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xAI will watermark Grok API text by default starting November 7, 2026

Grok API at a glance

From November 7, 2026, text from grok-4.7, 4.6, 4.5, 4.3 and three grok-4.20 models carries an invisible statistical watermark that xAI says complies with the EU AI Act. An x-watermark header shows when it applied. Only team admins can opt out, per model.

Current standing

As of

Rank
#15of 43 models

Grok 4.7 (XHigh) · 35.5 on the Artificial Analysis Intelligence Index v5.0.1 (opens in a new tab)

Current leader
Gemini 4 Carbon (Google) · 60

Computed from our daily snapshot; it changes as new models are measured. xAI will watermark Grok API text by default starting November 7, 2026

What changed with Grok API

xAI's new Output Watermarking page, reported on October 31, 2026, says that starting November 7, 2026, text responses from grok-4.7, grok-4.6, grok-4.5, grok-4.3, grok-4.20-reasoning, grok-4.20-non-reasoning and grok-4.20-multi-agent carry a watermark by default. It applies to the Responses and Chat Completions APIs on every xAI endpoint, including regional ones, and covers plain text, structured outputs and tool-call arguments. xAI says it watermarks text to comply with the EU AI Act.

The mark is added during generation by slightly shaping which tokens the model picks. It adds no visible characters or hidden text, and xAI says it does not change quality or speed. Detection is statistical, so longer passages give a stronger signal. Each response includes an x-watermark header that is true when the output was marked. A separate detection API is available by application.

Only team admins can change the setting, in the console under Model output watermarking, for all models or per model. It applies to every API key on the team, takes effect within 5 minutes and is recorded in the audit log. Opting out requires confirming that a legal exception applies and that you are solely responsible for any marking or disclosure duties; some models may be locked on.

Where to compare Grok API

Independent leaderboards and official resources for comparing this model yourself. Rankings change often; each site shows its own current data.

Why Grok API matters for businesses

For agencies sending Grok output to clients, nothing changes in requests or responses. If you sell AI-written content into the EU, treat the watermark as a compliance help, not a reason to skip disclosure, and talk with the client before anyone opts out.

Sources for this story

  1. Official
  2. Press

Last verified: . IA Compa summarizes public announcements for business readers. We are not affiliated with the companies mentioned. Always confirm details, pricing, and availability with the official source.

  • #xai
  • #grok
  • #watermarking
  • #eu-ai-act
  • #api

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