This guide provides step-by-step instructions for deploying the Grok X User Search val to Val Town.

1. Val Town CLI: Install the Val Town CLI

   npm install -g @val-town/cli

2. API Key: Get your xAI API key from x.ai

   • Sign up for xAI account
   • Navigate to API section
   • Generate your API key

cd /home/didierlacroix1/containers/val-town/individual_vals/grok_user_search

vt create grokUserSearch

Note: This will prompt asking if you want to use existing files. Type y to continue.

vt push

Go to your Val Town dashboard → Settings → Environment Variables and add:

• Key: XAI_API_KEY
• Value: Your xAI API key

cd /home/didierlacroix1/containers/val-town/individual_vals
mkdir grok_search_empty
cd grok_search_empty
vt create grokUserSearch

cp ../grok_user_search/* .

vt push

1. Create New Val in Val Town web interface
2. Upload Files manually:
   • main.ts
   • grok_client.ts
   • types.ts
   • deno.json
   • index.html (Web UI)

In Val Town dashboard, set:

XAI_API_KEY=your_xai_api_key_here

Web Interface (Recommended): Visit your val's URL in a web browser:

https://your-username-grokUserSearch.web.val.run

API Test:

curl -X POST https://your-username-grokUserSearch.web.val.run \
  -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
  -d '{
    "query": "find all the latest prompts mentioned",
    "targetUser": "dl4senses"
  }'

• Check val runs without errors
• Test with different queries
• Verify API responses include citations

cd /home/didierlacroix1/containers/val-town/individual_vals/grok_user_search
vt watch

This will automatically sync changes to Val Town.

1. Edit files locally
2. vt push to upload changes
3. Test the updated val

vt pull

Solution: This is expected - type y when prompted to continue with existing files.

Solution: Ensure XAI_API_KEY is set in Val Town dashboard → Settings → Environment Variables.

Solution: Check that all TypeScript imports are correct and files exist in the val.

Solution: The code includes CORS headers, but verify your browser isn't blocking requests.

curl -X POST https://your-val-url.web.val.run \
  -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
  -d '{
    "query": "latest AI developments",
    "maxResults": 10
  }'

curl -X POST https://your-val-url.web.val.run \
  -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
  -d '{
    "query": "find all the latest prompts mentioned by @dl4senses",
    "targetUser": "dl4senses",
    "includeMedia": true
  }'

curl -X POST https://your-val-url.web.val.run \
  -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
  -d '{
    "query": "AI breakthroughs",
    "dateRange": {
      "from": "2025-01-01",
      "to": "2025-01-15"
    }
  }'

In Val Town dashboard:

1. Go to your val
2. Click "Logs" tab
3. View request logs and error messages

Check xAI dashboard for:

• API request counts
• Token usage
• Rate limiting

1. API Key Security: Never commit API keys to code
2. Input Validation: Code includes input sanitization
3. Rate Limiting: Monitor and respect xAI rate limits
4. Error Handling: Errors don't expose sensitive information

• The val runs serverless on Val Town
• xAI handles the heavy processing
• Consider response times for complex queries
• Monitor token usage for cost management

For issues:

• Val Town Issues: Check Val Town documentation
• xAI API Issues: Check x.ai documentation
• Code Issues: Review implementation and test locally

After successful deployment:

1. Test with various queries
2. Monitor API usage and costs
3. Consider adding caching for repeated queries
4. Implement rate limiting if needed
5. Add analytics for query patterns