Understanding the Codex interface and features
Codex's interface and features change quickly, so this guide does not point to specific buttons. It explains the structure and way of working, so you can find the equivalent in any version.
What areas the interface usually has
- Task / conversation list: usually on the left; each task is one thing you asked it to do.
- Conversation area: the middle; shows your request, its reasoning and the results.
- Input box: at the bottom; describe the task here, often with attached files or code locations.
- Change preview: which files it modified and how, usually shown as a diff.
- Settings: account, permissions, environment.
How to give it tasks
- State the goal: e.g. “add phone-number validation to the login page”, not “improve it”.
- Give the scope: point to the relevant files, folders or functions so it changes less.
- Write acceptance criteria: e.g. “all existing tests must pass afterwards”.
- Go step by step: split big tasks into small ones and confirm each step.
Permissions and safety
When it asks to run commands, read/write files or access the network, you will see permission prompts. Understand an unfamiliar command before allowing it; for anything that deletes, overwrites or publishes, check it yourself first. Save a clean state with version control (such as Git) so you can roll back.
Check the result
Even when it says “done”, read the change preview, run the tests and try it for real. It can boost your efficiency a lot, but the user remains responsible for the result.