Use Grok Build Coming from Claude Code

By CodeAgentSwarm · Updated October 31, 2026

If you already live in Claude Code, Grok Build will feel partly familiar: project instruction files, skills packages, MCP tools, permission prompts. The paths and defaults differ, and some Claude-compat surfaces can double-fire hooks if you are not careful. Grok Build is xAI's coding CLI (grok), not the Grok chatbot.

Mental model

Claude Code stores a lot under ~/.claude/. Grok Build uses ~/.grok/, but it also reads Claude Code's files without extra setup. According to xAI's compatibility docs, Grok loads Claude Code skills, plugins, marketplaces, MCP servers, agents, hooks and instruction files (CLAUDE.md, CLAUDE.local.md, .claude/rules/) next to AGENTS.md and .grok/. Because hooks come along too, review which Claude hooks you actually want firing under Grok.

Grok can import some Claude-compatible surfaces. CodeAgentSwarm may pin certain Claude hook imports off for Grok terminals so you do not run two title-gates or double Stop notifiers. That is intentional.

Skills and MCP

Your Claude skills already show up in Grok. Put Grok-only skills in ~/.grok/skills/ or .grok/skills/, and run grok inspect to see which skills, rules, hooks and MCP servers Grok found in the current folder. Grok-specific MCP servers go in ~/.grok/config.toml under [mcp_servers.*] tables; Grok also reads ~/.claude.json and project .mcp.json below that. To bring past work over, grok import imports Claude Code sessions and /import-claude opens a settings import screen. CodeAgentSwarm can install its task MCP for Grok the same way it does for other agents.

See also sharing skills between agents for the multi-CLI pattern.

Run both, do not force a cutover

Most teams should not migrate every workflow on day one. Use Grok Build with Grok 4.7, its default model, for exploratory tasks while Claude Code keeps the critical path, then widen from measured results. CodeAgentSwarm is designed for that mix.

FAQ

Can Grok Build read CLAUDE.md?

Yes. Grok Build reads CLAUDE.md, Claude.md, CLAUDE.local.md and .claude/rules/ alongside AGENTS.md in every folder from the repo root down to where you start it. Run grok inspect to see the exact files it loaded.

Where do Grok skills live?

Grok-only skills go in ~/.grok/skills/ or a project .grok/skills/ folder. Grok also picks up Claude Code skills and ~/.agents/skills/ automatically.

Should I uninstall Claude Code?

Usually no. Run both until you know which tasks prefer which agent.

Grok Build Subagents vs Agent Swarm: Which Parallelism?

Grok Build can parallelize work in two ways people constantly mix up. Native subagents spawn inside one <code>grok</code> session. An agent swarm is several top-level <code>grok</code> processes (or mixed vendors) that a human supervises. Both are real. They are not the same product feature.

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