Stateless Tools

Codex cheatsheet

🔒 Browser-side processing

A compact Codex reference rebuilt from the OpenAI Codex manual, focused on CLI commands, slash commands, AGENTS.md, Skills, MCP, Automations, and app settings.

Checked

Start from the features OpenAI documents directly

Codex now spans the CLI, desktop app, IDE extension, and cloud workflows. This page stays anchored to features OpenAI documents explicitly as of June 8, 2026.

Last checked · 2026-06-08

CLI First

The terminal commands and slash controls people look up first

codex login

Reconnect authentication

Recover Codex auth through ChatGPT OAuth, device auth, API key, or an access token piped over stdin.

codex update

Update the CLI

Check for and apply a Codex CLI update when the installed release supports self-update.

codex doctor

Diagnose local setup

Generate a support report for installation, auth, config, Git, terminal, app-server, and thread inventory issues.

codex exec

Run non-interactively

Use Codex from scripts or automation and stream output to stdout or JSONL.

codex --model

Pick a model explicitly

Override the configured default model for a single invocation.

--sandbox / --ask-for-approval

Set permission boundaries

For local work, workspace-write plus on-request is usually the practical balance.

/permissions

Adjust approval behavior mid-session

Switch between presets such as Read Only and Auto while the session is running.

/model / /status

Inspect model and session state

Confirm the active model, effort, approval policy, writable roots, and remaining context.

/plan / /goal

Structure bigger tasks first

Use plan mode before implementation and goals for longer-running tracked work.

/diff / /review

Check before committing

Inspect the working tree diff and ask Codex for a review pass on local changes.

App Workflow

The features people re-open even more than commands

AGENTS.md

Keep recurring review criteria, build commands, and repository rules in AGENTS.md. Closer nested files provide more specific guidance.

Skills

Put repeatable procedures in .agents/skills or $HOME/.agents/skills. Codex reads the full SKILL.md only when needed.

MCP

Use codex mcp or config.toml MCP settings when Codex needs GitHub, Figma, browsers, internal docs, or other external systems.

Automations + worktrees

Run recurring checks with Automations, and choose dedicated worktrees in Git repositories to isolate background changes from local work.

App modes

Codex app threads run in Local, Worktree, or Cloud mode. Worktree mode is usually the cleanest choice for independent work in one repo.

Browser / Computer Use

Think of the in-app browser and Browser plugin for web app checks, and Computer Use for desktop-app workflows.

Use Cases

When this page is worth keeping open

Return

When you have not used Codex CLI in a while

Start with codex login, codex doctor, codex update, and /status to recover auth, install, version, and session state.

Extend

When you want to add team playbooks

Use AGENTS.md for rules, Skills for repeatable procedures, MCP for external systems, and Automations for recurring runs.

Review

When you want a final pass before committing

Inspect changes with /diff, request a working-tree review with /review, then ask Codex to run the relevant tests.

Official Sources

Direct links to the official docs