This week in Grok Build · May 24, 2026
xAI Python SDK: Context Compaction, Image Search, and Grok Build Model
Get the next issue in your inbox. Weekly · Free
The xAI Python SDK shipped two releases this cycle. v1.14.0 adds image search support to the web search tool via a new enable_image_search parameter and SERVER_SIDE_TOOL_IMAGE_SEARCH enum. v1.15.0 follows up with the grok-build-0.1 model added to ChatModel and context compaction support for managing long conversations. If you are building on the xAI API, upgrade to v1.15.0 now to access all three additions in a single install.
Competitor Dev Tools
xAI Python SDK v1.14.0 Adds Image Search to Web Tool
- v1.14.0 introduces an enable_image_search flag for the web_search tool alongside a new SERVER_SIDE_TOOL_IMAGE_SEARCH enum, letting developers request image results from server-side search calls.
- This is the first contribution from community member ushiromiya-lion.
xAI Python SDK v1.15.0 Ships Context Compaction and grok-build-0.1
- v1.15.0 adds context compaction support to help manage long-running conversations that approach token limits, and registers grok-build-0.1 as a named ChatModel for direct use in API calls.
- Both changes land in the same release, making it the recommended version to pin.
Action Items
Immediate
- Upgrade xai-sdk-python to v1.15.0 to get context compaction, grok-build-0.1, and image search support in one step.
- Audit any existing web_search calls to evaluate whether enable_image_search is useful for your use case and add the parameter where relevant.
- Test grok-build-0.1 via the ChatModel enum to assess whether it suits your current workload before pinning it in production.
- Review context compaction behavior for any agents or chat sessions that routinely approach context window limits.
All Resources
This week in Grok Build
Five minutes, every Monday — the tools, releases and tactics for shipping solo.