Codex CLI is an experimental project under active development. It is not yet stable, may contain bugs, incomplete features, or undergo breaking changes. We’re building it in the open with the community and welcome:
- Bug reports
- Feature requests
- Pull requests
- Good vibes
Help us improve by filing issues or submitting PRs (see the section below for how to contribute)!
> **Note:** This command sets the key only for your current terminal session. To make it permanent, add the `export` line to your shell's configuration file (e.g., `~/.zshrc`).
>
> **Tip:** You can also place your API key into a `.env` file at the root of your project:
>
> ```env
> OPENAI_API_KEY=your-api-key-here
> ```
>
> The CLI will automatically load variables from `.env` (via `dotenv/config`).
Below are a few bite‑size examples you can copy‑paste. Replace the text in quotes with your own task. See the [prompting guide](https://github.com/openai/codex/blob/main/codex-cli/examples/prompting_guide.md) for more tips and usage patterns.
<summary>OpenAI released a model called Codex in 2021 - is this related?</summary>
In 2021, OpenAI released Codex, an AI system designed to generate code from natural language prompts. That original Codex model was deprecated as of March 2023 and is separate from the CLI tool.
Any model available with [Responses API](https://platform.openai.com/docs/api-reference/responses). The default is `o4-mini`, but pass `--model gpt-4.1` or set `model: gpt-4.1` in your config file to override.
It's possible that your [API account needs to be verified](https://help.openai.com/en/articles/10910291-api-organization-verification) in order to start streaming responses and seeing chain of thought summaries from the API. If you're still running into issues, please let us know!
Codex runs model-generated commands in a sandbox. If a proposed command or file change doesn't look right, you can simply type **n** to deny the command or give the model feedback.
Not directly. It requires [Windows Subsystem for Linux (WSL2)](https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/wsl/install) – Codex has been tested on macOS and Linux with Node≥22.
## Zero Data Retention (ZDR) Organization Limitation
> **Note:** Codex CLI does **not** currently support OpenAI organizations with [Zero Data Retention (ZDR)](https://platform.openai.com/docs/guides/your-data#zero-data-retention) enabled.
If your OpenAI organization has Zero Data Retention enabled, you may encounter errors such as:
```
OpenAI rejected the request. Error details: Status: 400, Code: unsupported_parameter, Type: invalid_request_error, Message: 400 Previous response cannot be used for this organization due to Zero Data Retention.
```
**Why?**
- Codex CLI relies on the Responses API with `store:true` to enable internal reasoning steps.
- As noted in the [docs](https://platform.openai.com/docs/guides/your-data#responses-api), the Responses API requires a 30-day retention period by default, or when the store parameter is set to true.
- ZDR organizations cannot use `store:true`, so requests will fail.
**What can I do?**
- If you are part of a ZDR organization, Codex CLI will not work until support is added.
- We are tracking this limitation and will update the documentation if support becomes available.
More broadly we welcome contributions – whether you are opening your very first pull request or you’re a seasoned maintainer. At the same time we care about reliability and long‑term maintainability, so the bar for merging code is intentionally **high**. The guidelines below spell out what “high‑quality” means in practice and should make the whole process transparent and friendly.
1.**Start with an issue.** Open a new one or comment on an existing discussion so we can agree on the solution before code is written.
2.**Add or update tests.** Every new feature or bug‑fix should come with test coverage that fails before your change and passes afterwards. 100% coverage is not required, but aim for meaningful assertions.
3.**Document behaviour.** If your change affects user‑facing behaviour, update the README, inline help (`codex --help`), or relevant example projects.
4.**Keep commits atomic.** Each commit should compile and the tests should pass. This makes reviews and potential rollbacks easier.
- Make sure your branch is up‑to‑date with `main` and that you have resolved merge conflicts.
- Mark the PR as **Ready for review** only when you believe it is in a merge‑able state.
### Review process
1. One maintainer will be assigned as a primary reviewer.
2. We may ask for changes – please do not take this personally. We value the work, we just also value consistency and long‑term maintainability.
3. When there is consensus that the PR meets the bar, a maintainer will squash‑and‑merge.
### Community values
- **Be kind and inclusive.** Treat others with respect; we follow the [Contributor Covenant](https://www.contributor-covenant.org/).
- **Assume good intent.** Written communication is hard – err on the side of generosity.
- **Teach & learn.** If you spot something confusing, open an issue or PR with improvements.
### Getting help
If you run into problems setting up the project, would like feedback on an idea, or just want to say _hi_– please open a Discussion or jump into the relevant issue. We are happy to help.
Together we can make Codex CLI an incredible tool. **Happy hacking!** :rocket:
