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xAI ​

xAI is one provider with API-key and OAuth auth modes. OAuth works with models available to a SuperGrok or X Premium+ subscription. For shared concepts such as credential storage and model selection, see authentication and models.

At a glance ​

MethodProviderAuthEnvironment override
API keyxaixai-api-keyXAI_API_KEY
OAuthxaixai-oauthXAI_ACCESS_TOKEN

Both modes use https://api.x.ai/v1 and the static model allowlist maintained by Rho.

Sign in ​

Run /login, select xAI, then choose API Key or OAuth. /login xai opens the same method picker. You can also target either method directly:

text
/login xai-api-key
/login xai-oauth

API-key login opens a masked key entry box. /login xai-oauth opens Rho's browser-based xAI OAuth flow, or automatically uses xAI's device-code flow in SSH and headless environments. You can also request the OAuth device-code flow explicitly:

bash
rho login xai-oauth --device-auth

Credentials are stored in the configured credential store, not in config or transcripts.

Sign out ​

Delete the stored credential for one method at a time:

text
/logout xai-api-key
/logout xai-oauth

If the corresponding environment override is still present, that method stays available.

Environment overrides ​

bash
XAI_API_KEY=...
XAI_ACCESS_TOKEN=...

XAI_API_KEY selects API-key authentication. XAI_ACCESS_TOKEN is the OAuth CI/development override. Environment variables override stored credentials for their respective methods. For normal interactive setup, prefer /login.

Models ​

xAI uses a static allowlist rather than a refreshable API list: grok-4.5, grok-build-0.1, grok-composer-2.5-fast, and grok-4.3. Both auth modes use the same provider model reference:

text
/model xai/grok-4.5

For a non-interactive run, pass the provider, matching auth mode, and model. These flags also update the persistent default:

bash
rho --provider xai --auth xai-api-key --model grok-4.5 run "hello"
rho --provider xai --auth xai-oauth --model grok-4.5 run "hello"

The retired xai-oauth provider value remains a compatibility alias. Config, CLI flags, favorites, and model references normalize it to provider = "xai" with auth = "xai-oauth".

Provide the matching environment override or log in once so Rho can read the stored credential.

Notes ​

  • With OAuth, the statusline estimates an equivalent API cost from models.dev pricing (including long-context rate tiers when available) and labels it (sub).
  • /limits reports the usage windows for xAI OAuth when you are logged in.
  • Both auth modes attach xAI's hosted x_search tool on every Responses create turn. Hosted X Search is a provider amenity outside the agent tool allowlist: it remains available even when client tools are restricted or empty, and disappears as soon as the session switches away from xAI. It is independent of the client web_search tool. Activity streams as typed HostedToolActivity { name: "x_search", detail } run events.
  • Both auth modes use xAI server-side context compaction (POST /v1/responses/compact) when automatic or manual compaction runs. The compact request body is only model plus full input (system messages included). The response is a single encrypted compaction item that replaces the prior window; host-owned system prompts are still retained client-side for portable handoff. The encrypted item only replays on a compatible xAI Responses turn for the same provider identity and model.