Grok Comes to Google Workspace: Free Add-On Puts xAI's Chatbot in Docs, Sheets and Slides

Grok, the chatbot developed by Elon Musk's xAI, now has a free add-on that places it inside Google Docs, Sheets and Slides. The add-on is listed on the Google Workspace Marketplace, and one installation covers all three editors, with Grok opening in a side panel next to the file rather than in a separate tab.

To install, open the listing, click Install, choose a Google account and click Continue. It can also be added from inside any of the three apps via Extensions > Add-ons > Get add-ons, and Workspace admins can deploy it across an organization. Installation brings up Google's permission screens: Grok requests see, edit, create and delete access to all Google Docs files and every Slides presentation in the account, narrower access to Sheets limited to files where the add-on is installed, and Drive access only to files used with Grok. It also asks for permission to connect to an external service, allowing it to send what it reads to xAI.

Once installed, open a file and go to Extensions > Grok > Open Grok, then sign in. In Docs, Grok writes directly onto the page, turning rough notes into drafts with headings and lists, with changes appearing as visible revisions in version history. In Slides, it can build a deck from an outline and add slides matching the existing theme, researching from the web or from X. In Sheets, it reads selected ranges, answers with citations, points to specific cells, writes formulas and inserts charts.

The contrast with Google's own assistant is mostly about cost and reach. Gemini is built into Workspace by default but requires an eligible Workspace plan for work accounts or a Google AI Plus, Pro or Ultra subscription for personal ones, while Grok costs nothing to add. Gemini also runs in Gmail, Drive and Chat, whereas Grok is limited to Docs, Sheets and Slides, though connectors can give it access to Gmail and Drive files.