4.4 KiB
Getting Started
This guide gets a published OpenAI Codex Python SDK beta installation running with a multi-turn thread.
1. Install
Install the SDK:
pip install openai-codex
Requirements:
- Python
>=3.10 - An existing Codex account session, or one of the login flows below
The SDK installs its compatible openai-codex-cli-bin runtime dependency
automatically. While beta releases are the only published SDK releases, this
normal install command selects the latest beta. After a stable release exists,
use pip install --pre openai-codex to opt into a newer prerelease.
2. Authenticate When Needed
Existing Codex authentication is reused automatically. For ChatGPT browser login:
from openai_codex import Codex
with Codex() as codex:
login = codex.login_chatgpt()
print(login.auth_url)
print(login.wait().success)
For device-code login:
with Codex() as codex:
login = codex.login_chatgpt_device_code()
print(login.verification_url, login.user_code)
print(login.wait().success)
For API-key login:
with Codex() as codex:
codex.login_api_key("sk-...")
print(codex.account().account)
3. Run A Turn
from openai_codex import Codex, Sandbox
with Codex() as codex:
thread = codex.thread_start(sandbox=Sandbox.workspace_write)
result = thread.run("Say hello in one sentence.")
print("Thread:", thread.id)
print("Text:", result.final_response)
print("Items:", len(result.items))
Thread.run(...) starts a turn, waits for completion, and returns
TurnResult. Plain strings are shorthand for TextInput(...).
Use Thread.turn(...) when you need a TurnHandle for streaming, steering,
or interrupting an active turn.
For a longer objective on an idle, persisted thread, run a dedicated goal operation:
result = thread.run_goal("Improve the benchmark coverage in this repository.")
A goal may continue working internally, but it streams and returns as one logical turn. It uses the thread's existing configuration and replaces any stored goal.
4. Choose Sandbox Access
Use one enum for the initial thread and later turn overrides:
from openai_codex import Codex, Sandbox
with Codex() as codex:
thread = codex.thread_start(sandbox=Sandbox.workspace_write)
thread.run("Make the requested changes.")
review = thread.run("Review the diff only.", sandbox=Sandbox.read_only)
Available presets:
Sandbox.read_only: read files without allowing writes.Sandbox.workspace_write: read files and write inside the workspace and configured writable roots; this is the normal default for workspace work.Sandbox.full_access: run without filesystem access restrictions.
When sandbox= is omitted, Codex uses its configured default. A turn override
also applies to subsequent turns on that thread.
5. Continue A Thread
from openai_codex import Codex
with Codex() as codex:
thread = codex.thread_start()
thread.run("Summarize Rust ownership in two bullets.")
result = thread.run("Now explain it to a Python developer.")
print(result.final_response)
To resume a stored thread later:
with Codex() as codex:
thread = codex.thread_resume("thr_123")
print(thread.run("Continue where we left off.").final_response)
6. Use The Async Client
import asyncio
from openai_codex import AsyncCodex, Sandbox
async def main() -> None:
async with AsyncCodex() as codex:
thread = await codex.thread_start(sandbox=Sandbox.workspace_write)
result = await thread.run("Continue where we left off.")
print(result.final_response)
asyncio.run(main())
7. Get Help
Python's built-in documentation tools cover the curated SDK surface:
import openai_codex
from openai_codex import Codex, CodexConfig
help(openai_codex)
help(Codex)
help(CodexConfig)
python -m pydoc openai_codex
Developing From This Repository
Contributors working from a checkout can install development dependencies from the repository:
cd sdk/python
uv sync --extra dev
source .venv/bin/activate