Understanding Videos in X Posts

X Search Exclusive: Video Analysis

Video understanding is a feature exclusive to x_search and unavailable in web_search. With video representing a growing share of content on X, this capability lets you analyze product demos, conference clips, tutorials, and video announcements directly via the API.

Enable Video Understanding

The enable_video_understanding parameter adds to the x_search tool configuration:

response = client.responses.create(
    model="grok-4.5",
    input="Summarize the latest AI tool video demos shared on X",
    tools=[{
        "type": "x_search",
        "enable_video_understanding": True
    }]
)

When enabled, the model can watch and analyze videos attached to posts it finds during its search. It extracts visual content, dialogue, on-screen text, and overall context.

Image Understanding on X

The enable_image_understanding parameter also works with x_search, just like with web_search:

response = client.responses.create(
    model="grok-4.5",
    input="Analyze infographics shared about AI this week",
    tools=[{
        "type": "x_search",
        "enable_image_understanding": True
    }]
)

You can enable both analyses simultaneously for complete media coverage.

Video Analysis Use Cases

Competitive Product Monitoring

Monitor competitor video demos published on X to stay informed about their new features without watching every post:

response = client.responses.create(
    model="grok-4.5",
    input="""Find and analyze AI product demo videos
    published this week on X.
    For each video, identify: the product,
    features shown, and community
    reactions.""",
    tools=[{
        "type": "x_search",
        "enable_video_understanding": True,
        "from_date": "2026-03-27",
        "to_date": "2026-04-03"
    }]
)

Conference Summaries

Many speakers share clips of their presentations on X. Video analysis can summarize them:

response = client.responses.create(
    model="grok-4.5",
    input="""Summarize AI presentation videos
    shared by these speakers this week.
    Extract key points from each talk.""",
    tools=[{
        "type": "x_search",
        "allowed_x_handles": ["AndrewYNg", "karpathy"],
        "enable_video_understanding": True
    }]
)

Technical Tutorial Analysis

Developers frequently share short video tutorials on X. Video analysis can extract steps and commands shown:

response = client.responses.create(
    model="grok-4.5",
    input="""Find video tutorials on deploying
    AI models shared on X this week.
    Extract key steps and tools used.""",
    tools=[{
        "type": "x_search",
        "enable_video_understanding": True,
        "enable_image_understanding": True
    }]
)

Performance Impact

Video analysis is significantly slower than text analysis. The model must process the video stream, extract relevant frames, and analyze visual and audio content. Expect longer response times and higher token consumption.

Enable enable_video_understanding only when video content is essential to your use case. For quick daily monitoring of post text, leave this parameter disabled.

Hands-On Practice

Create a monitoring script that targets 3 accounts that regularly share video content in your field. Enable video and image understanding simultaneously. Compare the richness of the analysis obtained with and without these parameters enabled, and measure the difference in response time.

Key Takeaways

• enable_video_understanding is exclusive to x_search (not available on web_search)
• enable_image_understanding works on both tools
• Video analysis and image analysis can be enabled simultaneously
• Video analysis significantly increases processing time and tokens consumed
• Each tool has its own parameters: domains for web_search, handles and dates for x_search
• Enable video analysis only when multimedia content is relevant to your query