xAI Developer Guide: Building with the Free Grok API

Introduction

xAI has launched their API with a generous free tier, giving developers access to Grok, a powerful language model inspired by The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy. This guide will show you how to get started using both curl and Node.js.

Quick Setup

1. Getting Your API Key

• Sign up at https://console.x.ai/
• Receive $25 in free credits
• No credit card required during beta

2. Making Your First API Call

You can interact with the API using either curl or the OpenAI-compatible SDK.

Using Curl

curl https://api.x.ai/v1/chat/completions \
-H "Content-Type: application/json" \
-H "Authorization: Bearer $XAI_API_KEY" \
-d '{
  "messages": [
    {
      "role": "system",
      "content": "You are Grok, a chatbot inspired by the Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy."
    },
    {
      "role": "user",
      "content": "What is the meaning of life, the universe, and everything?"
    }
  ],
  "model": "grok-beta",
  "stream": false,
  "temperature": 0
}'

Using Node.js with OpenAI SDK

import OpenAI from "openai";

const openai = new OpenAI({
  apiKey: "<api key>",
  baseURL: "https://api.x.ai/v1",
});

const completion = await openai.chat.completions.create({
  model: "grok-beta",
  messages: [
    {
      role: "system",
      content:
        "You are Grok, a chatbot inspired by the Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy.",
    },
    {
      role: "user",
      content: "What is the meaning of life, the universe, and everything?",
    },
  ],
});

console.log(completion.choices[0].message);

Core Features

API Parameters

{
  "model": "grok-beta",      // The model to use
  "messages": [],            // Array of message objects
  "stream": false,           // Enable/disable streaming
  "temperature": 0           // Controls randomness (0-1)
}

Message Structure

{
  "role": "system" | "user" | "assistant",  // Message role
  "content": string                         // Message content
}

Implementation Examples

Basic Chat Implementation

async function chatWithGrok(userMessage) {
  const openai = new OpenAI({
    apiKey: process.env.XAI_API_KEY,
    baseURL: "https://api.x.ai/v1",
  });

  try {
    const completion = await openai.chat.completions.create({
      model: "grok-beta",
      messages: [
        {
          role: "system",
          content: "You are Grok, a helpful AI assistant.",
        },
        {
          role: "user",
          content: userMessage,
        },
      ],
    });

    return completion.choices[0].message;
  } catch (error) {
    console.error("Error:", error);
    throw error;
  }
}

With Error Handling

async function robustChatWithGrok(userMessage, maxRetries = 3) {
  for (let attempt = 0; attempt < maxRetries; attempt++) {
    try {
      return await chatWithGrok(userMessage);
    } catch (error) {
      if (error.status === 429) {
        // Rate limit error
        const waitTime = Math.pow(2, attempt) * 1000;
        await new Promise((resolve) => setTimeout(resolve, waitTime));
        continue;
      }
      throw error;
    }
  }
  throw new Error("Max retries exceeded");
}

Best Practices

1. Environment Variables

// .env
XAI_API_KEY = your - api - key - here;

// code
import dotenv from "dotenv";
dotenv.config();

2. Rate Limiting

import rateLimit from "express-rate-limit";

const limiter = rateLimit({
  windowMs: 60 * 1000, // 1 minute
  max: 50, // limit each IP to 50 requests per minute
});

app.use("/api/chat", limiter);

3. Error Handling

try {
  const response = await openai.chat.completions.create({
    model: "grok-beta",
    messages: messages,
  });
} catch (error) {
  if (error.response) {
    console.error(error.response.status);
    console.error(error.response.data);
  } else {
    console.error(error.message);
  }
}

Security Tips

1. Never expose your API key

   • Use environment variables
   • Add .env to .gitignore
   • Rotate keys regularly

2. Validate Input

function sanitizeInput(userInput) {
  if (typeof userInput !== "string") {
    throw new Error("Invalid input type");
  }
  return userInput.trim().slice(0, 1000); // Limit length
}

Getting Help

• Documentation: docs.x.ai
• Support: support@x.ai
• Community Forum: community.x.ai

Next Steps

1. Set up your development environment
2. Make test API calls
3. Implement error handling
4. Add rate limiting
5. Deploy your application

Conclusion

The xAI API offers a powerful way to integrate Grok into your applications. With the free tier and straightforward implementation options, you can start building immediately.

Remember to:

• Keep your API key secure
• Implement proper error handling
• Monitor your usage
• Follow rate limiting guidelines

Happy building!

For the latest updates and detailed documentation, visit the official xAI documentation.