migration/imagine-image-quality-nov-2.md +103 −0 created
1#### Migration Guides
2
3# grok-imagine-image-quality Retirement on November 2, 2026
4
5`grok-imagine-image-2.0` now covers everything `grok-imagine-image-quality` was used for, at a lower price. **Effective November 2, 2026**, the `grok-imagine-image-quality` model slug is retired from the xAI API. Its 60-day notice period began on September 2, 2026.
6
7> [!CAUTION]
8>
9> After **November 2, 2026**, requests to `grok-imagine-image-quality` are served by `grok-imagine-image-2.0` with `quality` set to `low`. The slug continues to resolve, so you do not need to change your code to avoid breakage. `grok-imagine-image-2.0` is [priced differently](#pricing-impact) than the model it replaces.
10
11`grok-imagine-image` (1.0) is not affected by this change.
12
13### How the redirect works
14
15Starting **November 2, 2026**:
16
17* Requests to `grok-imagine-image-quality` on `/v1/images/generations` and `/v1/images/edits` are served by **`grok-imagine-image-2.0` with `quality: "low"`**.
18* The request and response shapes are unchanged. Every parameter accepted today is accepted after the switch, and `grok-imagine-image-2.0` additionally accepts `quality`, up to five source images for editing, and the `21:9` and `5:2` aspect ratios.
19* The `model` field on responses reports the model that served the request, so you can confirm the switch from your logs.
20* Requests to `grok-imagine-image-pro`, which [already redirect](/developers/migration/may-15-retirement) to `grok-imagine-image-quality`, follow it to `grok-imagine-image-2.0` at `low`.
21
22## Pricing impact
23
24`grok-imagine-image-2.0` at `low` quality is $0.01 per image cheaper than `grok-imagine-image-quality` at every resolution. If you keep sending requests to the retired slug after November 2, you are billed at the `grok-imagine-image-2.0` `low` rate. See [Pricing](/developers/pricing) for current per-image rates.
25
26## Recommended replacement
27
28We recommend switching to `grok-imagine-image-2.0` explicitly before November 2. Doing so lets you choose the quality you pay for, rather than accepting the `low` default applied by the redirect.
29
30| Model being retired | Redirect target after November 2 |
31|---|---|
32| `grok-imagine-image-quality` | `grok-imagine-image-2.0` with `quality: "low"` |
33
34Migrating is a one-line change to the `model` field. `grok-imagine-image-2.0` also accepts an optional [`quality`](/developers/model-capabilities/images/generation#quality) parameter:
35
36* `low` is what the redirect uses. It ranks #2 on the [Arena](https://arena.ai) Image Edit leaderboard and #3 on Text-to-Image, and is the closest match in cost to `grok-imagine-image-quality`.
37* `medium` spends more compute on each image for finer detail; choose it where output quality matters more than cost.
38* `auto` (the default when `quality` is omitted) currently serves `low` for generation and `medium` for editing, and you are billed at the quality served.
39
40```python customLanguage="pythonXAI"
41import xai_sdk
42
43client = xai_sdk.Client()
44
45response = client.image.sample(
46 prompt="A watercolor painting of a lighthouse at dawn",
47 model="grok-imagine-image-2.0",
48 quality="low",
49)
50
51print(response.url)
52```
53
54```python customLanguage="pythonOpenAISDK"
55from openai import OpenAI
56
57client = OpenAI(
58 base_url="https://api.x.ai/v1",
59 api_key="YOUR_API_KEY",
60)
61
62response = client.images.generate(
63 model="grok-imagine-image-2.0",
64 prompt="A watercolor painting of a lighthouse at dawn",
65 extra_body={"quality": "low"},
66)
67
68print(response.data[0].url)
69```
70
71```javascript customLanguage="javascriptOpenAISDK"
72import OpenAI from "openai";
73
74const client = new OpenAI({
75 apiKey: process.env.XAI_API_KEY,
76 baseURL: "https://api.x.ai/v1",
77});
78
79const response = await client.images.generate({
80 model: "grok-imagine-image-2.0",
81 prompt: "A watercolor painting of a lighthouse at dawn",
82 quality: "low",
83});
84
85console.log(response.data[0].url);
86```
87
88```bash
89curl -X POST https://api.x.ai/v1/images/generations \
90 -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
91 -H "Authorization: Bearer $XAI_API_KEY" \
92 -d '{
93 "model": "grok-imagine-image-2.0",
94 "prompt": "A watercolor painting of a lighthouse at dawn",
95 "quality": "low"
96 }'
97```
98
99The same `model` change applies to [image editing](/developers/model-capabilities/images/editing) requests on `/v1/images/edits`.
100
101## Need help?
102
103If you have questions or need assistance with this migration, reach out to [support@x.ai](mailto:support@x.ai).