Grok 4.6
Grok 4.6 is SpaceXAI's frontier reasoning model for long-running agents, coding, and knowledge work, with a 500K tokens context window and four reasoning levels including a new xhigh setting.
View API reference- Input and output price
- Input $2, Output $6, Per 1M tokens
- 24h uptime
- Loading AI Gateway uptime
import { streamText } from 'ai'
const result = streamText({ model: 'spacexai/grok-4.6', prompt: 'Why is the sky blue?'})Copy link to headingPlayground
Try out Grok 4.6 by SpaceXAI. Usage is billed to your team at API rates. Free users (those who haven't made a payment) get $5 of credits every 30 days.
Grok 4.6
Grok 4.6
Copy link to headingProviders
Route requests across multiple providers. Copy a provider slug to set your preference. Visit the docs for more info. Using a provider means you agree to their terms, listed under Legal.
Copy link to headingUptime24 hours
Direct request success rate on AI Gateway and per-provider. Visit the docs for more info.
Copy link to headingThroughput24 hours
P50 throughput on live AI Gateway traffic, in tokens per second (TPS). Visit the docs for more info.
Copy link to headingLatency24 hours
P50 time to first token (TTFT) on live AI Gateway traffic, in milliseconds. View the docs for more info.
Getting started
Call Grok 4.6 through AI Gateway with the AI SDK generateText and streamText functions, or through the OpenAI Chat Completions, OpenAI Responses, and Anthropic Messages APIs by changing the base URL. AI Gateway authenticates the request and routes it to an available provider.
Install the AI SDK (pnpm add ai dotenv), create an API key from the API Keys page, and set it as AI_GATEWAY_API_KEY in your environment. Full setup is covered in the text generation quickstart.
import { generateText } from 'ai';import 'dotenv/config';
async function main() { const result = await generateText({ model: 'spacexai/grok-4.6', prompt: 'Why is the sky blue?', });
console.log(result.text);}
main().catch(console.error);Top-level parameters
The same Grok 4.6 request in each API format AI Gateway supports.
import { generateText } from 'ai';import 'dotenv/config';
async function main() { const result = await generateText({ model: 'spacexai/grok-4.6', system: 'You are a concise technical assistant.', prompt: 'Summarize the tradeoffs between static generation and SSR.', maxOutputTokens: 1024, });
console.log(result.text);}
main().catch(console.error);Standard parameters like prompt, messages, temperature, and tools work as documented in the AI SDK docs. These are the parameters with model-specific behavior.
| Parameter | Type | Required | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
model | string | Yes | Model ID in the form creator/model, e.g. spacexai/grok-4.6. AI Gateway routes the request to an available provider. |
maxOutputTokens | number | No | Hard cap on generated tokens. Grok 4.6 supports up to 500,000 output tokens. Reasoning tokens count toward this limit. |
reasoning | 'provider-default' | 'none' | 'minimal' | 'low' | 'medium' | 'high' | 'xhigh' | No | Provider-agnostic reasoning effort, available in AI SDK 7 or later. Maps to the provider’s native reasoning configuration; reasoning settings under providerOptions take precedence when both are set. See the Reasoning section below. |
providerOptions | Record<string, JSONValue> | No | AI Gateway routing options under gateway, plus any provider-native options under the provider’s own namespace — see the table below. |
Input limits
| Input | Formats | Sources | Max count | Max size | Limits |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Text | — | — | — | — | Prompt and response share the 500K-token context window |
| Image | — | URL, base64, Uint8Array | — | — | Sent as image parts in messages; counts as input tokens |
Provider options
Set AI Gateway routing options under providerOptions.gateway. For provider-specific options, pass them under the provider’s namespace as documented by the AI SDK.
Learn more in the AI SDK xai provider docs.
import { generateText } from 'ai';import 'dotenv/config';
async function main() { const result = await generateText({ model: 'spacexai/grok-4.6', prompt: 'Why is the sky blue?', providerOptions: { gateway: { only: ['xai'], }, }, });
console.log(result.text);}
main().catch(console.error);These AI Gateway routing options apply to every model. Provider-specific options pass through under the provider’s own namespace (for example providerOptions.anthropic) exactly as documented by the AI SDK.
| Parameter | Type | Required | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
providerOptions.gateway.only | string[] | No | Restrict routing to these provider slugs. Requests fail over only within the listed providers. |
providerOptions.gateway.order | string[] | No | Preferred provider order. Listed providers are tried first; unlisted providers remain available as fallbacks. |
providerOptions.gateway.sort | 'cost' | 'ttft' | 'tps' | No | Rank candidate providers by price, time to first token, or tokens per second instead of the default routing order. |
providerOptions.gateway.zeroDataRetention | boolean | No | Route only to providers with a zero-data-retention policy for this model. |
Routing across providers
AI Gateway serves the same model through multiple providers and fails over automatically. order expresses a preference while keeping every provider eligible; only is a hard allowlist — if none of the listed providers are available the request fails instead of falling back.
Options under a provider's own namespace (for example providerOptions.anthropic) are forwarded to that provider with the request. Providers ignore option namespaces that don't apply to them, so it is safe to set provider options alongside gateway routing options.
Reasoning
AI Gateway bridges reasoning across every API format. The AI SDK exposes a provider-agnostic top-level reasoning level (none, minimal, low, medium, high, or xhigh); the Chat Completions and Responses formats take the same effort under reasoning.effort; and the Anthropic Messages format uses a native thinking token budget. Whichever you send, the gateway maps it to the target model’s native configuration, converting between effort levels and token budgets as needed. Reasoning-related settings under providerOptions take full precedence over the top-level reasoning value and are never merged. Reasoning tokens typically count toward your output-token usage, though how they’re reported and billed varies by provider.
Learn more in the AI Gateway reasoning guide.
import { generateText } from 'ai';import 'dotenv/config';
async function main() { const result = await generateText({ model: 'spacexai/grok-4.6', prompt: 'Explain the Monty Hall problem step by step.', reasoning: 'high', });
console.log(result.text);}
main().catch(console.error);Image input
Send images alongside text as message parts. Images count as input tokens.
import { generateText } from 'ai';import 'dotenv/config';
async function main() { const result = await generateText({ model: 'spacexai/grok-4.6', messages: [ { role: 'user', content: [ { type: 'text', text: 'Describe this image.' }, { type: 'image', image: 'https://example.com/photo.jpg' }, ], }, ], });
console.log(result.text);}
main().catch(console.error);Tool calling
Expose tools the model can call. Define each tool’s inputs with a Zod schema.
import { generateText, tool } from 'ai';import { z } from 'zod';import 'dotenv/config';
async function main() { const result = await generateText({ model: 'spacexai/grok-4.6', prompt: 'What is the weather in San Francisco?', tools: { getWeather: tool({ description: 'Get the current weather for a location', inputSchema: z.object({ location: z.string() }), execute: async ({ location }) => ({ location, temperatureC: 18 }), }), }, });
console.log(result.text);}
main().catch(console.error);Copy link to headingMore models by SpaceXAI
| Model |
|---|
| 500K | $2/M+1 more | $6/M+1 more | Read$0.30/M | $5/K | +3 | | 07/08/2026 | |||||||
| 1M | $1.25/M+1 more | $2.50/M+1 more | Read$0.20/M | $5/K | +3 |  | 04/30/2026 | |||||||
| 2M | $1.25/M+1 more | $2.50/M+1 more | Read$0.20/M | $5/K | +2 | | 03/10/2026 | |||||||
| 2M | $1.25/M+1 more | $2.50/M+1 more | Read$0.20/M | $5/K | +3 | | 03/10/2026 | |||||||
| 1M | $0.20/M | $0.50/M | Read$0.05/M | — | +1 | | 11/19/2025 | |||||||
| 1M | $0.20/M | $0.50/M | Read$0.05/M | — | +2 | | 11/19/2025 |
Copy link to headingAbout Grok 4.6
Grok 4.6 was released August 12, 2026 as SpaceXAI's frontier reasoning model for long-running agents, coding, and knowledge work. It refines Grok 4.5 rather than replacing the foundation underneath it, so the shape of the model is familiar and the gains show up in sustained agentic work. Grok 4.6 accepts text and image input, returns text, and works within a context window of 500K tokens. SpaceXAI lists a knowledge cutoff of February 1, 2026.
Reasoning depth is a per-request setting, and Grok 4.6 adds a fourth level. Alongside low, medium, and high, an xhigh setting pushes the model further on problems that reward more deliberation. High remains the default. On longer trajectories Grok 4.6 checks its own work before moving on, which is the behaviour that matters most when an agent chains dozens of steps without a human in the loop.
Grok 4.6 leads on GDPval-AA v2 and AA-Briefcase, and scores 61 on the Artificial Analysis Intelligence Index. Coding results are more mixed: it trails the strongest models on DeepSWE v1.1 and Terminal-Bench v3.0, so benchmark it against your own repository before switching a coding agent over.
Pricing is tiered by prompt length, with a higher rate once a request crosses 200K tokens. See the pricing panel on this page for current rates before you send very long prompts.
You can integrate Grok 4.6 through AI SDK, Chat Completions API, Responses API, Messages API, or other API formats, from TypeScript or Python. Routing rules move traffic from another Grok model to Grok 4.6 without changing application code.
Copy link to headingWhat To Consider When Choosing a Provider
- Configuration: Reasoning stays on for every Grok 4.6 request, so responses carry thinking tokens even at the low level. The new
xhighlevel spends more of them than high, which is the point, but it makes per-request output cost harder to predict. Set the level per request rather than leaving everything at the default. - Configuration: Prompt length changes the rate. Requests at or above 200K tokens bill at a higher tier, and that tier applies to the whole request rather than only the tokens past the threshold, so a prompt that drifts just over the line costs more than one that stays just under it.
- Configuration: Coding is the weaker column on the launch benchmarks. If your workload is mostly software engineering rather than general knowledge work, compare Grok 4.6 against the alternatives below on your own tasks. The February 1, 2026 knowledge cutoff also means Grok 4.6 needs web search or retrieval for anything more recent.
- Zero Data Retention: Zero Data Retention is offered on a per-provider and model basis. See the documentation for details.
- Authentication: AI Gateway authenticates requests using an API key or OIDC token. You do not need to manage provider credentials directly.
Copy link to headingWhen to Use Grok 4.6
Best for
- Long-Running Agents: Multi-hour trajectories where the model verifies its own work between steps
- Extended Reasoning Depth: A fourth
xhighlevel for problems that reward more deliberation - Knowledge Work: Research, analysis, and briefing tasks where it leads on GDPval-AA v2
- Large Context Tasks: A 500K tokens window that holds long documents and full session history
- Vision-Assisted Work: Screenshots, diagrams, and design references alongside text prompts
Consider alternatives when
- Heavy Coding Workloads: Grok Code Fast 1 is tuned for quick code edits at lower cost
- Reasoning-Free Responses: Grok 4.1 Fast Non-Reasoning answers without spending thinking tokens
- Short Prompt Volume: Grok 4.5 avoids the long-prompt pricing tier on smaller requests
- Multi-Agent Orchestration: Grok 4.20 Multi-Agent spreads one request across collaborating agents
Copy link to headingConclusion
Grok 4.6 is SpaceXAI's frontier model for agents that run long, with a 500K tokens window, four reasoning levels, and self-verification across extended trajectories. Point spacexai/grok-4.6 at AI Gateway to route requests behind one API key, and watch the 200K prompt threshold where the higher pricing tier begins.
Copy link to headingFrequently Asked Questions
What is Grok 4.6 built for?
Long-running agents, coding, and knowledge work. Grok 4.6 is tuned for trajectories that continue across many steps, where it verifies its own work before moving on.
How does Grok 4.6 differ from Grok 4.5?
It refines Grok 4.5 rather than replacing the foundation underneath it. The visible changes are a fourth
xhighreasoning level, stronger results on knowledge work benchmarks, and more self-checking on long trajectories.What reasoning levels does Grok 4.6 support?
Four: low, medium, high, and xhigh. High is the default. Use low for latency-sensitive agent steps, high for most engineering work, and xhigh for problems that justify the extra thinking tokens.
What is the context window for Grok 4.6?
The context window is 500K tokens, with up to 500K tokens per response.
Why does a long prompt cost more on Grok 4.6?
Pricing is tiered by prompt length, and requests at or above 200K tokens bill at the higher tier. The tier applies to every token in the request, not only the tokens past the threshold. See the pricing panel on this page for current rates.
Is Grok 4.6 a good fit for a coding agent?
It depends on the workload. Grok 4.6 leads on knowledge work benchmarks but trails the strongest models on DeepSWE v1.1 and Terminal-Bench v3.0. Benchmark it against your own repository before switching a coding agent over.
What is the knowledge cutoff for Grok 4.6?
February 1, 2026. Pair Grok 4.6 with web search or retrieval for facts that changed after that date.
Can I move traffic to Grok 4.6 without changing my code?
Yes. Add an AI Gateway routing rule that rewrites requests from another Grok model to
spacexai/grok-4.6. Your application keeps sending the old model identifier.Does Grok 4.6 support Zero Data Retention?
Zero Data Retention is not currently available for this model. Zero Data Retention is offered on a per-provider basis. See https://vercel.com/docs/ai-gateway/capabilities/zdr for details.