xai-auth
xAI Grok API authentication and setup. Use when configuring xAI API access, setting up API keys, or troubleshooting authentication issues.
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The canonical home for this skill is xai-auth in fernandezbaptiste/Skrillz
xAI Grok API Authentication
Complete guide for setting up and managing xAI API authentication for Grok models with Twitter/X integration.
Quick Start
1. Get API Key
- Go to console.x.ai
- Sign in with your X (Twitter) account
- Navigate to "API Keys" section
- Click "Create API Key"
- Copy and save the key (starts with
xai-)
2. Set Environment Variable
# Add to .bashrc, .zshrc, or .env
export XAI_API_KEY="xai-your-key-here"3. Test Connection
curl https://api.x.ai/v1/models \
-H "Authorization: Bearer $XAI_API_KEY"Authentication Methods
Method 1: Environment Variable (Recommended)
import os
from openai import OpenAI
client = OpenAI(
api_key=os.getenv("XAI_API_KEY"),
base_url="https://api.x.ai/v1"
)Method 2: Direct Key
from openai import OpenAI
client = OpenAI(
api_key="xai-your-key-here",
base_url="https://api.x.ai/v1"
)Method 3: Using xai-sdk
from xai_sdk import Client
client = Client(api_key=os.getenv("XAI_API_KEY"))API Compatibility
xAI API is fully compatible with OpenAI SDK:
# Just change base_url - everything else works the same
from openai import OpenAI
client = OpenAI(
api_key=os.getenv("XAI_API_KEY"),
base_url="https://api.x.ai/v1" # Only difference
)
response = client.chat.completions.create(
model="grok-3-fast", # Use Grok models
messages=[{"role": "user", "content": "Hello!"}]
)Free Credits
$150/Month Free Credits
- Go to console.x.ai
- Navigate to Settings → Data Sharing
- Enable data sharing opt-in
- Receive $150/month in API credits
Credit Usage
| Action | Cost |
|---|---|
| Grok 4.1 Fast (input) | $0.20/1M tokens |
| Grok 4.1 Fast (output) | $0.50/1M tokens |
| X Search / Web Search | $5/1,000 calls |
| Code Execution | $5/1,000 calls |
Configuration File
Create .env.xai:
# xAI API Configuration
XAI_API_KEY=xai-your-key-here
XAI_BASE_URL=https://api.x.ai/v1
XAI_DEFAULT_MODEL=grok-3-fastError Handling
Common Errors
| Error | Cause | Solution |
|---|---|---|
no credits | No credits on account | Add credits or enable free tier |
invalid_api_key | Wrong or expired key | Generate new key at console.x.ai |
rate_limit_exceeded | Too many requests | Implement backoff, reduce frequency |
model_not_found | Invalid model name | Check available models |
Python Error Handling
from openai import OpenAI, APIError, RateLimitError
client = OpenAI(
api_key=os.getenv("XAI_API_KEY"),
base_url="https://api.x.ai/v1"
)
try:
response = client.chat.completions.create(
model="grok-3-fast",
messages=[{"role": "user", "content": "Hello"}]
)
except RateLimitError:
print("Rate limit hit, waiting...")
time.sleep(60)
except APIError as e:
print(f"API error: {e}")Security Best Practices
- Never commit API keys to git
- Use environment variables instead of hardcoding
- Rotate keys regularly via console.x.ai
- Use separate keys for dev/prod environments
- Add to .gitignore:
.env .env.* **/secrets.*
Rate Limits
| Model | Requests/Min | Tokens/Min |
|---|---|---|
| Grok 4.1 Fast | 60 | 100,000 |
| Grok 4 | 30 | 50,000 |
| Grok 3 Mini | 100 | 200,000 |
Endpoints
| Endpoint | Description |
|---|---|
https://api.x.ai/v1/chat/completions | Chat completions |
https://api.x.ai/v1/models | List available models |
https://api.x.ai/v1/responses | Agent Tools API |
Related Skills
xai-models- Model selection guidexai-x-search- Twitter/X searchxai-sentiment- Sentiment analysis
References
- Repository
- fernandezbaptiste/Skrillz
- Commit
93ed392
- Last updated
- First committed
Canonical home
fernandezbaptiste/Skrillz
In sync
since Sep 12, 2026
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