Set up Grok: account, plan, privacy settings and a CRM Manager project

Create the Grok account you will use for CRM work, pick the right plan, lock down data settings and open an empty project for your CRM Manager.

30 minNeeds verificationChecked 2026-10-20

Video walkthrough

Coming soonSetting up Grok for CRM work in 30 minutes

It will cover

Where Grok runs: grok.com, the mobile apps, X, and the separate Grok Bot app
Which plan you actually need (and which one includes Grok Bot)
The privacy pass: Data Controls, files, and what to delete
Creating the CRM Manager project and checking it holds instructions

This chapter is complete without it. Every step is written out on this page.

What you're building

A Grok account dedicated to your business, on a plan that fits how you will use it, with data settings reviewed, and one empty project named CRM Manager ready for the instructions you write in chapter 02.04.

Why it matters

CRM exports contain names, phone numbers and private notes about your clients. Setting the account up deliberately, once, means you know which plan you pay for, where uploaded files live, and how to delete them. It also stops the common mistake of pasting client data into a personal chat you cannot find later.

What you need

A business email address you control
A desktop browser. xAI recommends grok.com in Chrome or another Chromium browser; some other hosts (such as grok.x.ai) are missing features like Projects
Optional: an X account, if you want to tag @bot on X later
A payment card if you choose a paid plan

Time and cost

Time: 30 minutes
Cost: $0 (Free) to $30 a month (Premium, includes Grok Bot)

List prices from xAI's pricing page on 2026-10-20; tax may be added. Prices and included usage change. Confirm on x.ai/pricing before you subscribe.

Step by step

Know where Grok runs before you sign up

Surface	What it is	Use it for CRM work?
grok.com and the Grok iOS and Android apps	The Grok assistant: chat, file uploads, Projects, connectors	Yes. This is where the CSV method in this Part runs
@grok on X	Grok answering inside X posts	No. Never paste client data into X
Grok Bot desktop and mobile app	A separate product: named Bots that work on a cloud computer, with approvals and scheduled routines	Optional, later. See chapter 02.03
xAI API (console.x.ai)	Developer access to Grok models, billed per token	Only for the read-only integration in chapter 02.06

One sign-in keeps your conversations, settings and subscription in sync across grok.com and the apps.

Check: You can say which surface you will use first (grok.com for most readers).

Create or sign in to your Grok account
grok.comSign in
Open grok.com in Chrome and sign in with your business email. If you subscribed before through X, Apple or Google, sign in with that same method so the subscription is recognized. xAI's FAQ notes that an Apple "Hide My Email" subscription is only recognized when you sign in with Apple.
Optional: connect your X account under Settings → Account → Connect next to X Account. You only need this for the @bot tagging feature in chapter 02.03.
Check: grok.com shows your name or initials in the account menu.

Pick a plan that matches the method you will use

The X Subscription list prices, from xAI documentation on 2026-10-20
Plan	Monthly	Includes Grok Bot?	Good for
Free	$0	No	Trying the sample export in chapter 02.11
Plus	$8	No	Light weekly CSV reviews
Premium	$30	Yes	Daily list every morning plus Grok Bot routines
Super	$100	Yes	Teams or heavy use
Ultra	$200	Yes	Rarely needed for this Part

Paid plans share one weekly usage pool across Grok products, shown in the Usage tab in Settings. Existing SuperGrok, Cursor and X Premium plans keep working; switching to The X Subscription is optional and, per xAI, permanent once you unify accounts.

Check: You know your plan name and where to see your weekly usage (Settings, Usage tab).

04
Do the privacy pass before uploading any client data
ProfileSettingsData Controls
1. Open Profile → Settings → Data Controls and read every option on that screen. Turn off anything that lets your conversations be used beyond your own account if the option is offered.
2. Bookmark grok.com/files. This is where uploaded files are listed and deleted.
3. Decide your retention habit now: delete each CRM export from grok.com/files after you finish that week's review.
Check this screen yourself
xAI's help pages name the Data Controls location and the files page, but do not list each Data Controls option. Read the options on your account and choose the most private settings that still let you work. xAI says deleted chats and files are removed within standard retention windows unless they must be kept longer for legal, compliance or safety reasons.
Check: You have opened Data Controls, made your choices, and bookmarked grok.com/files.
Create the CRM Manager project
grok.comProjectsNew project
A Project keeps instructions, files and chats for one job together, so you do not paste your rules into every chat. Create one named CRM Manager. Leave the instructions empty for now; chapter 02.04 fills them.
Needs verification: the Projects menu
xAI's documentation confirms Projects exist on grok.com but, as of 2026-10-20, does not publish click-by-click steps for creating one or for where project instructions live. Look for Projects in the left sidebar. If you cannot find it, confirm you are on grok.com in Chrome. If your account still has no Projects, use the fallback in chapter 02.04: paste the master prompt at the top of a new chat.
Check: A project named CRM Manager appears in your sidebar, or you have noted that you will use the fallback.
Look at the connector list so you know what exists
grok.com/connectors
Open grok.com/connectors. As of 2026-10-20, xAI documents these built-in connectors: Gmail and Google Calendar, Google Drive, OneDrive, Outlook Mail and Calendar, Microsoft Teams, SharePoint and Salesforce, plus a catalog of other OAuth connectors and a Custom option for your own MCP server.
Neither HighLevel nor Follow Up Boss is in xAI's documented built-in list. The catalog on your account may differ; search it for your CRM. Do not connect anything yet.
Check: You have searched the connector catalog for your CRM and written down whether it appears.

What success looks like

You are signed in to grok.com with a business account
You know your plan and where weekly usage shows
Data Controls reviewed and grok.com/files bookmarked
An empty CRM Manager project (or a noted fallback)
You know whether your CRM appears in Grok's connector catalog

Copyable templates

textGrok setup record

GROK SETUP RECORD
Date: 2026-__-__
Account email: ____________________
Sign-in method: Email / Google / Apple / X
Plan: Free / Plus / Premium / Super / Ultra / legacy SuperGrok
Weekly usage location: Settings > Usage
Data Controls reviewed: Yes, on ____-__-__  Choices made: ____________________
Files page: grok.com/files   Delete exports every: ________
Project: CRM Manager created? Yes / No (use chat fallback)
CRM in connector catalog? HighLevel: Yes / No   Follow Up Boss: Yes / No

How to test it

Upload any harmless file (a one-page PDF flyer) into a chat in your CRM Manager project and ask: "What file did I just upload, and how many pages does it have?" Then delete it from grok.com/files and refresh. The file should be gone from the list. You have now proven you can add and remove data before any client record touches the account.

Troubleshooting

I paid but Grok keeps asking me to upgrade.

You are probably signed in with a different method than the one you paid with. Sign out and sign in with the original method (Apple, Google, X or email). xAI's FAQ covers this case.

I do not see Projects.

Use grok.com in Chrome or another Chromium browser, not grok.x.ai. If it is still missing, use the chat fallback in chapter 02.04 and check again later.

My weekly usage ran out mid-week.

Paid features pause until the reset date shown in Settings, Usage. Free-tier chat still works. You can buy Extra Usage credits or wait; a weekly CSV review uses far less than video or long coding tasks.

Advanced technical details

Optional. You can follow every step above without these.

Technical detailsHow the weekly usage pool works

Each paid seat gets one weekly pool for first-party usage, shared across Grok, Grok Bot and Cursor. Different products draw different amounts: xAI notes a chat message uses little compute while video generation or long coding tasks use far more. Beyond the pool, usage is billed as Additional Usage from prepaid top-ups, which spending caps can limit.

Technical detailsBusiness and Enterprise accounts

On Grok Business and Enterprise, an admin must provision a connector in the cloud console before members can use it, and admins can set sharing policies for conversations, projects and skills. If your brokerage provides Grok, ask the admin which connectors and sharing levels are allowed before you upload client data.

Sources

Written from the best available information. One or more steps could not be confirmed; see the notes in the chapter. Last checked 2026-10-20.

Welcome to GrokxAI documentation · read 2026-10-20
FAQ: Grok website and appsxAI documentation · read 2026-10-20
Pricing (The X Subscription)xAI documentation · read 2026-10-20
Usage limitsxAI documentation · read 2026-10-20
ConnectorsxAI documentation · read 2026-10-20
Tag @bot on XxAI documentation · read 2026-10-20