Search X with Hermes and xAI

x_search asks xAI's Responses API to search public X posts, profiles, and threads, then returns a synthesized answer with citation channels. Use it for current discussion on X; use normal web search for general pages and the xurl skill for exact authenticated reads or state-changing actions.

Configure the read-only tool

The tool can authenticate through SuperGrok/X Premium+ OAuth or an XAI_API_KEY. OAuth is preferred when both are available. Enable the tool in hermes tools, then configure a supported Grok model, timeout, and retry policy if defaults do not fit the workload.

Filters include up to ten allowed or excluded handles, start and end dates, and optional image or video understanding. Allowed and excluded lists are mutually exclusive. Date values use YYYY-MM-DD; the start cannot be after the end or later than today UTC.

Interpret the evidence

A result can contain top-level citations and inline URL annotations. When narrowing filters were used and both citation channels are empty, Hermes marks the result degraded: true. That means the answer may come from model knowledge rather than matching X-index evidence. Treat it as unsourced and widen the date range, check the handle, retry later, or use an exact API read.

Research checklist

• Use x_search only when X-specific discussion matters.
• State handles without relying on a leading @.
• Use a defensible UTC date window.
• Preserve source URLs with the resulting claim.
• Reject degraded filtered results as proof.
• Switch to xurl before any reply, like, DM, or post.

Pitfalls

A broad answer with no citations is not automatically marked degraded unless filters were active, so inspect evidence even when the flag is false. Search output can never prove that an authenticated account changed state. Unsupported models hide or reject server-side X search, and revoked OAuth can remove the tool from the schema entirely.

Verification steps

1. Confirm x_search appears in the active tool list.
2. Run one broad query and inspect both citation fields.
3. Run a handle-filtered query with a known recent post.
4. Deliberately use an empty date window and confirm degraded handling.
5. Open cited URLs and verify they support the summarized claim.

See the official X Search guide for current parameters, authentication precedence, and response fields.