Codex CLI essentials
Codex CLI 0.153.0 commands for bounded agent runs, session control, automation, code review, MCP servers, and diagnostics.
Codex CLI 0.153.0 1 page when printed
Install and authenticate
npm install -g @openai/[email protected] install the exact CLI release used by this sheet codex --version print the installed CLI version codex login authenticate through the default browser flow codex login --device-auth authenticate with a device code instead of opening a browser printenv OPENAI_API_KEY | codex login --with-api-key read an API key from standard input codex login status show the active authentication mode and return nonzero when logged out codex logout remove stored Codex credentials Start an interactive task
codex open the terminal UI in the current directory codex 'Explain the failing test' open the terminal UI with an initial task codex -C repo 'Fix the failing test' set the working root before the task begins codex -i screenshot.png 'Fix this UI bug' attach an image to the initial task codex --search 'Verify the current dependency API' enable live web search for this run codex --no-alt-screen keep the terminal UI in normal scrollback Bound permissions
codex -s read-only allow model-generated commands to read but not write codex -s workspace-write -a on-request allow workspace writes and let Codex request approval codex -s workspace-write -a never allow workspace writes without interactive approval prompts codex --add-dir ../shared grant another directory write access for this run codex --approve-for-me route approval requests through automatic review in workspace-write mode codex --dangerously-bypass-approvals-and-sandbox remove both safeguards only inside an externally hardened sandbox Control the terminal UI
/init generate an AGENTS.md scaffold for the current project /status show the active session configuration and usage /model choose the model and reasoning effort /permissions change the approval and sandbox preset during the session /mention src/lib/api.ts add a specific workspace file to the prompt /compact replace earlier turns with a concise context summary /exit close the interactive session Run non-interactively
codex exec 'Run tests and fix failures' run one task without opening the terminal UI printf '%s\n' 'Explain this diff' | codex exec - read the task from standard input codex exec --ephemeral 'Explain this repository' run without persisting session files codex exec --json 'Run the targeted tests' stream machine-readable events as JSONL codex exec -o final.txt 'Summarize the change' write the final agent message to a file codex exec --output-schema schema.json 'Report findings' constrain the final response with a JSON Schema Continue or branch a session
codex resume choose a saved interactive session from the current directory codex resume --last continue the most recent saved interactive session codex resume SESSION_ID continue one saved session by identifier or name codex resume --all show sessions outside the current-directory filter codex fork SESSION_ID start a new chat from an earlier session codex fork --last fork the most recent saved interactive session codex exec resume --last 'Run the remaining checks' continue the latest non-interactive session with a new task Review changes
/diff show staged, unstaged, and untracked workspace changes /review review the working tree inside the current session codex review --uncommitted review staged, unstaged, and untracked changes non-interactively codex review --base main review the current branch against main codex review --commit COMMIT review the changes introduced by one commit printf '%s\n' 'Focus on correctness and missing tests' | codex review - read custom review instructions from standard input Override configuration
codex -m MODEL override the configured model for this run codex -p PROFILE layer a named profile over the base configuration codex -c key=value override one configuration value for this invocation codex --strict-config fail when config.toml contains an unknown field codex features list show known feature flags, stages, and effective states codex features enable FEATURE persistently enable one feature in config.toml codex features disable FEATURE persistently disable one feature in config.toml Manage MCP servers
codex mcp list list configured Model Context Protocol servers codex mcp list --json list configured servers as JSON codex mcp get NAME --json show one server configuration as JSON codex mcp add NAME -- COMMAND ARG register a server launched over standard input and output codex mcp add NAME --url URL register a server reached through streamable HTTP codex mcp login NAME authenticate one HTTP server with OAuth codex mcp remove NAME remove one server configuration Diagnose and integrate
codex doctor inspect installation, configuration, authentication, runtime, Git, and terminal health codex doctor --summary print only grouped diagnostic checks and totals codex doctor --json emit a redacted machine-readable diagnostic report codex completion bash generate a Bash completion script codex sandbox -- COMMAND ARG run an arbitrary command inside the Codex-provided sandbox codex update check for and apply a supported CLI self-update Say it precisely to your AI
rules pack · Coding in the AI era
Coding in the AI era rules for your coding agent
Download the track's pitfalls and review checks in the format your coding agent reads.