Grok Build coding agent

Use the Grok Build terminal coding agent to make one small change in an existing project. You will inspect the proposed work, review the changed files, and test the result before saving it.

Before you start

• A macOS, Linux, or WSL terminal and permission to install software. Native Windows users should follow the Windows tab in the current Grok Build documentation instead of the shell command below.
• A Grok account accepted by the CLI’s sign-in flow and access or billing confirmed for your account. Launch-plan descriptions may differ from current availability.
• A project copy or Git branch, a way to restore its current state, and its normal run and check instructions. Choose a small task, such as changing one page heading.

Want to do it yourself?

Difficulty

8 out of 10

Estimated completion time

1–2 hours for a small repository task

Skills you’ll need: Navigate project files, define a checkable coding change, and inspect the diff and test results.

I’ll do it myselfI’d rather get help

How this helps your brand

A reviewed heading edit helps keep your website’s wording aligned with the action you want visitors to take. Checking the running page and nearby behavior helps contain the change to its intended purpose.

1. 1

   Step 1: Protect your starting point

   Save your current work before opening the agent. Use a separate working copy if you do not know how to review and restore Git changes. Check that the project runs before asking for edits.

   Write one exact request: “Change the contact-page heading from Contact us to Plan your visit.” Note the current heading, the desired heading, and the page where you will check it. An unrelated broken build needs resolving or recording before you can judge this change.

   Illustrated exampleSet a baseline before the agent edits

   01

   Known starting pointContact page says “Contact us”

   Runs now

   02

   One requested editChange it to “Plan your visit”

   One heading

   Restore point

   Saved copy or a Git branch

   Check after

   Contact page + nearby link

2. 2

   Step 2: Install and sign in

   Open the current Grok Build documentation at docs.x.ai/build/overview and select the installation instructions for your system. For macOS, Linux, or WSL, the documented command is curl -fsSL https://x.ai/cli/install.sh | bash. It downloads and runs the installer; use it only after confirming the official address.

   In your terminal, change to your practice project folder, then run grok. Complete the browser authentication when it opens. If the command is unavailable after installation, reopen the terminal and check the installation instructions before retrying.

3. 3

   Step 3: Ask it to locate the change first

   Paste the prompt below into Grok Build. Start with an explanation of the project, the file containing the heading, and the intended edit. Ask it to read any project instructions and identify the existing check commands.

   For a task that needs a plan, use /plan followed by the request. Read the plan preview before approving it. Plan mode limits edit tools, but shell commands can still write files, so inspect command permission requests as well.

   Illustrated exampleReview the plan and each command request

   Before approval

   Read the proposed route

   1. Find the contact-page heading
   2. Read project instructions
   3. Identify the existing check

   Then: confirm the file and old text match.

   →

   At each permission prompt

   Inspect the command

   edit contact headingrun project checkinstall? pause and review

   Plan mode limits edit tools. Shell commands can still write files.

   A preview is a proposal. Check its target and commands before allowing work.

4. 4

   Step 4: Allow the specific change

   Confirm that the proposed file and old heading match the page you intended. Ask it to make the single wording change and leave unrelated edits alone.

   Keep the default permission prompts while you learn the tool. Read a proposed command before allowing it, especially if it installs dependencies or changes files. A small text edit should have a small explanation and a small diff.

5. 5

   Step 5: Review the diff and the running page

   Ask Grok Build to list every changed file and show the difference. Compare it with your starting point. Run the project’s relevant checks, then open the page and confirm the new heading appears.

   Check a neighboring link or action on the page as well. If a check fails, ask for the exact error, whether it occurred before the edit, and the smallest proposed repair. Do not treat a claimed success as a substitute for seeing the command result and the page.

   Illustrated exampleFollow the change from diff to page

   Changed file · contact page1 file · 1 line

   −Contact us

   +Plan your visit

   Does this match the exact page and wording you requested?

   ↓

   ✓

   Run the project checkRead the actual command result

   ↗

   Open the contact pageSee the new heading; test a nearby link

6. 6

   Step 6: Recover cleanly and save the result

   If the wrong heading changed, ask it to undo only its own edit and show the diff again. If you cannot confidently separate its edit from yours, return to the saved practice copy and start again with the precise page and text.

   When the intended page and checks pass, save the working version using your normal project workflow. Record what you tested. Publishing, pushing code, or deploying the project is a separate decision from finishing this local edit.

Help me make one small change in this project.

Page: [page or route]
Current heading: [exact old text]
New heading: [exact new text]

First read the project instructions, locate the heading, and tell me the file and the existing commands to run and check this project. Wait for me to confirm the target before editing. Do not install dependencies, publish, deploy, push code, or modify unrelated files.

After confirmation, make the smallest change. Show the diff and list every changed file. Run the relevant existing checks and report their actual results, including failures. Tell me how to open the page and verify the heading and one nearby interaction.