The Swift Gamma‐Ray Burst Explorer is designed to make prompt multiwavelength observations of Gamma‐Ray Bursts (GRBs) and their afterglows. The X‐ray Telescope (XRT) provides key capabilities that permit Swift to determine GRB positions with several arcsecond accuracy within 100 seconds of the burst onset. We present an overview of the XRT and its capabilities. The XRT is designed to observe GRB afterglows covering 7 orders of magnitude in flux in the 0.2–10 keV band, with completely autonomous operation. Accurate GRB positions are determined within seconds of target acquisition and are sent to the ground for distribution over the GCN. The XRT can also measure redshifts of GRBs if they have Fe line emission or other spectral features.