Grok CLI

Use Grok CLI with NanoGPT to access Grok models and 50+ other models through a single API key.

Get started with NanoGPT for pay-as-you-go pricing with no monthly fees.

NanoGPT provides an OpenAI-compatible endpoint that works with the Grok CLI. This lets you:

Use Grok CLI with your NanoGPT credits
Access Grok models without a separate xAI account
Use any other NanoGPT model through the same CLI

Step 1: Install Grok CLI

# Install Grok CLI
npm install -g @vibe-kit/grok-cli

# Verify installation
grok --version

Note: If you encounter permission issues during installation, try using sudo (macOS/Linux) or running the command prompt as an administrator (Windows) to re-execute the installation command.

Step 2: Configure NanoGPT

Get API Key

Go to NanoGPT API
Create an account or log in
Copy your API key

Set Required Environment Variables

Grok CLI reads these environment variables:

Variable	Value	Description
`GROK_BASE_URL`	`https://nano-gpt.com/api/v1`	NanoGPT OpenAI-compatible endpoint
`GROK_API_KEY`	`sk-nano-YOUR-API-KEY`	Your NanoGPT API key

macOS & Linux
Windows PowerShell
Windows Cmd

export GROK_BASE_URL="https://nano-gpt.com/api/v1"
export GROK_API_KEY="sk-nano-YOUR-API-KEY"

$env:GROK_BASE_URL = "https://nano-gpt.com/api/v1"
$env:GROK_API_KEY = "sk-nano-YOUR-API-KEY"

set GROK_BASE_URL=https://nano-gpt.com/api/v1
set GROK_API_KEY=sk-nano-YOUR-API-KEY

Replace sk-nano-YOUR-API-KEY with your actual API key. Open a new terminal for changes to take effect if you set persistent variables.

Optional: Make It Persistent

Add the variables to your shell profile (for example, ~/.zshrc or ~/.bashrc):

echo 'export GROK_BASE_URL="https://nano-gpt.com/api/v1"' >> ~/.zshrc
echo 'export GROK_API_KEY="sk-nano-YOUR-API-KEY"' >> ~/.zshrc
source ~/.zshrc

Step 3: Start Using Grok CLI

Launch Grok CLI with a specific model:

grok --model grok-3

Since you are connected to NanoGPT, you can use any available model:

# Grok models
grok --model grok-3
grok --model grok-3-fast
grok --model grok-3-mini

# Other providers through NanoGPT
grok --model openai/gpt-5.2
grok --model anthropic/claude-opus-4.5
grok --model google/gemini-3-flash-preview

Model names are listed on our pricing page.

Available Grok Models

Model	Description
`grok-3`	xAI flagship model
`grok-3-fast`	Faster, more cost-effective version
`grok-3-mini`	Lightweight version

Known Limitations

Grok CLI has limited compatibility with thinking or reasoning models. When you use a thinking model, the full reasoning content may be shown in the output. If you want first-party CLI support for NanoGPT, consider Claude Code or Codex CLI.

Troubleshooting

Issue	Solution
`401 Unauthorized`	Check your API key is correct and has credits
`GROK_BASE_URL not set`	Ensure the environment variable is exported
`Model not found`	Verify the model name at nano-gpt.com/pricing
`Command not found: grok`	Run `npm install -g @vibe-kit/grok-cli` again
Thinking content flooding output	Use a non-thinking model variant

FAQ

Is Grok CLI official xAI software?

No. Grok CLI is a third-party package. NanoGPT works with it by providing an OpenAI-compatible endpoint.

Can I access Grok models from other clients?

Yes. You can use Grok models from Claude Code, Cursor, or any OpenAI-compatible client by setting the base URL to NanoGPT.

API Details (Reference)

Setting	Value
Base URL	`https://nano-gpt.com/api/v1`
Chat Completions Endpoint	`POST /chat/completions`
Models Endpoint	`GET /models`
Auth Header	`Authorization: Bearer sk-nano-...`

Example cURL (verify connection)

curl -X POST "https://nano-gpt.com/api/v1/chat/completions" \
  -H "Authorization: Bearer sk-nano-YOUR-API-KEY" \
  -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
  -d '{
    "model": "grok-3-fast",
    "messages": [{"role": "user", "content": "Hello!"}]
  }'

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Grok CLI

Grok CLI

Step 1: Install Grok CLI

Step 2: Configure NanoGPT

Step 3: Start Using Grok CLI

Available Grok Models

Known Limitations

Troubleshooting

FAQ

Is Grok CLI official xAI software?

Can I access Grok models from other clients?

API Details (Reference)

Example cURL (verify connection)

​Grok CLI

​Step 1: Install Grok CLI

​Step 2: Configure NanoGPT

​Step 3: Start Using Grok CLI

​Available Grok Models

​Known Limitations

​Troubleshooting

​FAQ

​Is Grok CLI official xAI software?

​Can I access Grok models from other clients?

​API Details (Reference)

​Example cURL (verify connection)

Grok CLI

Step 1: Install Grok CLI

Step 2: Configure NanoGPT

Step 3: Start Using Grok CLI

Available Grok Models

Known Limitations

Troubleshooting

FAQ

Is Grok CLI official xAI software?

Can I access Grok models from other clients?

API Details (Reference)

Example cURL (verify connection)