Overview
Thex_search tool queries the live X platform using Grok’s native integration. This is not keyword scraping — it is semantic search against real-time X content with access to the full X firehose via the xAI Responses API.
X Search enables:
- Monitoring specific accounts or excluding certain voices
- Filtering by date range
- Analyzing embedded images and videos in posts
- Real-time intelligence gathering from X conversations
Available Flags
X Search supports several flags to refine your queries:Focus on specific accounts. Provide comma-separated handles (max 10). The
@ symbol is optional.Example: --handles saylor,jack or --handles @naval,@elonmuskConstraint: Cannot be combined with --exclude.Exclude specific accounts from results. Provide comma-separated handles (max 10).Example:
--exclude openai,googleConstraint: Cannot be combined with --handles.Start date for search range in
YYYY-MM-DD format.Example: --from 2026-02-25End date for search range in
YYYY-MM-DD format.Example: --to 2026-03-04Enable image understanding for posts containing charts, screenshots, memes, and other visual content.Short form:
-iExample: --images or -iEnable video understanding for posts containing video content. This is an X Search exclusive feature.Short form:
-vExample: --videos or -vNote: Only works with x_search. Has no effect when combined with --web alone.Examples
Basic handle monitoring
Handle monitoring with video analysis
@atrupar — Weekly Summary (Feb 25 – Mar 4, 2026) Aaron Rupar posted 34 times this week, with a sharp focus on Congressional hearings and White House press briefings. Video content accounted for 22 of 34 posts. Notable posts:“Watching the press secretary explain why the administration doesn’t consider this a constitutional crisis is genuinely surreal.” — Feb 26, 2026 · 41K likes · 18K repostsVideo frame analysis: 47-second clip from the White House briefing room. Speaker at the podium, four reporters visible with raised hands. Chyron at bottom reads “LIVE: White House Press Briefing.” No visual aids or slides present. Engagement trend: Repost-to-like ratio averaged 0.44 this week, above his 90-day baseline of 0.31 — indicating unusually high amplification of his content.
Multiple handles with image analysis
Date range filtering
Excluding accounts
Constraints:
--handlesand--excludeaccept a maximum of 10 handles each--handlesand--excludecannot be combined in the same query- Date values must be in
YYYY-MM-DDformat --videosonly works withx_search(not with--webalone)
Use Cases
- Account monitoring: Track what specific accounts are posting about
- Competitor intelligence: Monitor industry voices and emerging narratives
- Event tracking: Follow real-time reactions to announcements or breaking news
- Sentiment analysis: Understand how X users are reacting to topics
- Visual content analysis: Analyze charts, screenshots, and video clips shared in posts