How to Use OpenClaw Grok Search

Grok Search in OpenClaw uses xAI web-grounded responses. Like Gemini grounding, it produces an AI-synthesized answer with citations instead of a normal list of results. The same xAI key can also power x_search for X/Twitter post search, which makes Grok useful for operators who care about both web context and public X signals.

30-second answer

Set XAI_API_KEY in the Gateway environment or configure plugins.entries.xai.config.webSearch.apiKey, then set tools.web.search.provider to grok. Use query as the main parameter. count is accepted for compatibility, but Grok still returns one synthesized answer with citations.

Onboarding flow

The docs say that if you choose Grok during openclaw onboard or openclaw configure --section web, OpenClaw can show a follow-up step to enable x_search with the same XAI_API_KEY. That follow-up appears only after Grok is chosen for web_search. It is not a separate top-level web provider choice.

x_search relationship

Grok web search and x_search are related but not identical. Grok Search is for web-grounded synthesized answers. x_search is the first-class X search path. For post-level X metrics such as reposts, replies, bookmarks, or views, the docs recommend x_search with the exact post URL or status ID instead of a broad query.

Supported parameters

Grok search supports query. Provider-specific filters are not currently supported. Use another provider if you need country, language, date, or domain filtering. Do not build automations that assume Grok count behaves like Brave or Exa result counts.

Good use cases

Use Grok when you want a cited answer, especially near X ecosystem research or fast current-event checks. Use structured providers when a workflow needs lists, filtering, or downstream URL-by-URL extraction.

Playbook angle

The Playbook pattern is to keep source type clear. Web-grounded answer and X post search are both useful, but they answer different operational questions.

Runbook checklist

Before you automate this, run one small acceptance test with harmless input. Confirm the tool is available to the right agent, the credential is loaded from config or environment, the output shape matches the workflow, and the failure message is understandable to a tired operator. If the feature touches money, public channels, logged-in browsers, host commands, or customer data, put a review step before the side effect. If it only reads data, still record the source and timestamp so future sessions do not treat stale context as fresh truth. Keep the first version narrow, then expand once the logs show the agent is choosing the right tool for the right reason. When the docs are incomplete, prefer a conservative sentence over a clever invented shortcut that future agents cannot reliably verify. Add one monitoring habit as well: after the first real run, check the transcript or logs for missing prerequisites, broad prompts, stale assumptions, and accidental side effects. Tighten the instruction while the failure is fresh. The best OpenClaw workflows improve in small, documented passes instead of one giant rewrite after something breaks in public. For SEO pages, that same discipline matters: do not promise hidden capabilities, paid-provider limits, or setup shortcuts unless the current docs say so. Trust compounds when the guide is accurate even in the boring operational edge cases that matter during real maintenance windows.

Operator note

How to Use OpenClaw Grok Search works best when it is written into a small runbook instead of treated as a magic switch. Record who owns the workflow, which config keys are allowed, which credentials are required, what the agent may do without approval, and what counts as a failure. OpenClaw gives agents broad tools, but the reliable version is boring: one source of truth, one verification step, and one rollback path when a provider or channel behaves differently than expected.