dir_id, user_id, login = NULL, role = "viewer",
                            can_view_path = FALSE) {
   .Deprecated("box_collab_create")
   
+  dir_id <- as_box_id(dir_id)
+  user_id <- as_box_id(user_id)
+
   # if login is provided, ignore user_id
   if (!is_void(login)) {
     user_id <- NULL
@@ -218,7 +226,10 @@ box_dir_invite <- function(dir_id, user_id, login = NULL, role = "viewer",
 #' @export
 #' 
 box_collab_get <- function(dir_id = NULL, file_id = NULL) {
-  
+ 
+  dir_id <- as_box_id(dir_id)
+  file_id <- as_box_id(file_id)
+
   # detect item type for API call
   item_id <- dir_id %|0|% file_id
   
@@ -275,6 +286,8 @@ box_collab_get <- function(dir_id = NULL, file_id = NULL) {
 #'
 box_collab_delete <- function(collab_id) {
   
+  collab_id <- as_box_id(collab_id)
+
   url <- glue::glue("https://api.box.com/2.0/collaborations/{collab_id}")
   
   resp <- httr::RETRY(
diff --git a/R/boxr_comment.R b/R/boxr_comment.R
index fecf358..158cbd4 100644
--- a/R/boxr_comment.R
+++ b/R/boxr_comment.R
@@ -41,6 +41,7 @@ box_comment_create <- function(file_id = NULL, message, comment_id = NULL) {
   #   https://developer.box.com/reference/post-comments/
   
   checkAuth()
+  file_id <- as_box_id(file_id)
   
   item <- comment_item_helper(file_id, comment_id)
   
@@ -76,6 +77,8 @@ box_comment_create <- function(file_id = NULL, message, comment_id = NULL) {
 #' 
 box_comment_get <- function(file_id) {
   
+  file_id <- as_box_id(file_id)
+  
   resp <- httr::RETRY(
     "GET",
     glue::glue("https://api.box.com/2.0/files/{file_id}/comments"),
diff --git a/R/boxr_dir_verbs.R b/R/boxr_dir_verbs.R
index 79622e6..8fa35d3 100644
--- a/R/boxr_dir_verbs.R
+++ b/R/boxr_dir_verbs.R
@@ -63,7 +63,9 @@
 #' @export
 box_fetch <- function(dir_id = box_getwd(), local_dir = getwd(), 
                       recursive = TRUE, overwrite = FALSE, delete = FALSE) {
+  
   checkAuth()
+  dir_id <- as_box_id(dir_id)
   
   t1 <- Sys.time()
   
@@ -164,6 +166,7 @@ box_push <- function(dir_id = box_getwd(), local_dir = getwd(),
                      ignore_dots = TRUE, overwrite = FALSE, delete = FALSE) {
   
   checkAuth()
+  dir_id <- as_box_id(dir_id)
   
   t1 <- Sys.time()
   
diff --git a/R/boxr_file_versions.R b/R/boxr_file_versions.R
index 8a85dce..0bcdfb6 100644
--- a/R/boxr_file_versions.R
+++ b/R/boxr_file_versions.R
@@ -33,7 +33,9 @@
 #' @export
 #' 
 box_version_history <- function(file_id) {
-  
+ 
+  file_id <- as_box_id(file_id)
+   
   content <- box_version_api(file_id)
   
   if (is_void(content)) {
@@ -61,6 +63,8 @@ box_version_history <- function(file_id) {
 #' 
 box_previous_versions <- function(file_id) {
   
+  file_id <- as_box_id(file_id)
+  
   lifecycle::deprecate_soft(
     "3.6.0", 
     what = "boxr::box_previous_versions()", 
@@ -72,6 +76,8 @@ box_previous_versions <- function(file_id) {
 # internal function to support superseding
 prev_versions <- function(file_id) {
   
+  file_id <- as_box_id(file_id)
+  
   entries <- box_version_api(file_id)
   
   # The box API isn't very helpful if there are no previous versions. If this
diff --git a/R/boxr_upload_download.R b/R/boxr_upload_download.R
index f9a7de7..ed0203c 100644
--- a/R/boxr_upload_download.R
+++ b/R/boxr_upload_download.R
@@ -59,11 +59,11 @@ box_dl <- function(file_id, local_dir = getwd(), overwrite = FALSE,
                    pb = options()$boxr.progress, filename) {
   
   checkAuth()
+  file_id <- as_box_id(file_id)
   assertthat::assert_that(assertthat::is.dir(local_dir))
   assertthat::assert_that(!is.na(overwrite))
   assertthat::assert_that(is.logical(overwrite))
   
-  
   # TODO: in future version, remove argument
   if (!missing(filename)) {
     
@@ -139,6 +139,7 @@ box_dl <- function(file_id, local_dir = getwd(), overwrite = FALSE,
 box_ul <- function(dir_id = box_getwd(), file, pb = options()$boxr.progress,
                    description = NULL) {
   checkAuth()
+  dir_id <- as_box_id(dir_id)
   
   # Validate filename
   file <- box_filename(file)