How Grok Bot works: setup, routines, approvals and shopping
A step-by-step look at what happens when you give a Grok Bot a job: the cloud computer it runs on, how it uses your apps, how routines and approvals work, and what the October 2026 update added.
You create a Bot, give it a job in plain words and connect the apps it needs. It works on a cloud computer that all your Bots share, uses apps first and a web browser when there is no app connection, pauses for your approval before sending, buying or deleting, and can repeat a job on a schedule or when an email arrives.
Getting started
- Get a plan that includes it. Premium or higher on The X Subscription, or an older plan that still qualifies (see pricing). Grok Bot uses a Cursor account to sign in.
- Install the app. The docs list Mac (Apple silicon and Intel), Windows, Linux, iPhone and iPad (iOS 18 or later) and Android 9 or later.
- Create your first Bot and give it a job. Describe the task in plain words, the same way you would brief a new assistant.
- Connect the apps it needs. Use “Connect apps” to add things like Google Workspace, Slack, Microsoft 365, Notion, GitHub or Jira. Nothing is connected by default.
- Watch the first runs. Keep approvals on, check what it does, and correct it in chat.
The cloud computer
Every account gets one persistent Linux computer in the cloud. All of your Bots share it, including its files, browser sessions and logins. Each Bot gets its own screen, so several can work at once, but each Bot runs one computer task at a time. Because the computer lives in the cloud, work carries on when your own laptop is off, and chats sync between your phone and desktop.
The flip side: the official FAQ says separate Bots are not a security boundary. If one Bot is signed in to something, the others can reach it too. Deleting a Bot does not automatically remove its files or logins from the shared computer.
Apps first, browser second
A Bot prefers proper connections (plugins and connectors) because they are faster and easier to check. When a website has no connection, it falls back to a real web browser on the cloud computer and clicks through the site like a person would. When a site needs your password, a two-factor code, a passkey or a CAPTCHA, you take over the screen yourself and hand control back with “I’m done”.
Skills and routines
When a job works well, you can save it as a skill (a reusable way of doing something) or a routine (a job that runs on its own). Routines can run on a schedule, and since the October 2026 update they can also start when an email arrives at a specific alias. The company also says a Bot can learn a routine by watching you do it once.
Approvals and safety checks
Bots pause for your approval before consequential actions: sending, publishing, buying and deleting. A separate automatic review, which the company calls Auto Review, checks sensitive actions before they run. You can set some actions to “Always allow” once you trust a Bot with them. We recommend keeping approvals on for anything that leaves your account, at least at first.
Shopping
Since August 28, 2026, a Bot can buy things online once you connect Stripe Link. You approve every spend, and for each payment the Bot gets a single-use card number, so it never sees your saved cards. At launch this was US only. In October, Elon Musk promoted letting Grok find the best price and place the order. Reports that Amazon blocks Grok Bots from ordering appeared on October 15, 2026; Amazon has not confirmed it publicly. See limits and problems.
Email addresses for Bots
In October 2026 Bots gained their own email addresses, and the October 16–17 update added aliases plus routines that fire only when mail reaches a given alias. That makes it possible to forward, say, invoices to one address and have a Bot file them. Details of the inbox feature were still thin in the official docs when we checked, so treat it as new.
Teams of Bots
Several Bots can run side by side, message each other and work in group chats, and one Bot can manage others. The official site lists ready-made roles in its marketplace, such as Sales Outbound, Expense Manager, Bug Reproduction and Chief of Staff. Be careful with Bots reviewing each other: one user reported their weekly usage jumping to 100% that way.
What changed in the October 2026 update
- Computer tasks about 3x faster on average, and quicker replies
- A cleaner interface with simpler chat cards, new themes and a new font
- Faster, more reliable voice calls and better memory of past chats
- Email aliases and email-triggered routines
- New connectors: Robinhood, Coinbase, Trello, PostHog, beehiiv and eToro, plus a marketplace where teams can submit their own
- X Chat support: connect your X account and the Bot can read and act on your X messages; tagging @bot in a post on X starts a task
- Notifications only on the device you are using
Questions people ask
Does Grok Bot work when my computer is off?
Yes. Bots run on a cloud computer, so scheduled jobs keep going when your laptop is closed.
Can Grok Bot see my passwords?
When a site needs a password, two-factor code or CAPTCHA, you take over the screen and type it yourself, then hand control back. But all your Bots share the same logins once you are signed in.
Can Grok Bot buy things without asking?
According to launch coverage there is no auto-approve mode for purchases: you approve every spend, and the Bot pays with a single-use card.