Codex CLI

Codex CLI brings an AI coding agent directly into your terminal, letting you inspect, edit, and run code without switching to a browser or separate app. It's built for developers who live in the command line and want AI assistance that operates on their actual local repository, not a sandboxed copy.

At its core, Codex CLI runs a focused loop: you describe a task, and the agent reads your files, proposes edits, and executes commands using the tools already installed on your machine. You can steer it mid-turn, inspect diffs as they appear, and keep follow-up work in the same session.

Key capabilities:

• Interactive sessions for exploring unfamiliar codebases, planning changes, and debugging in a single terminal loop
• Non-interactive execution via codex exec for scripted workflows, CI pipelines, and repeatable automation
• Built-in code review that checks uncommitted changes, specific commits, or a base branch and surfaces prioritized findings without touching your working tree
• Skills and plugins to package repeatable instructions and connect to external tools like GitHub, Gmail, and Google Calendar without leaving the CLI
• Configurable permissions so you control exactly what the agent is allowed to read, modify, or execute
• Model and reasoning controls to choose which Codex model and effort level fits the task

Compared to browser-based tools like ChatGPT or chat-first agents, Codex CLI stays close to your development environment. It reads your actual project files and runs your local toolchain. It also supports Git checkpoints before and after a task, so you can revert if a change misses the mark.

For teams already using Cline or similar terminal agents, Codex CLI's plugin marketplace and CI-friendly execution mode give it a broader surface area. The review workflow is particularly useful before opening a pull request, catching issues without requiring a separate review tool or manual diff inspection.

Cloud offloading is also supported: you can hand a task to Codex Cloud and return to the terminal later, which suits longer-running jobs that don't need active supervision.