How to Add a Grok Bot Template (Step-by-Step)

You're looking at a Grok Bot template somewhere and wondering what happens when you click "add." This guide walks you through it, step by step.

A Grok Bot template is a packaged recipe: a bot's identity, description, skills, and routines, ready to install. When you add one, you create a fully independent copy that runs on your account's cloud computer. The creator cannot see it, push updates to it, or access anything you do with it. You own it completely from the moment you add it.

This is different from sharing a conversation or getting a prompt—you're getting an always-on agent that can run unattended, remember its work, and coordinate with your other bots.

How to Add a Grok Bot Template: The Five-Minute Process

Before you add a template, you need a Grok Bot plan. Grok Bot is included in every paid individual Cursor plan (Cursor Pro or Cursor Business) and with Cursor Teams. You can also link a personal SuperGrok, SuperGrok Plus, or SuperGrok Heavy subscription.

If you have access, the process is straightforward:

1. Find the template. Templates live on GrokIndex.dev, on x.ai/bot/guides, or shared directly via an x.ai share link. A template link looks like this: https://x.ai/bot/<unique-id>. That link is all you need.

2. Open the link and review what it does. Before you add it, take two minutes to read the template's description, listed skills, and scheduled routines. You're about to give this bot access to your shared cloud computer and your apps. The creator's name and profile are visible so you know who built it. Look at the description: what will it do? What connectors does it use? Will it need credentials?

3. Click the "Add" button. Once you've read it, click "Add" or "Add template" (the button label varies by platform). The system asks you to confirm access. You see what you're granting—usually, the ability to use the browser, filesystem, terminal, and any connectors the template needs (Gmail, Slack, Google Docs, etc.).

4. Confirm permissions. Read through the permission list. If it asks for Slack access but the description says it's a finance bot with no need for Slack, that's a red flag—ask the creator why before confirming. Most legitimate templates ask for only what they genuinely need.

5. The template is now your bot. It appears in your bot list with its name. You can rename it, message it, run it on demand, or schedule routines to run unattended. The creator sees nothing; it's entirely yours.

What Actually Gets Copied—And What Doesn't

This is the critical part to understand, because it's different from what people often assume.

What gets packaged in a template:

• The bot's identity prompt (how it thinks and acts)
• Its name and description
• Skills it has learned (reusable multi-step workflows)
• Scheduled routines (automation jobs it runs on a timer)
• Any connectors it's configured to use (like Gmail or Slack)

What does NOT get copied:

• The creator's login credentials or session cookies
• The creator's conversation history or memories
• Access to the creator's files or bots
• Updates from the creator (templates are one-time snapshots)

When you add the template, you get a fresh, empty instance. It has the creator's logic and workflow, but none of their data. If the template is designed to organize Gmail, it starts with no access to Gmail—you grant that access when you add the template, and it uses your Gmail account, not the creator's.

Your Bots Share One Computer

Here's what matters for security: all of your Grok Bots share one cloud computer on your account. That computer has one filesystem, one browser with one set of logged-in sessions, and one terminal. If you add ten templates, all ten run on the same computer.

This means:

• Files one bot saves are visible to all your bots (and to you in the file browser)
• Browser sessions are shared—if you log into Gmail on the computer, any bot can access Gmail
• The computer's state persists across sessions, so memory and context compound

Between user accounts, isolation is total. Your bots cannot see another user's computer, files, or bots.

This is why reviewing a template's routines before adding it matters. If a routine is designed to send email on your behalf, it can do that because you've authenticated your email. That's powerful—and it's why you should know what the routine does.

Step-by-Step Example: Adding the Inbox Zero Assistant

Let's walk through a concrete example. The Inbox Zero Assistant is a free template that organizes Gmail and drafts replies.

1. You find the link: https://x.ai/bot/JXz00YZCOTqsPlYqaFqKK (or browse to it on GrokIndex.dev).
2. You read the description: "Organizes Gmail, drafts replies, and queues unsubscribes." You scroll down and see it uses a Gmail connector and a browser.
3. You click "Add."
4. The system shows you the permissions: Gmail access, browser access, filesystem access.
5. You confirm.
6. The bot appears in your list as "Inbox Zero Assistant." You can now message it with tasks like "Go through my inbox and draft replies to the top five unread emails in my voice."
7. The bot has no memory of the creator's inbox. It works on yours, using your Gmail login.

If the creator later improves the original template and publishes a new version, your copy doesn't update. You still have the snapshot you installed. If you want the newer version, you add it as a second bot, run both, and delete one.

What If Something Goes Wrong?

Templates do sometimes ask for permissions they don't need, or a routine might not work as expected in your setup. Here's how to handle it:

The bot asks for permission I didn't expect: Ask in the bot's chat. If it's a legitimate bot, the creator has documented why. If they can't explain it, don't grant access.

The bot doesn't seem to be working: Check two things: (1) Is the bot's routine enabled? Routines have an on/off toggle. (2) Does the routine have the access it needs? If it's supposed to send email but hasn't authenticated Gmail yet, ask the bot directly—it will prompt you to log in.

I want to remove the bot: Delete it from your bot list. Deletion is instant and permanent. The bot's files stay on your shared computer unless you delete them separately.

Key Takeaways

• Adding a template creates an independent copy that runs entirely on your account.
• Templates package a bot's logic, skills, and routines—never the creator's data or logins.
• All your bots share one cloud computer, one filesystem, and one browser session.
• You grant permissions when you add the template and when the bot needs to authenticate an app.
• Read the template's description and routines before adding it; most templates are safe, but you're the gatekeeper.
• Once added, the template is yours. Updates from the creator don't auto-apply.
• Routines can run unattended, on a schedule, and with approval gates built in.
• Removing a bot is instant, but files it saved stay on your computer.
• If a bot is misbehaving, disable its routines, check permissions, and ask it directly what's wrong.
• Templates scale: as you build more bots, you can coordinate them via shared files, group chats, and handoffs.

FAQ

Can the creator of a template see what I do with it? No. Once you add the template, it is completely yours. The creator has no access to your bot instance, your conversations, your files, or any of your data. They cannot see if you've added it, run it, or modified it.

If I add a template and customize it, will updates from the creator overwrite my changes? No. Templates are one-time snapshots. Once you add a template, it becomes an independent bot under your control. If the creator publishes a new version of the template, you don't receive updates. If you want the newest version, you would add it as a separate bot.

What does "shared cloud computer" actually mean for security? All of your bots run on the same cloud computer assigned to your account. They share files, browser logins, and terminal sessions. Between accounts, isolation is strict—your bots cannot access another user's computer. Within your account, treat any bot you add as having access to everything on that computer.

Do I need credentials to add a template? No. You can add a template with nothing more than a Grok Bot plan and a link. However, when the bot first runs, it may ask you to authenticate apps (like Gmail or Slack) if its routines need them. You grant those permissions just-in-time, not during installation.

Can a template access my passwords or API keys? Not unless you explicitly grant access. Templates can ask for connectors (which use OAuth or saved credentials you manage) and filesystem access (which would let them read files you've placed on the shared computer). If a template asks for credential access and it doesn't make sense for what the template does, don't grant it.

What happens if I add a template, then the creator deletes it? Nothing. Your copy persists. You keep the bot. The creator's original template is gone, but yours continues to work.

How do I know if a template is safe to add? Check three things: (1) Read the description and understand what it claims to do. (2) Look at the creator's profile—is there a website, X account, or portfolio? (3) Review the listed permissions and routines. Do they match the stated purpose? Templates on GrokIndex.dev are user-submitted, so browse reviews and activity before adding anything new.

Can I edit a template after I add it? Yes. Once added, it's your bot. You can rename it, edit its identity prompt, create new routines, add new skills, or disable features you don't want. The template is a starting point; it becomes whatever you build it into.