SpaceXAI has published new terms governing third-party AI bots, setting out what happens when users install bots made by other people and when creators share their own. The new third-party bot terms took effect on August 22, 2026, and place much of the practical and legal responsibility on the people using and distributing these agents.
For quite some time SpaceXAI has enabled access to Grok for third-party bots and harnesses, such as OpenClaw and Hermes. These were the open-source precursors to Grok Bot, which is the company’s contender for an agentic AI system that can take on your day-to-day tasks.
With the wider release of Grok Bot to more customers this week, it seems the legal terms around third-party bots and harnesses has also been updated.
Covers Third-Party Bots Only
The terms draw a clear line between SpaceXAI’s AI technology and bots created by users. Third-party bots and what they create or execute, along with their executions, are provided without warranty by SpaceXAI. For example, this means that if you use Grok through a third-party tool, and it deletes all your files, SpaceXAI will blame the tool, not Grok.
It also means that SpaceXAI does not endorse compatibility or safety in those third-party tools, and that it is not responsible for data they access. If you install a third-party bot, you must accept the risk that comes with its configuration.
Third-party bots like OpenClaw and Hermes can do considerably more than answer innocuous questions. They can read, write and send data, execute tasks, and interact with third-party services through connections and tools.
OAuth and xAI API Remain Available
For those using third-party bots and harnesses, both OAuth (using your X Premium or xAI Subscription) and the xAPI (using pre-paid credits) remain an available pathway to using Grok outside of Grok Bot. That means those with already functional setups won’t be having them torn-down overnight with the update of the new legal terms.
Setting the Stage for a Bot Marketplace?
Given the way the language is worded, and the fact that SpaceXAI notes the “You are solely responsible for the creation, publication, and sharing of your AI bot…”, it seems that a lot more might be around the corner for Grok Bot.
Many users have already put up guides on how to get the most out of Grok Bot, since it comes pre-configured with just a handful of Bots. A user marketplace where you can simply select a Grok Bot to do the task you need to, letting you skip all the training steps, seems to be the natural path forward.
This follows a similar path to Gemini’s Gems, OpenAI’s Custom GPTs, Claude’s Projects, and Perplexity’s Spaces. Users can create narrowly-scoped third-party tools and share them on the platform, letting another user jump right in.
Giving users similar capabilities with Grok Bot would be another big feature leap forward.
