Grok - External Knowledge Query

Use Grok AI to fetch real-time information, latest news, and external knowledge that may not be in your training data.

Prerequisites

Before using this skill, ensure the following:

1. 1. OpenClaw browser enabled — verify with:

   openclaw browser status
   

1. 2. Logged in to grok.com — the user must have already logged in to grok.com in the OpenClaw browser. This skill cannot handle login flows automatically.
2. Grok account — a free-tier Grok account is sufficient for basic queries; SuperGrok is not required.

When to Use This Skill

Activate when the user:

• - Needs real-time information (news, events, product status)
• Wants reasoning and synthesis beyond what web_search can provide
• Needs multi-turn conversational research
• Asks to verify uncertain knowledge against up-to-date sources

Workflow

Step 1: Open Grok (or Reuse Existing Tab)

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If a grok.com tab already exists, directly switch to it:

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If not, open a new tab:

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Both return a target id — keep this for all subsequent calls.

Step 2: Snapshot & Check Page State

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After taking a snapshot, check for two things before proceeding:

1. 1. Popups / banners blocking the page (see Step 2a)
2. The input box (see Step 2b)

Step 2a: Handle Popups and Banners

Common obstructions:

• - "Upgrade to SuperGrok" banner
• Login prompts
• Cookie consent dialogs

If you see any popup or banner in the snapshot:

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Or try pressing Escape to dismiss overlays:

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Step 2b: Locate the Input Box

The Grok input box is a contenteditable div (ProseMirror editor) at the bottom of the page. In snapshot output, look for a paragraph element with placeholder text such as "How can I help you today?" (or its localized equivalent).

If you can't find the input box:

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Step 3: Type Question

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Step 4: Click Send Button

Important: Grok uses Enter for newline, NOT for sending. You must click the send button (the circular ⬆ icon button to the right of the input box).

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Do NOT use press Enter or --submit — they only insert a newline in Grok's input box.

Step 5: Wait for Response and Capture

While Grok is generating, a "Stop response" button replaces the voice button next to the input box. When it disappears, the response is complete. A "Regenerate" button appearing confirms completion.

Important: Do NOT use wait --text-gone or wait --fn with long timeouts — the browser tool call has a timeout limit and will fail before the wait finishes. Use short waits + snapshot polling instead.

Poll until response is complete:

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Repeat the wait-then-snapshot cycle until you see completion indicators or 5 minutes have elapsed:

• - Done: "Regenerate", "Read aloud", "Copy" buttons appear
• Still generating: "Stop response" button is present, or content is still growing
• Timeout: If 5 minutes pass with no completion, stop polling and inform the user that the Grok response timed out

Note on localized UI: Button text depends on Grok UI language:

• - English: "Stop response" / "Regenerate"
• Chinese: "停止模型响应" / "Regenerate"

Handling Image Responses

If the snapshot contains img elements in the response area (e.g. from Grok's Imagine feature), extract the image URL:

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Multi-turn Conversation

Stay in the same tab to maintain conversation context. Grok understands follow-up questions that reference earlier messages.

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Note: The input box and submit button refs change between turns — always snapshot to get fresh refs before typing or clicking.

Error Handling

Problem	Solution
Popup / banner blocking	INLINECODE8, find close button ref, click it; or INLINECODE10
Input box not found

press Escape, re-snapshot; or scrollintoview | | Login required | Ask user to log in to grok.com manually, then openclaw browser navigate https://grok.com | | Page not loading | openclaw browser navigate https://grok.com or re-open | | Response incomplete | Increase wait time, take multiple snapshots to confirm | | Clicked wrong element | Re-snapshot to get fresh refs | | "Unknown ref" error | The ref is stale — page has changed since last snapshot. Run a new snapshot and use refs from that result. Never reuse refs from a previous snapshot. | | Free tier quota exceeded | Inform user their Grok quota is used up; wait for reset or upgrade to SuperGrok | | CAPTCHA / human verification | Cannot be automated; ask user to complete it manually, then retry | | "Something went wrong" mid-response | Re-send the question or reload the page and try again | | "Continue generating" button | Click the button to resume generation, then continue polling | | Session expired / redirected to login | Ask user to re-login in the browser, then reload grok.com | | Multiple grok.com tabs open | Use tabs to list all, pick the correct one by URL or title | | DeepSearch UI differs | Completion indicator may differ; poll snapshot and look for source count or result summary instead of "Regenerate" | | Accidentally opened model selector | press Escape to close the dropdown, then re-snapshot | | Tab closed or browser killed mid-response | Start over: openclaw browser open https://grok.com and re-send the question |

Common Use Cases

• - Quick fact check: "What is the capital of France?"
• Latest news: "What are the top tech news today?"
• Real-time info: "What's the current status of [event]?"
• Complex research: Break into multiple queries in the same session

Tips

• - Session persistence: Stay in the same tab for multi-turn conversations
• Must click send: Grok's Enter key is newline, always click the ⬆ send button to submit
• Long responses: May need to scroll down and take additional snapshots
• Pre-login: User should be logged in to grok.com beforehand for best results
• Screenshot: Use openclaw browser screenshot if you need visual confirmation

Alternative: Direct Web Search

For simpler queries, consider using web_search tool first (faster, no browser needed).

Use Grok when you need:

• - Reasoning and synthesis
• Multi-step analysis
• Conversational follow-up
• Complex explanations