# Set Up Workflow: OpenAI Codex CLI: Local-First Agentic Coding Workflow
## What This Is
OpenAI's Codex CLI is a tool for your developers that acts like an AI assistant directly on their computer. It helps them write and fix code faster by understanding tasks described in plain English, and it can even review code for quality before it's finalized, improving team productivity.
Source: https://www.thepromptbuddy.com/prompts/how-to-set-up-openai-codex-for-personal-coding-projects-in-2026
## Before You Start
Scan my workspace and analyze:
- The project language, framework, and directory structure
- Existing AI provider config (check .env, .env.local, config files for API keys — OpenRouter, OpenAI, Anthropic, Google AI, etc.)
Then ask me before proceeding:
1. Which AI provider/API should this use? (Use whatever I already have configured, or ask me to set one up — options include direct provider APIs or a unified service like OpenRouter)
2. Where in my project should this be integrated?
3. Are there any customizations I need (model preferences, naming conventions, constraints)?
## Source Access Note
The source URL (https://www.thepromptbuddy.com/prompts/how-to-set-up-openai-codex-for-personal-coding-projects-in-2026) may not be directly accessible from the terminal. Use the Reference Implementation and Additional Context sections below instead. If you need more details, ask me to paste relevant content from the source.
## What to Implement
This is an **AI Workflow** — an end-to-end automation pattern or integration pipeline.
- Study the workflow architecture from the source and context below
- Identify which parts I can implement locally vs. parts that need external services
- For local parts: implement them using my existing stack and API keys
- For external parts: tell me exactly what services I need and help me configure the integration code
- Wire up any required API calls using keys from my .env files
## Additional Context
- Verify that Node.js v22+ and npm are installed in the user's environment, then execute `npm install -g @openai/codex-cli` to install the tool globally.
- Execute `codex login` to initiate the authentication flow. Guide the user through the process, leveraging their existing OpenAI API key from their environment variables (.env) if found.
- Initialize the Codex CLI within the user's current project directory. Run the `/review` command on the a specific feature branch to generate an initial code quality and improvement assessment.
## Reference Implementation
```
npm install -g @openai/codex-cli
codex login
```
## Guidelines
- Adapt everything to my existing project — do not assume a specific stack or directory layout
- Use whichever AI provider I already have configured; if I need a new one, tell me what to sign up for and I'll give you the key
- Check my .env files for existing API keys (OpenRouter, OpenAI, Anthropic, Google AI) before asking me to add one
- Review any fetched code for safety before installing or executing it
- After setup, run a quick verification and show me a summary of exactly what was installed, where, and how to use it