Codex Q&A
Use OpenAI's Codex CLI to answer questions about the codebase.
Prerequisites
Codex CLI must be installed and configured:
npm install -g @openai/codex
# or
brew install --cask codexAn OpenAI API key must be configured (OPENAI_API_KEY environment variable or via codex initial setup).
Usage
Spawn the codex-qa subagent to handle the question:
Use the Task tool to spawn the codex-qa agent with the user's question.The subagent will:
- Formulate a clear prompt for Codex
- Run
codex exec "question"in read-only mode - Return Codex's response
Direct Usage (without subagent)
If you prefer to run Codex directly:
codex exec "your question here"Command Options
- Basic query:
codex exec "question" - With image:
codex -i image.png exec "question about image" - JSON output:
codex exec --json "question" - Longer timeout:
codex exec --timeout 300000 "complex question"
Common Use Cases
- Code explanation: "What does this function do?"
- Architecture questions: "How is the database layer structured?"
- Finding patterns: "Where is error handling implemented?"
- Code review: "Review this file for potential issues"
- Comparison: Get a second opinion on a code question
Notes
- Codex exec runs in read-only mode by default - it cannot modify files
- Activity streams to stderr, final answer goes to stdout
- For complex questions, use the subagent for better context isolation