The xAI Responses API for x_search returns 200 OK with a
synthesized fluff answer in two failure modes that callers currently
cannot distinguish from a real, citation-backed result:
1. Any narrowing filter (allowed_x_handles, excluded_x_handles,
from_date, to_date) was active, but the X index returned no
matching posts. The model then answers from training data.
2. The date range is malformed, inverted, or pure-future (e.g.
from_date=2030-01-01). The API call burns quota and Grok
responds with a generic answer.
Mitigations, both client-side:
* Validate from_date / to_date before the HTTP call:
- Strict YYYY-MM-DD.
- from_date <= to_date when both set.
- from_date <= today UTC (no posts in a window that hasn't
started). to_date in the future remains allowed so callers
can request 'from yesterday to tomorrow'.
* Add 'degraded' + 'degraded_reason' to successful responses.
degraded=True iff any narrowing filter was active AND both the
top-level 'citations' array and inline 'url_citation'
annotations came back empty. A broad query with no filters that
returns no citations is *not* flagged degraded — that case is
just an unsourced answer, not a filter miss.
Tests cover all four validation paths plus six degraded-flag
scenarios (each filter type, inline vs top-level citation
recovery, broad query baseline). All existing tests continue to
pass; the additions are purely additive on the success-path
response shape.
Discovered while testing the x_search toolset end-to-end:
queries scoped to @Teknium1 returned confident-sounding generic
text about Nous Research with zero citations, and from_date in
2030 produced sassy non-answers. Both are now detectable by the
caller.
* feat(x_search): gated X (Twitter) search tool with OAuth-or-API-key auth
Salvages tools/x_search_tool.py from the closed PR #10786 (originally by
@Jaaneek) and reworks its credential resolution so the tool registers
when EITHER xAI credential path is available:
* XAI_API_KEY (paid xAI API key) is set in ~/.hermes/.env or the env, OR
* The user is signed in via xAI Grok OAuth — SuperGrok subscription —
i.e. hermes auth add xai-oauth has been run
Both paths route through xAI's built-in x_search Responses tool at
https://api.x.ai/v1/responses. When both credentials exist OAuth wins,
matching tools/xai_http.py's existing preference order (uses SuperGrok
quota instead of paid API spend).
The check_fn calls resolve_xai_http_credentials() which auto-refreshes
the OAuth access token if it's within the refresh skew window, so a
True return means the bearer is fetchable AND non-empty.
Wiring
- tools/x_search_tool.py — new tool, ~370 LOC. Schema gated by check_fn,
bearer resolved per-call so revoked OAuth surfaces a clean tool_error
rather than an HTTP 401.
- toolsets.py — "x_search" toolset def. NOT added to _HERMES_CORE_TOOLS;
users opt in via hermes tools.
- hermes_cli/tools_config.py — CONFIGURABLE_TOOLSETS entry + TOOL_CATEGORIES
block with two provider options (OAuth + API key) sharing the existing
xai_grok post_setup hook for credential bootstrap.
- hermes_cli/config.py — DEFAULT_CONFIG["x_search"] with model /
timeout_seconds / retries. Additive nested key; no version bump.
- tests/tools/test_x_search_tool.py — 13 tests covering HTTP shape,
handle validation, citation extraction, 4xx/5xx/timeout handling,
and the full credential-resolution matrix (OAuth-only, API-key-only,
both-set, neither-set, resolver-raises, config overrides, registry
registration).
- website/docs/guides/xai-grok-oauth.md — adds X Search to the
direct-to-xAI tools section with off-by-default note.
- website/docs/user-guide/features/tools.md — new row in the tools table.
Off by default — users enable via `hermes tools` → 🐦 X (Twitter) Search.
Schema only appears to the model when xAI credentials are configured.
Co-authored-by: Jaaneek <Jaaneek@users.noreply.github.com>
* docs(x_search): add dedicated feature page + reference entries
- website/docs/user-guide/features/x-search.md (new) — full feature
walkthrough: authentication, enablement, configuration, parameters,
returned fields, example, troubleshooting, see-also links.
- website/docs/reference/tools-reference.md — new "x_search" toolset
section with parameter docs and credential gating note.
- website/docs/reference/toolsets-reference.md — new row in the
toolset catalog table.
- website/sidebars.ts — wires the new feature page under
Media & Web, after web-search.
---------
Co-authored-by: Jaaneek <Jaaneek@users.noreply.github.com>
