Slash commands in Codex CLI

Slash commands give you fast, keyboard-first control over Codex. Type / in the composer to open the slash popup, choose a command, and Codex will perform actions such as switching models, adjusting approvals, or summarizing long conversations without leaving the terminal.

This guide shows you how to:

• Find the right built-in slash command for a task
• Steer an active session with commands like /model, /approvals, and /status
• Create custom prompts that behave like new slash commands with arguments and metadata

Built-in slash commands

Codex ships with the following commands. Open the slash popup and start typing the command name to filter the list.

/quit and /exit both exit the CLI. Use them only after you have saved or committed any important work.

Control your session with slash commands

The following workflows keep your session on track without restarting Codex.

Set the active model with /model

1. Start Codex and open the composer.
2. Type /model and press Enter.
3. Choose a model such as gpt-4.1-mini or gpt-4.1 from the popup.

Expected: Codex confirms the new model in the transcript. Run /status to verify the change.

Update approval rules with /approvals

1. Type /approvals and press Enter.
2. Select the approval preset that matches your comfort level, for example Auto for hands-off runs or Read Only to review edits.

Expected: Codex announces the updated policy. Future actions respect the new approval mode until you change it again.

Inspect the session with /status

1. In any conversation, type /status.
2. Review the output for the active model, approval policy, writable roots, and current token usage.

Expected: You see a summary like what codex status prints in the shell, confirming Codex is operating where you expect.

Keep transcripts lean with /compact

1. After a long exchange, type /compact.
2. Confirm when Codex offers to summarize the conversation so far.

Expected: Codex replaces earlier turns with a concise summary, freeing context while keeping critical details.

Undo the most recent turn with /undo

1. When Codex makes an incorrect edit or runs an unwanted command, type /undo.
2. Confirm the rollback when prompted.

Expected: Codex restores the previous state (including reverting file changes) and tells you what it removed.

Review changes with /diff

1. Type /diff to inspect the Git diff.
2. Scroll through the output inside the CLI to review edits and added files.

Expected: Codex shows changes you’ve staged, changes you haven’t staged yet, and files Git hasn’t started tracking, so you can decide what to keep.

Highlight files with /mention

1. Type /mention followed by a path, for example /mention src/lib/api.ts.
2. Select the matching result from the popup.

Expected: Codex adds the file to the conversation, ensuring follow-up turns reference it directly.

Start a new conversation with /new

1. Type /new and press Enter.

Expected: Codex starts a fresh conversation in the same CLI session, so you can switch tasks without leaving your terminal.

Generate AGENTS.md with /init

1. Run /init in the directory where you want Codex to look for persistent instructions.
2. Review the generated AGENTS.md, then edit it to match your repository conventions.

Expected: Codex creates an AGENTS.md scaffold you can refine and commit for future sessions.

Ask for a working tree review with /review

1. Type /review.
2. Follow up with /diff if you want to inspect the exact file changes.

Expected: Codex summarizes issues it finds in your working tree, focusing on behavior changes and missing tests.

List MCP tools with /mcp

1. Type /mcp.
2. Review the list to confirm which MCP servers and tools are available.

Expected: You see the configured Model Context Protocol (MCP) tools Codex can call in this session.

Send feedback with /feedback

1. Type /feedback and press Enter.
2. Follow the prompts to include logs or diagnostics.

Expected: Codex collects the requested diagnostics and submits them to the maintainers.

Sign out with /logout

1. Type /logout and press Enter.

Expected: Codex clears local credentials for the current user session.

Exit the CLI with /quit or /exit

1. Type /quit (or /exit) and press Enter.

Expected: Codex exits immediately. Save or commit any important work first.

Create your own slash commands with custom prompts

Custom prompts turn Markdown files into reusable slash commands that you trigger with /prompts:<name>. Custom prompts require explicit invocation. They live in your Codex home, so they aren’t shared through your repository. If you want to share a prompt (or want Codex to implicitly invoke it), use skills.

1. Create the prompts directory:

   mkdir -p ~/.codex/prompts

2. Create ~/.codex/prompts/draftpr.md with reusable guidance:

   ---
   description: Prep a branch, commit, and open a draft PR
   argument-hint: [FILES=<paths>] [PR_TITLE="<title>"]
   ---
   
   Create a branch named `dev/<feature_name>` for this work.
   If files are specified, stage them first: $FILES.
   Commit the staged changes with a clear message.
   Open a draft PR on the same branch. Use $PR_TITLE when supplied; otherwise write a concise summary yourself.

3. Restart Codex (or start a new session) so it loads the new prompt.

Expected: Typing /prompts:draftpr in the slash popup shows your custom command with the description from the front matter and hints that files and a PR title are optional.

Add metadata and arguments

Codex reads prompt metadata and resolves placeholders the next time the session starts.

• Description: Shown under the command name in the popup. Set it in YAML front matter as description:.
• Argument hint: Document expected parameters with argument-hint: KEY=<value>.
• Positional placeholders: $1 through $9 expand from space-separated arguments you provide after the command. $ARGUMENTS includes them all.
• Named placeholders: Use uppercase names like $FILE or $TICKET_ID and supply values as KEY=value. Quote values with spaces (for example, FOCUS="loading state").
• Literal dollar signs: Write $$ to emit a single $ in the expanded prompt.

After editing prompt files, restart Codex or open a new chat so the updates load. Codex ignores non-Markdown files in the prompts directory.

Invoke and manage custom commands

1. Launch Codex and type / to open the popup.

2. Enter prompts: or the prompt name, for example /prompts:draftpr.

3. Supply required arguments:

   /prompts:draftpr FILES="src/pages/index.astro src/lib/api.ts" PR_TITLE="Add hero animation"

4. Press Enter to send the expanded instructions (skip either argument when you don’t need it).

Expected: Codex pastes the content of draftpr.md, replacing placeholders with the arguments you supplied. Run /status or /diff afterward to confirm the prompt triggered the intended workflow.

Manage prompts by editing or deleting files under ~/.codex/prompts/. Codex scans only the top-level Markdown files in that folder, so place each custom prompt directly under ~/.codex/prompts/ rather than in subdirectories.