3 Codex Updates
+ How To
Actually Use Them

Quick honesty: I run both Claude Code and Codex and I'm not loyal to either team. I use whatever gets the job done, and lately Codex has been pulling more weight. This is the full breakdown of the three updates I use, with the actual how-to for each.

OpenAI added six role-based plugins (sales, finance, a creative/marketing one, and more) that together span 62 apps and 110 skills. A plugin pre-loads Codex with the tools and know-how a specific job needs, so you're not starting from a blank box.

How to turn one on and use it:

1. In the Codex app, open the Plugins section (or run /plugins in the CLI).
2. Find the plugin you want and click Add to Codex, then connect any apps it asks for (Figma, Canva, etc.).
3. Start a new chat and either just describe your task, or type @ + the plugin name to call it directly.

The one I lean on is the creative / marketing plugin (its name in Codex is Creative Production). It connects to Figma, Canva, and stock-image tools, so it turns a plain brief into real, reviewable assets: campaign mood boards, ad variations, and product lifestyle shots.

@Creative Production Here's my brief: I'm launching a new product and want a cohesive ad set. Build a quick campaign mood board, then take my product photo and generate 6 display-ad variations sized for an Instagram feed post, a Story, and a website banner. Keep my logo in the bottom-left and the vibe clean and modern.

Sites for Codex lets you build a working website or simple app from a prompt and ship it with a shareable link, no hosting setup. Here's the part most people miss: how you actually use it.

1. In the Codex app, start a chat and type @Sites followed by what you want built.
2. It builds the site and shows you a preview. Chat to tweak it ("make the button bigger," "add an email field").
3. Heads-up: deploying makes it live. So first say "save a version without deploying" to review it.
4. When you're happy, say "deploy it," and Codex gives you the shareable URL.
5. To change it later, just send another @Sites message with the edit and it redeploys for you.

Three things you could actually build with it (real prompts you can copy):

@Sites Build a simple lead-capture page for my business. Visitors enter their name, email, and what they need help with. Save every submission to a list I can view, and show a friendly thank-you message after they submit. Save a version for me to review first.

@Sites Build a mobile-first link-in-bio page for my Instagram. Profile photo at the top, a one-line bio, then 5 big tappable buttons linking to my shop, newsletter, booking page, YouTube, and TikTok. Clean and modern. Deploy it and give me the URL.

@Sites Build a client tracker for my small team. Let me add a client, set a status (lead, active, delivered, paid), assign an owner, and filter the list. Keep it simple and fast. Deploy it and share it with my team.

The third update is the one that changed how I work: handing Codex a big job and coming back to finished work. There are two ways to do it, and one is way friendlier for non-coders.

The easy one: Automations. In the Codex app sidebar, open Automations, then set a schedule + a prompt. It runs on its own and drops the results in your inbox inside the app. Perfect for recurring work and overnight jobs.

Every morning at 7am, summarize what my competitors posted in the last 24 hours and any mentions of my brand, then give me the 3 highlights and one thing I should react to today. Put it in my inbox.

The power-user one: /goal. In the Codex CLI you can type /goal + a big objective and it works autonomously for as long as it takes, checking its own work until the job's done. It's more technical, but it's how you hand off a huge multi-step task and walk away.