use-cases/agent-friendly-clis.md +48 −110
11# Create a CLI Codex can use | Codex use cases---
2name: Create a CLI Codex can use
3tagline: Give Codex a composable command for an API, log source, export, or team script.
4summary: Ask Codex to create a composable CLI it can run from any folder,
5 combine with repo scripts, use to download files, and remember through a
6 companion skill.
7skills:
8 - token: $cli-creator
9 url: https://github.com/openai/skills/tree/main/skills/.curated/cli-creator
10 description: Design the command surface, build the CLI, add setup and auth
11 checks, install the command on PATH, and verify it from another folder.
12 - token: $skill-creator
13 url: https://github.com/openai/skills/tree/main/skills/.system/skill-creator
14 description: Create the companion skill that teaches later Codex tasks which CLI
15 commands to run first and which write actions require approval.
16bestFor:
17 - Repeated work where Codex needs to search, read, download from, or safely
18 write to the same service, export, local archive, or repo script.
19 - Agent tools that need paged search, exact reads by ID, predictable JSON,
20 downloaded files, local indexes, or draft-before-write commands.
21starterPrompt:
22 title: Build a CLI and companion skill
23 body: >-
24 Use $cli-creator to create a CLI you can use, and use $skill-creator to
25 create the companion skill in this same thread.
26
27
28 Source to learn from: [docs URL, OpenAPI spec, redacted curl command,
29 existing script path, log folder, CSV or JSON export, SQLite database path,
30 or pasted --help output].
31
32
33 First job the CLI should support: [download failed CI logs from a build URL,
34 search support tickets and read one by ID, query an admin API, read a local
35 database, or run one step from an existing script].
36
37
38 Optional write job: [create a draft comment, upload media, retry a failed
39 job, or read-only for now].
2 40
3Codex use cases
4 41
5
6
7
8
9Codex use case
10
11# Create a CLI Codex can use
12
13Give Codex a composable command for an API, log source, export, or team script.
14
15Difficulty **Intermediate**
16
17Time horizon **1h**
18
19Ask Codex to create a composable CLI it can run from any folder, combine with repo scripts, use to download files, and remember through a companion skill.
20
21## Best for
22
23- Repeated work where Codex needs to search, read, download from, or safely write to the same service, export, local archive, or repo script.
24- Agent tools that need paged search, exact reads by ID, predictable JSON, downloaded files, local indexes, or draft-before-write commands.
25
26# Contents
27
28[← All use cases](https://developers.openai.com/codex/use-cases)
29
30Copy page [Export as PDF](https://developers.openai.com/codex/use-cases/agent-friendly-clis/?export=pdf)
31
32Ask Codex to create a composable CLI it can run from any folder, combine with repo scripts, use to download files, and remember through a companion skill.
33
34Intermediate
35
361h
37
38Related links
39
40[Codex skills](https://developers.openai.com/codex/skills) [Create custom skills](https://developers.openai.com/codex/skills/create-skill)
41
42## Best for
43
44- Repeated work where Codex needs to search, read, download from, or safely write to the same service, export, local archive, or repo script.
45- Agent tools that need paged search, exact reads by ID, predictable JSON, downloaded files, local indexes, or draft-before-write commands.
46
47## Skills & Plugins
48
49- [Cli Creator](https://github.com/openai/skills/tree/main/skills/.curated/cli-creator)
50
51 Design the command surface, build the CLI, add setup and auth checks, install the command on PATH, and verify it from another folder.
52- [Skill Creator](https://github.com/openai/skills/tree/main/skills/.system/skill-creator)
53
54 Create the companion skill that teaches later Codex tasks which CLI commands to run first and which write actions require approval.
55
56| Skill | Why use it |
57| ------------------------------------------------------ | ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
58| [Cli Creator](https://github.com/openai/skills/tree/main/skills/.curated/cli-creator) | Design the command surface, build the CLI, add setup and auth checks, install the command on PATH, and verify it from another folder. |
59| [Skill Creator](https://github.com/openai/skills/tree/main/skills/.system/skill-creator) | Create the companion skill that teaches later Codex tasks which CLI commands to run first and which write actions require approval. |
60
61## Starter prompt
62
63Use $cli-creator to create a CLI you can use, and use $skill-creator to create the companion skill in this same thread.
64Source to learn from: [docs URL, OpenAPI spec, redacted curl command, existing script path, log folder, CSV or JSON export, SQLite database path, or pasted --help output].
65First job the CLI should support: [download failed CI logs from a build URL, search support tickets and read one by ID, query an admin API, read a local database, or run one step from an existing script].
66Optional write job: [create a draft comment, upload media, retry a failed job, or read-only for now].
67 Command name: [cli-name, or recommend one].42 Command name: [cli-name, or recommend one].
68Before coding, show me the proposed command surface and ask only for missing details that would block the build.
69 43
7044Use $cli-creator to create a CLI you can use, and use $skill-creator to create the companion skill in this same thread.
7145Source to learn from: [docs URL, OpenAPI spec, redacted curl command, existing script path, log folder, CSV or JSON export, SQLite database path, or pasted --help output]. Before coding, show me the proposed command surface and ask only for missing
7246First job the CLI should support: [download failed CI logs from a build URL, search support tickets and read one by ID, query an admin API, read a local database, or run one step from an existing script]. details that would block the build.
7347Optional write job: [create a draft comment, upload media, retry a failed job, or read-only for now].relatedLinks:
7448 Command name: [cli-name, or recommend one]. - label: Codex skills
7549Before coding, show me the proposed command surface and ask only for missing details that would block the build. url: /codex/skills
50 - label: Create custom skills
51 url: /codex/skills/create-skill
52---
76 53
77## Introduction54## Introduction
78 55
121 102
122**Test the CLI like a future agent**103**Test the CLI like a future agent**
123 104
124Test [cli-name] the way you would use it in a future task.
125Please show proof that:
126- command -v [cli-name] succeeds from outside the CLI source folder
127- [cli-name] --help explains the main commands
128- the setup/auth check runs
129- one safe discovery, list, or search command works
130- one exact read command works with an ID from the discovery result
131- any large log, export, trace, or payload writes to a file and returns the path
132- live write commands are not run unless I explicitly approved them
133Then read the companion skill and tell me the shortest prompt I should use when I need this CLI again.
134
135If Codex returns a giant JSON blob, ask it to narrow the default response and add a file export for full payloads. If it forgets the approval boundary, ask it to update the companion skill before you use it in another thread.105If Codex returns a giant JSON blob, ask it to narrow the default response and add a file export for full payloads. If it forgets the approval boundary, ask it to update the companion skill before you use it in another thread.
136 106
137## Use the skill later107## Use the skill later
138 108
139When you need the CLI again, invoke the skill instead of pasting the docs again:109When you need the CLI again, invoke the skill instead of pasting the docs again:
140 110
141Use $ci-logs to download the failed logs for this build URL and tell me the first failing step.
142
143Use $support-export to search this week's refund complaints and read the three highest-value tickets.
144
145Use $admin-api to find this user's workspace, read the billing record, and draft a safe account note.
146
147For recurring work, test the skill once in a normal thread, then ask Codex to turn that same invocation into an automation.111For recurring work, test the skill once in a normal thread, then ask Codex to turn that same invocation into an automation.
148
149## Related use cases
150
151[
152
153### Create browser-based games
154
155Use Codex to turn a game brief into first a well-defined plan, and then a real browser-based...
156
157Engineering Code](https://developers.openai.com/codex/use-cases/browser-games)[
158
159### Save workflows as skills
160
161Turn a working Codex thread, review rules, test commands, release checklists, design...
162
163Engineering Workflow](https://developers.openai.com/codex/use-cases/reusable-codex-skills)[
164
165### Upgrade your API integration
166
167Use Codex to update your existing OpenAI API integration to the latest recommended models...
168
169Evaluation Engineering](https://developers.openai.com/codex/use-cases/api-integration-migrations)