| name | codex-research |
| description | Run a deep Codex (OpenAI) headless research pass using gpt-5.4 with full-auto mode. Use this skill whenever the user asks for "codex research", "openai research", "gpt research", "get a second opinion on the theory", or /codex-research. Sends a research question to OpenAI's Codex CLI for cross-model literature and algorithm research. Produces a written research report.
|
Codex Research
Run a headless research pass via the Codex CLI (codex exec) using OpenAI's strongest model. Produces a written research report and prints the results.
Usage
The user provides a research question or topic. Codex is prompted to research the topic thoroughly and write findings to a file.
TIMESTAMP=$(date +%Y%m%dT%H%M%S)
TOPIC="$1"
OUT_FILE=".tmp/codex-research-${TOPIC}-${TIMESTAMP}.md"
RAW_LOG="/tmp/codex-research-${TIMESTAMP}.raw.log"
mkdir -p .tmp
codex exec \
--full-auto \
-m gpt-5.4 \
"${RESEARCH_PROMPT}" \
2>&1 | tee "$RAW_LOG"
The RESEARCH_PROMPT should instruct Codex to:
- Research the topic using its training knowledge
- Write findings to
$OUT_FILE with sections: Prior Art, Algorithms, Trade-offs, Recommendations
- Cite specific papers, libraries, or implementations by name
- Be explicit about what is established theory vs. speculation
- Focus on practical applicability, not just theoretical interest
Execution
- Construct a detailed research prompt from the user's question
- Run the codex command in the background (
run_in_background: true)
- Wait for completion
- Read the output file (
$OUT_FILE)
- If the output file is empty or missing, fall back to reading the raw log
- Present the research findings to the user
Flags reference
| Flag | Purpose |
|---|
--full-auto | No approval prompts, workspace-write sandbox |
-m gpt-5.4 | OpenAI's strongest model (user's max plan) |
--ephemeral | Optional: skip session persistence for faster execution |
Do NOT use -o — same issue as codex-review, capture stdout instead.
Important
- Always run in the background — Codex research takes 1-3 minutes
- Always write output to
.tmp/codex-research-*.md so results persist
- The
--full-auto flag is critical — without it, Codex blocks waiting for approval
- If Codex fails with a model error, fall back to the default (omit
-m)
