enterprise/managed-configuration diff

enterprise/managed-configuration.md +192 −0 added

Details

1# Managed configuration

3Enterprise admins can control local Codex behavior in two ways:

5- **Requirements**: admin-enforced constraints that users can't override.

6- **Managed defaults**: starting values applied when Codex launches. Users can still change settings during a session; Codex reapplies managed defaults the next time it starts.

8## Admin-enforced requirements (requirements.toml)

10Requirements constrain security-sensitive settings (approval policy, sandbox mode, web search mode, and optionally which MCP servers users can enable). When resolving configuration (for example from `config.toml`, profiles, or CLI config overrides), if a value conflicts with an enforced rule, Codex falls back to a compatible value and notifies the user. If you configure an `mcp_servers` allowlist, Codex enables an MCP server only when both its name and identity match an approved entry; otherwise, Codex disables it.

12Requirements can also constrain [feature flags](https://developers.openai.com/codex/config-basic/#feature-flags) via the `[features]` table in `requirements.toml`. Note that features aren't always security-sensitive, but enterprises can pin values if desired. Omitted keys remain unconstrained.

14For the exact key list, see the [`requirements.toml` section in Configuration Reference](https://developers.openai.com/codex/config-reference#requirementstoml).

16### Locations and precedence

18Codex applies requirements layers in this order (earlier wins per field):

201. Cloud-managed requirements (ChatGPT Business or Enterprise)

212. macOS managed preferences (MDM) via `com.openai.codex:requirements_toml_base64`

223. System `requirements.toml` (`/etc/codex/requirements.toml` on Unix systems, including Linux/macOS)

24Across layers, Codex merges requirements per field: if an earlier layer sets a field (including an empty list), later layers don't override that field, but lower layers can still fill fields that remain unset.

26For backwards compatibility, Codex also interprets legacy `managed_config.toml` fields `approval_policy` and `sandbox_mode` as requirements (allowing only that single value).

28### Cloud-managed requirements

30When you sign in with ChatGPT on a Business or Enterprise plan, Codex can also fetch admin-enforced requirements from the Codex service. This is another source of `requirements.toml`-compatible requirements. This applies across Codex surfaces, including the CLI, App, and IDE Extension.

32#### Configure cloud-managed requirements

34Go to the [Codex managed-config page](https://chatgpt.com/codex/settings/managed-configs).

36Create a new managed requirements file using the same format and keys as `requirements.toml`.

38```toml

39enforce_residency = "us"

40allowed_approval_policies = ["on-request"]

41allowed_sandbox_modes = ["read-only", "workspace-write"]

43[rules]

44prefix_rules = [

45 { pattern = [{ any_of = ["bash", "sh", "zsh"] }], decision = "prompt", justification = "Require explicit approval for shell entrypoints" },

46]

47```

49Save the configuration. Once saved, the updated managed requirements apply immediately for matching users.

50For more examples, see [Example requirements.toml](#example-requirementstoml).

52#### Assign requirements to groups

54Admins can configure different managed requirements for different user groups, and also set a default fallback requirements policy.

56If a user matches more than one group-specific rule, the first matching rule applies. Codex doesn't fill unset fields from later matching group rules.

58For example, if the first matching group rule sets only `allowed_sandbox_modes = ["read-only"]` and a later matching group rule sets `allowed_approval_policies = ["on-request"]`, Codex applies only the first matching group rule and doesn't fill `allowed_approval_policies` from the later rule.

60#### How Codex applies cloud-managed requirements locally

62When a user starts Codex and signs in with ChatGPT on a Business or Enterprise plan, Codex applies managed requirements on a best-effort basis. Codex first checks for a valid, unexpired local managed requirements cache entry and uses it if available. If the cache is missing, expired, corrupted, or doesn't match the current auth identity, Codex attempts to fetch managed requirements from the service (with retries) and writes a new signed cache entry on success. If no valid cached entry is available and the fetch fails or times out, Codex continues without the managed requirements layer.

64After cache resolution, Codex enforces managed requirements as part of the normal requirements layering described above.

66### Example requirements.toml

68This example blocks `--ask-for-approval never` and `--sandbox danger-full-access` (including `--yolo`):

70```toml

71allowed_approval_policies = ["untrusted", "on-request"]

72allowed_sandbox_modes = ["read-only", "workspace-write"]

73```

75You can also constrain web search mode:

77```toml

78allowed_web_search_modes = ["cached"] # "disabled" remains implicitly allowed

79```

81`allowed_web_search_modes = []` allows only `"disabled"`.

82For example, `allowed_web_search_modes = ["cached"]` prevents live web search even in `danger-full-access` sessions.

84You can also pin [feature flags](https://developers.openai.com/codex/config-basic/#feature-flags):

86```

87[features]

88personality = true

89unified_exec = false

90```

92Use the canonical feature keys from `config.toml`'s `[features]` table. Codex normalizes the resulting feature set to meet these pins and rejects conflicting writes to `config.toml` or profile-scoped feature settings.

94### Enforce command rules from requirements

96Admins can also enforce restrictive command rules from `requirements.toml`

97using a `[rules]` table. These rules merge with regular `.rules` files, and the

98most restrictive decision still wins.

100Unlike `.rules`, requirements rules must specify `decision`, and that decision

101must be `"prompt"` or `"forbidden"` (not `"allow"`).

102

103```toml

104[rules]

105prefix_rules = [

106 { pattern = [{ token = "rm" }], decision = "forbidden", justification = "Use git clean -fd instead." },

107 { pattern = [{ token = "git" }, { any_of = ["push", "commit"] }], decision = "prompt", justification = "Require review before mutating history." },

108]

109```

110

111To restrict which MCP servers Codex can enable, add an `mcp_servers` approved list. For stdio servers, match on `command`; for streamable HTTP servers, match on `url`:

112

113```toml

114[mcp_servers.docs]

115identity = { command = "codex-mcp" }

116

117[mcp_servers.remote]

118identity = { url = "https://example.com/mcp" }

119```

120

121If `mcp_servers` is present but empty, Codex disables all MCP servers.

122

123## Managed defaults (`managed_config.toml`)

124

125Managed defaults merge on top of a user's local `config.toml` and take precedence over any CLI `--config` overrides, setting the starting values when Codex launches. Users can still change those settings during a session; Codex reapplies managed defaults the next time it starts.

126

127Make sure your managed defaults meet your requirements; Codex rejects disallowed values.

128

129### Precedence and layering

130

131Codex assembles the effective configuration in this order (top overrides bottom):

132

133- Managed preferences (macOS MDM; highest precedence)

134- `managed_config.toml` (system/managed file)

135- `config.toml` (user's base configuration)

136

137CLI `--config key=value` overrides apply to the base, but managed layers override them. This means each run starts from the managed defaults even if you provide local flags.

138

139Cloud-managed requirements affect the requirements layer (not managed defaults). See the Admin-enforced requirements section above for precedence.

140

141### Locations

142

143- Linux/macOS (Unix): `/etc/codex/managed_config.toml`

144- Windows/non-Unix: `~/.codex/managed_config.toml`

145

146If the file is missing, Codex skips the managed layer.

147

148### macOS managed preferences (MDM)

149

150On macOS, admins can push a device profile that provides base64-encoded TOML payloads at:

151

152- Preference domain: `com.openai.codex`

153- Keys:

154 - `config_toml_base64` (managed defaults)

155 - `requirements_toml_base64` (requirements)

156

157Codex parses these "managed preferences" payloads as TOML. For managed defaults (`config_toml_base64`), managed preferences have the highest precedence. For requirements (`requirements_toml_base64`), precedence follows the cloud-managed requirements order described above. The same requirements-side `[features]` table works in `requirements_toml_base64`; use canonical feature keys there as well.

158

159### MDM setup workflow

160

161Codex honors standard macOS MDM payloads, so you can distribute settings with tooling like `Jamf Pro`, `Fleet`, or `Kandji`. A lightweight deployment looks like:

162

1631. Build the managed payload TOML and encode it with `base64` (no wrapping).

1642. Drop the string into your MDM profile under the `com.openai.codex` domain at `config_toml_base64` (managed defaults) or `requirements_toml_base64` (requirements).

1653. Push the profile, then ask users to restart Codex and confirm the startup config summary reflects the managed values.

1664. When revoking or changing policy, update the managed payload; the CLI reads the refreshed preference the next time it launches.

167

168Avoid embedding secrets or high-churn dynamic values in the payload. Treat the managed TOML like any other MDM setting under change control.

169

170### Example managed_config.toml

171

172```toml

173# Set conservative defaults

174approval_policy = "on-request"

175sandbox_mode = "workspace-write"

176

177[sandbox_workspace_write]

178network_access = false # keep network disabled unless explicitly allowed

179

180[otel]

181environment = "prod"

182exporter = "otlp-http" # point at your collector

183log_user_prompt = false # keep prompts redacted

184# exporter details live under exporter tables; see Monitoring and telemetry above

185```

186

187### Recommended guardrails

188

189- Prefer `workspace-write` with approvals for most users; reserve full access for controlled containers.

190- Keep `network_access = false` unless your security review allows a collector or domains required by your workflows.

191- Use managed configuration to pin OTel settings (exporter, environment), but keep `log_user_prompt = false` unless your policy explicitly allows storing prompt contents.

192- Periodically audit diffs between local `config.toml` and managed policy to catch drift; managed layers should win over local flags and files.

enterprise/managed-configuration.md Codex Docs, 2026-02-19 20:37 UTC → 2026-03-17 00:33 UTC