Adding Your API Key
Grok-X requires an xAI API key to communicate with the Grok Responses API. Add your key to Claude Code’s settings file:
Open settings.json
Edit ~/.claude/settings.json (create it if it doesn’t exist).
Add your API key
Add the following configuration:{
"env": {
"XAI_API_KEY": "xai-your-key-here",
"GROK_X_DEFAULT_MODEL": "grok-4-1-fast-reasoning"
}
}
xai-your-key-here with your actual API key. Keep your API key secure. Never commit settings.json to version control or share it publicly.
Configuration Options
XAI_API_KEY (Required)
Your xAI API key for authenticating requests to the Grok API.
{
"env": {
"XAI_API_KEY": "xai-your-key-here"
}
}
GROK_X_DEFAULT_MODEL (Optional)
The default Grok model to use for queries. If omitted, the skill defaults to grok-4-1-fast-reasoning.
{
"env": {
"XAI_API_KEY": "xai-your-key-here",
"GROK_X_DEFAULT_MODEL": "grok-4-1-fast-reasoning"
}
}
You can override the model per-query using the --fast or --deep flags, regardless of this setting.
Getting an xAI API Key
To obtain an API key from xAI:
Sign in
Sign in with your X (Twitter) account.
Navigate to API Keys
Click API Keys in the left sidebar.
Create a new key
Click Create key to generate a new API key.
Copy and save
Copy the key (it begins with xai-) and add it to ~/.claude/settings.json as shown above.
xAI API keys always begin with the prefix xai-.
Verifying Configuration
To verify your configuration is working correctly, try running a simple query from within Claude Code:
/grok-x "What is trending on X today?"
If you see an error about XAI_API_KEY environment variable not set, double-check that your settings.json file is properly formatted and located at ~/.claude/settings.json.
Next Steps
With Grok-X configured, you’re ready to start using it! Check the Usage guide to learn about all available commands and features.
