Codex Coding Skill

Use this skill to run Codex CLI as the coding engine.

Prerequisites

• •codex installed and available in PATH.
• •Run inside a trusted git repo whenever possible.
• •For OpenClaw tool execution, run Codex with PTY enabled.

Fast checks

codex --version
git rev-parse --is-inside-work-tree

If not in a repo:

mkdir -p /tmp/codex-scratch && cd /tmp/codex-scratch && git init

Recommended execution patterns (OpenClaw)

One-shot task

# with OpenClaw exec tool: pty=true, set workdir to project
# IMPORTANT: Use --sandbox workspace-write to allow file modifications
codex exec --sandbox workspace-write "Add input validation to the signup endpoint and update tests."

Long task in background

# Use --sandbox workspace-write for write access
codex exec --sandbox workspace-write "Implement feature X with tests, then summarize changed files and remaining risks."

Use process monitoring to read logs and intervene only if needed.

Working style

1. •Define a precise task (scope + constraints + done criteria).
2. •Ask Codex to implement and run tests/lint.
3. •Review diff, rerun checks, iterate with focused follow-ups.
4. •Summarize:
   • •changed files
   • •behavior impact
   • •test results
   • •known limitations

Prompt template

Use this template when dispatching Codex:

Context: <project + goal>
Constraints:
- Keep changes minimal and targeted
- Preserve existing style
- Update/add tests for modified behavior
- Run relevant checks before finishing
Deliverables:
- Summary of edits by file
- Commands run and results
- Remaining risks / TODOs

Safety / quality guardrails

• •Prefer small iterative changes over large rewrites.
• •Require tests for logic changes.
• •Do not claim success without command output.
• •If Codex is blocked by missing env/secrets, stop and report exact requirement.

References

• •references/codex-readme.md
• •Codex docs: https://developers.openai.com/codex