Guide · updated
Get Grok Bot to set up apps and devices it doesn't support yet
Not every app, tool or device has a ready-made plugin in Connect apps. You can still ask Grok Bot to set it up in plain English. There are three routes: add a custom connector (an MCP server), install software on the Bot's own cloud computer, or, with your approval, run install commands on your own computer through the desktop app. Here is how each works and where the limits are, based on the official docs.
How do I get Grok Bot to set up something it doesn't support?
- Check Connect apps first. If the app is listed there, add it the normal way.
- If it isn't, tell the Bot what you want to use and what you want done with it. Name the app, tool or device, and paste the vendor's official setup page if you have it.
- For a service with an MCP server, ask the Bot to add it as a custom server. Give it a public HTTPS address, or an npx or uvx command that the Bot runs on its cloud computer. It confirms the details with you, and if the service uses sign-in you finish it from the connect card.
- For a command-line tool or program that can live in the cloud, ask the Bot to install it on its own computer and test it.
- For something that must run on your own Mac or Windows PC, like a printer driver or a device's companion tool, ask the Bot to install it on your computer. By default every command shows an approval card with the exact command. Read it, then choose Allow once or Deny.
- If a secret is needed, such as an API key, wait for the Bot's secure secret card and enter it there, not in the chat.
- Ask the Bot to test it with a small real task before you rely on it.
Questions
What can I type to add a custom connector?
Try: "Add this as a custom MCP server: https://example.com/mcp" (use the vendor's real address). Or: "Find the official MCP server for [app], tell me its address, and wait for my OK before adding it." Say custom server if the app is also in the catalog, or the Bot may add the catalog plugin instead.
What can I type to install a tool on the Bot's computer?
Try: "Install the official [tool] command-line tool on your computer from its official site, show me the version, and run a quick test." The Bot's computer is a cloud machine shared by your Bots, so this doesn't touch your own computer.
What can I type to install something on my own computer?
Try: "On my computer, install the official driver for my [brand and model] printer. Show me the download link first and explain each command before you run it." You approve each command on its card unless you've changed the setting.
Can a custom connector reach a server on my own laptop?
Not by URL. The Bot runs in the cloud, so an address like localhost or one behind your office VPN can't be reached. Use a public HTTPS address, or give the Bot the npx or uvx command so it runs the server on its cloud computer.
Where do I control commands on my own computer?
In Settings, under Computer, then Your computer. Each desktop has an Execution on this computer setting: Ask every time (the default), Always allow, or Never allow. A team admin can set a stricter limit. Choose Never allow if you don't want Bots working on your machine.
How do I stay safe?
Only install from the maker's official site or a source you trust. Read every approval card and deny anything whose target or effect you can't tell. Never paste passwords or API keys into the chat; use the secure secret card. Don't put a key inside a custom server's command, because it can be visible.
What can't Grok Bot do?
It can't plug in cables, press buttons on a device or pair hardware by hand. Some installs on your computer also stop for your system password or a permission window that only you can click, so stay nearby. The Bot also can't attach MCP servers that only run on your own machine.
The new tools don't show up. What now?
Send another message. New connector tools are available from the next message. If the server needs sign-in, open it and finish authenticating. If it still fails, ask the Bot to check the address and the vendor's docs.