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Open source and the app

The Workbench is open source, and a packaged desktop app is published too. Here is how the two fit together.

Grok Build Workbench is an open-source desktop app from Datapad. You can run it from source, inspect how it works, and contribute. A packaged macOS app is also published so you do not have to build it yourself.

It is unofficial. Datapad is not affiliated with, endorsed by, or sponsored by xAI. “Grok” and “Grok Build” are their marks. The source is MIT-licensed.

Two ways to use it

  • The app — install the macOS app and open it. This is the path for daily use.
  • The source — clone the repository, run npm install and npm run dev. This is the path if you want to change the Workbench or see how it is built.

Both talk to Grok the same way: through Grok Build on your machine, after grok login.

Running from source

You need a recent Node.js, the Grok Build command (grok), and git if you want the Git pane. Then:

npm install
grok login
npm run dev

The project is actively used and still incomplete. Expect rough edges. That is honest, not a disclaimer in small print.

What stays on your computer

Projects, chats, and settings live in the app’s data folder on your machine. Folders you attach are never uploaded as a zip of the whole repo. Grok reads and edits files locally, the same way Grok Build does in the terminal.

Support the work

The Workbench is free. If it helps, you can buy Datapad a coffee. There is a link in Settings as well.

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