Esment
Chapter I

Connect Grok to your memory

Grok runs on xAI’s servers, in your browser — not on your Mac. So it connects to Esment the same way ChatGPT and Perplexity do: you give it a web address for your memory and a way to sign in, and from then on it can recall and save memories inside any chat.

Grok’s connector form asks for a URL and nothing else — there’s no file to edit and no app to install. That also means Esment can’t set it up for you with one click the way it does for Claude Desktop or Cursor, so this guide walks you through it by hand. It takes about two minutes.

What you need

  • A paid Grok plan. Custom connectors are part of xAI’s paid tiers; on the free tier the Custom option isn’t offered.
  • A web address for your memory. Either your Esment Cloud link, or — if you keep everything on your Mac — the temporary address from the app’s built-in tunnel. The next section covers both.
  • An access key. Grok calls this the API key. It’s what proves the connection is yours.
Grok can’t reach your Mac directly

Because Grok dials out from xAI’s own servers, it rejects addresses like localhost or 127.0.0.1 — they mean “this computer” to xAI’s server, not yours. That’s the reason for the tunnel below, and the reason the cloud route is simpler.

Get your memory address

Option A — Esment Cloud (simplest)

Your memory is already hosted on the web, so there’s a permanent address and nothing to keep running. Open Connect assistants in your dashboard and copy the link under Your memory endpoint (it ends in /mcp). While you’re there, press Generate API key and copy the key — it’s shown only once.

Option B — the Mac app, using the tunnel

If you’d rather your memory never leaves your computer, the app can open a temporary secure address that points back to your Mac.

  1. 1Open Esment and go to the Connections page.
  2. 2In the Web assistants section, click Turn on on the tunnel.
  3. 3Wait a few seconds for the https:// address to appear, then click Copy MCP URL.
  4. 4Open Settings → Connection and copy the Admin Token — that’s the key you’ll paste into Grok.
The tunnel address changes

Each time the tunnel or your Mac restarts, the address is different, and Grok will need the new one. If Grok stops finding your memory, that’s almost always why. Esment Cloud avoids this entirely.

Not sure which to pick?Compare both →

Choose the cloud if you want a link that never changes and nothing to keep open. Choose the tunnel if you want your memory to stay on your own machine — the app must then be running for Grok to reach it.

Chapter II

Add the connector

With the address and the key on your clipboard, the rest happens inside Grok.

In Grok

  1. 1Go to grok.com/connectors (or open Grok’s settings and choose Connectors).
  2. 2Click New Connector, then pick Custom — the “bring your own MCP server” option.
  3. 3Paste your memory address into the server URL field. Include the /mcp at the end.
  4. 4Give it a name you’ll recognise — Esment works well.
  5. 5For authentication choose API key and paste the key you copied. If Grok asks for a header instead, use Authorization with the value Bearer followed by a space and your key.
  6. 6Save. Grok connects, reads the list of things Esment can do, and shows them on the connector.

If the tools appear, you’re done. Start a new chat and ask Grok to remember something — then ask about it in a fresh conversation to see it come back.

Signing in instead of a key

Esment also supports signing in (OAuth). Grok’s OAuth option asks for a client ID and secret, which Esment doesn’t hand out — it registers assistants automatically instead. So for Grok, use the API key above. It’s exactly as private; it just skips the sign-in screen.

Make Grok actually use your memory

Connecting gives Grok the ability to use your memory; it doesn’t yet give it the habit. Claude and Cursor pick up Esment’s guidance automatically over MCP. Grok, like ChatGPT and Perplexity, doesn’t — so you paste it in once.

  1. 1Open Connect assistants and find Instructions for your assistant. (On the Mac app: Connections → Web assistants → Setup guide.)
  2. 2Click Copy on the block of instructions.
  3. 3In Grok, open your custom instructions (also called personalisation or system prompt) and paste it in. Save.

From then on Grok looks things up before it answers and saves what’s worth keeping, without you having to ask each time.

If it doesn’t connect

  • “Custom” isn’t there. Custom connectors need a paid Grok plan.
  • Grok rejects the URL. It must be a public https:// address ending in /mcp — never localhost, 127.0.0.1 or a 192.168.x address.
  • It connects but shows no tools. Usually the key: re-copy it (no spaces, nothing missing) and save the connector again.
  • It worked yesterday and stopped. If you’re using the tunnel, its address changed — copy the new one from the Connections page and update the connector. If you’re on the cloud, check the endpoint shows Service online.
  • Grok connects but never recalls anything. The instructions block above hasn’t been pasted in, or Grok has nothing stored yet — tell it a fact and try a new chat.
Other web assistantsWeb assistants guide →

ChatGPT, Claude on the web and Perplexity follow the same shape as Grok. The web assistants guide covers all of them, plus the tunnel in more detail.

Grok