> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://arize-ax.mintlify.site/docs/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# xAI Grok

> Trace xAI Grok API calls with OpenInference and send spans to Arize AX for LLM observability.

[xAI](https://x.ai/api) provides Grok models through an API that is compatible with the OpenAI SDK. Set the OpenAI client's `base_url` to `https://api.x.ai/v1` and use [`openinference-instrumentation-openai`](https://github.com/Arize-ai/openinference/tree/main/python/instrumentation/openinference-instrumentation-openai) to send Grok traces to Arize AX.

<Note>
  This page instruments OpenAI SDK calls to xAI's API. It is not a separate xAI-specific OpenInference instrumentor.
</Note>

## Prerequisites

* Python 3.9+
* An Arize AX account ([sign up](https://arize.com/sign-up/))
* An `XAI_API_KEY` from xAI

## Launch Arize

1. Sign in to your [Arize AX account](https://app.arize.com/).
2. From **Space Settings**, copy your **Space ID** and **API Key**. You will set them as `ARIZE_SPACE_ID` and `ARIZE_API_KEY` below.

## Install

```bash theme={"theme":{"light":"github-light-default","dark":"github-dark-default"}}
pip install arize-otel openinference-instrumentation-openai openai
```

## Configure credentials

```bash theme={"theme":{"light":"github-light-default","dark":"github-dark-default"}}
export ARIZE_SPACE_ID="<your-space-id>"
export ARIZE_API_KEY="<your-api-key>"
export ARIZE_PROJECT_NAME="xai-grok-tracing-example"
export XAI_API_KEY="<your-xai-api-key>"
```

## Setup tracing

```python theme={"theme":{"light":"github-light-default","dark":"github-dark-default"}}
# instrumentation.py
import os

from arize.otel import register
from openinference.instrumentation.openai import OpenAIInstrumentor

tracer_provider = register(
    space_id=os.environ["ARIZE_SPACE_ID"],
    api_key=os.environ["ARIZE_API_KEY"],
    project_name=os.environ["ARIZE_PROJECT_NAME"],
)

OpenAIInstrumentor().instrument(tracer_provider=tracer_provider)
print("Arize AX tracing initialized for xAI Grok.")
```

## Run xAI Grok

```python theme={"theme":{"light":"github-light-default","dark":"github-dark-default"}}
# example.py

# Importing instrumentation first ensures tracing is set up
# before `openai` is imported.
from instrumentation import tracer_provider

import os

from openai import OpenAI

client = OpenAI(
    base_url="https://api.x.ai/v1",
    api_key=os.environ["XAI_API_KEY"],
)

response = client.chat.completions.create(
    model="grok-4.6",
    messages=[
        {
            "role": "user",
            "content": "What can traces reveal about a failed AI agent run?",
        },
    ],
)

print(response.choices[0].message.content)
```

### Expected output

```text wrap theme={"theme":{"light":"github-light-default","dark":"github-dark-default"}}
Arize AX tracing initialized for xAI Grok.
Traces can reveal the prompt, model response, tool calls, retrieved context, latency, token usage, and errors that led to the failed agent run.
```

## Verify in Arize

1. Open your Arize AX space and select project **`xai-grok-tracing-example`**.
2. You should see a new trace within \~30 seconds containing a `ChatCompletion` LLM span with prompt, response, model, token, and latency metadata.
3. If no traces appear, see [Troubleshooting](#troubleshooting).

### Check from the skill, CLI, or SDK

Confirm spans are actually reaching your Arize AX project. Use whichever fits your workflow — the skill and CLI work for any framework; the SDK check is shown for each language.

<Tabs>
  <Tab title="Arize skill (agent)">
    Install the [Arize Skills](https://github.com/Arize-ai/arize-skills) plugin and let your coding agent check for you:

    ```bash theme={"theme":{"light":"github-light-default","dark":"github-dark-default"}}
    npx skills add Arize-ai/arize-skills
    ```

    Then prompt your agent:

    > Use the `arize-trace` skill to export and analyze recent traces from my project. Confirm spans are arriving, and summarize any errors or latency issues.
  </Tab>

  <Tab title="AX CLI">
    Export recent spans for your project — any rows mean traces are landing:

    ```bash theme={"theme":{"light":"github-light-default","dark":"github-dark-default"}}
    ax spans export "$ARIZE_PROJECT_NAME" --space "$ARIZE_SPACE_ID" \
      --limit 5 --stdout | jq 'length'
    ```

    A non-zero count confirms spans reached Arize AX. Run `ax auth login` first if you have not authenticated. See the [`ax spans` reference](/docs/api-clients/cli/spans).
  </Tab>

  <Tab title="SDK">
    Query the project's spans and check that at least one came back.

    <CodeGroup>
      ```python Python theme={"theme":{"light":"github-light-default","dark":"github-dark-default"}}
      import os
      from arize import ArizeClient

      client = ArizeClient(api_key=os.environ["ARIZE_API_KEY"])
      resp = client.spans.list(
          project=os.environ["ARIZE_PROJECT_NAME"],
          space=os.environ["ARIZE_SPACE_ID"],
          limit=5,
      )
      count = len(resp.spans)
      print(
          f"{count} span(s) found" if count else "No spans yet — recheck setup"
      )
      ```

      ```typescript TypeScript theme={"theme":{"light":"github-light-default","dark":"github-dark-default"}}
      // Reads ARIZE_API_KEY from the environment.
      import { listSpans } from "@arizeai/ax-client";

      const { data: spans } = await listSpans({
        project: process.env.ARIZE_PROJECT_NAME!,
        space: process.env.ARIZE_SPACE_ID!,
        limit: 5,
      });
      const count = spans.length;
      console.log(
        count ? `${count} span(s) found` : "No spans yet — recheck setup",
      );
      ```

      ```go Go theme={"theme":{"light":"github-light-default","dark":"github-dark-default"}}
      client, err := arize.NewClient(
          arize.Config{APIKey: os.Getenv("ARIZE_API_KEY")},
      )
      if err != nil {
          log.Fatal(err)
      }
      resp, err := client.Spans.List(ctx, spans.ListRequest{
          Project: os.Getenv("ARIZE_PROJECT_NAME"),
          Space:   os.Getenv("ARIZE_SPACE_ID"),
          Limit:   5,
      })
      if err != nil {
          log.Fatal(err)
      }
      fmt.Printf("%d span(s) found\n", len(resp.Spans))
      ```
    </CodeGroup>

    SDK span references: [Python](/docs/api-clients/python/version-8/client-resources/spans) · [TypeScript](/docs/api-clients/typescript/version-1/client-resources/spans) · [Go](/docs/api-clients/go/version-2/client-resources/spans).
  </Tab>
</Tabs>

## Troubleshooting

* **No traces in Arize.** Confirm `ARIZE_SPACE_ID` and `ARIZE_API_KEY` are set in the same shell that runs `example.py`.
* **xAI spans missing but other spans present.** `OpenAIInstrumentor().instrument(...)` must run before any `import openai`.
* **`401` from xAI.** Use your xAI API key, not your OpenAI or Arize API key.
* **Model not found.** Replace `grok-4.6` with a Grok model available in your xAI account.

## Resources

<CardGroup>
  <Card icon="book-open" href="https://docs.x.ai/developers/quickstart" title="xAI Quickstart" horizontal />

  <Card icon="terminal" href="https://github.com/Arize-ai/openinference/tree/main/python/instrumentation/openinference-instrumentation-openai" title="OpenInference OpenAI Instrumentor" horizontal />

  <Card icon="scale-balanced" href="https://arize.com/resources/llm-evaluation/" title="LLM Evaluation Guide" horizontal />

  <Card icon="robot" href="https://arize.com/guides/ai-agent-handbook/agent-evaluation/" title="Agent Evaluation Guide" horizontal />
</CardGroup>