Outofbox

Out-of-the-box, often written out-of-the-box or out of the box, is a term used to describe a product or solution that is ready to use immediately after purchase or installation, without requiring additional configuration, installation, or customization.

The origin is practical and metaphorical, referring to items that can be used directly after being taken out of their packaging, in contrast to items that require assembly, setup, or modification.

In software, hardware, and consumer electronics, "out-of-the-box" indicates that the device or program ships with functional defaults, preinstalled applications, or sensible configurations that do not need immediate changes. The term is often used when marketing or comparing products, and it can also apply to cloud or service offerings that require no upfront setup beyond standard authentication. A related concept is the Out-of-Box Experience (OOBE), describing the first-run setup flow users encounter.

Style notes: the standard form is "out-of-the-box" with hyphens; "out of the box" is also correct in running text; "outofbox" is occasionally used in branding or file names but is not standard prose. While many products are designed to work out of the box, some may require updates, activation, or account setup to unlock full features, and user needs may vary.

See also: plug-and-play, default settings, first-run experience.