Here's a detail that surprises people. In the setup we use, your Grok Bots don't each get their own computer. They share one.
What "shared" means
Think of an office with one big shared file server and a row of desks.
- The computer is shared. Files, installed programs and saved browser logins are on the same machine for every bot. A file one bot saves, another bot can open.
- The screens are separate. Each bot has its own desktop and browser window. One bot can't see or click on another bot's screen.
So the bots share the building and the filing cabinets, but each has its own desk.
Note: this describes how our Grok Bots are set up as of October 2026. It's how our bots work, not a published spec.
Why that's good
Handoffs get easy. One bot researches and saves a file. Another bot opens that exact file and writes the article. Nobody has to copy and paste between them, and nothing gets retyped wrong.
It also means a tool installed once is there for everyone. Set it up once, use it everywhere.
Why that needs care
A shared filing cabinet without rules turns into a junk drawer. With bots, the risks look like this:
| Risk | What happens | Fix |
|---|---|---|
| Two copies of the same file | Bots work from different versions | One master file, everyone points to it |
| No owner | Two bots edit the same page | One owner per file or stage |
| Old drafts lying around | A bot picks up last week's version | Clear folders: drafts, approved, archive |
| Scratch files everywhere | Nobody knows what's real | Keep scratch in its own folder |
These are document control problems, and ISO has answers for them. See The current version at the point of use.
A real example
This site is built this way. Research notes go in one folder. Drafts go in another. Pages the owner approved go in approved/, and only those get published. Each bot knows which folder it owns. The bot that publishes only takes from approved/.
Not your computer
One more thing. The bots' shared computer is separate from your own laptop. Files on it don't show up on your computer unless a bot copies them over, with your okay. That's a useful wall. A bot experimenting on its own machine can't mess up yours.
What this means for you
- Give files a home. Decide the folders before the bots fill them.
- Give each folder an owner. Who writes there, and who only reads?
- Name the master. If two copies exist, one is the real one. Say which.
- Keep the record separate from the scratch. See Write it down or it didn't happen.
A shared computer makes teamwork easy. A little order makes it reliable.