Codex - The Practical Guide
Boost your agentic engineering game by mastering OpenAI's Codex agent. From basics to advanced features.
About This Course
Welcome to "Codex – The Practical Guide"!
Codex is growing rapidly, and many developers consider it the best or amongst the best agentic engineering tools you can use these days! But unfortunately, many developers are also not using Codex very efficiently though.
If you've ever felt like you're "using" Codex without really mastering it, this course is for you.
Codex – The Practical Guide is a hands-on, no-nonsense course designed to help you unlock Codex' full potential. You'll learn how to work with Codex efficiently, understand how it thinks, and confidently use the features that separate casual users from power users.
Yes, you can just start prompting, but to get the most out of it, you should probably go beyond basic, inefficient prompts and leverage the full suite of features Codex offers.
Why Master Codex?
Starting from the fundamentals and quickly moving into advanced territory, you'll explore essential concepts like context engineering and core commands before diving deep into powerful features such as different input modes, agent skills, MCPs, the Codex SDK, and more. You'll even learn how to use Codex as a non-coding bot! Every feature is explained clearly: not just what it is, but why it matters and how to use it effectively in real projects.
What's in This Course?
You don't need any special setup or prior experience beyond a Codex installation and subscription. By the end of the course, you'll go from Codex novice to confident, advanced user, able to dramatically boost your productivity and build better software faster.
Codex Fundamentals
Learn the fundamentals of working with Codex the right way. Understand core commands and context engineering essentials.
Advanced Features
Master advanced, high-impact features like different input modes, agent skills, MCPs, the Codex SDK, and more, including using Codex as a non-coding bot.
Plan Mode & Configuration
Make use of "Plan Mode" and manage configuration & permissions. Learn the WHAT, WHY, and HOW behind each concept. No black boxes.
Codex Everywhere
Use Codex in the CLI, IDE, native desktop app, and in the web (cloud). Build a complete, real-world example project using Codex.
In Detail, You'll Learn
This course covers everything you need to go from Codex beginner to confident power user, with a real-world project to see it all in action.
Core Concepts
Master these essential Codex skills:
- Codex fundamentals & working the right way
- Core commands & context engineering
- Different input modes
- "Plan Mode" for structured workflows
- Configuration & permissions management
- The WHAT, WHY, and HOW behind each feature
Advanced Topics
Take your skills to the next level:
- Agent skills & advanced agentic features
- MCPs (Model Context Protocols)
- The Codex SDK for custom integrations
- Using Codex as a non-coding bot
- Codex in the CLI & IDE
- Codex in the native desktop app
- Codex in the web (cloud)
- Building a complete real-world project with Codex
Build a Complete Real-World Project!
You'll learn Codex not only in theory but by building a complete, real-world example project using Codex to see everything in action. This allows you to apply what you learned in a realistic environment. By the end of the course, you'll be able to dramatically boost your productivity and build better software faster!
No Prior Codex Experience Required
See The Course In Action
Curriculum
- Welcome To This Course! (0:37)
- An Introduction To Codex (2:27)
- About This Course (1:00)
- Codex Requirements & Usage (1:44)
- Controlling Data Privacy (0:51)
- Getting Started: Codex CLI & IDE Integration (2:27)
- CLI & IDE Integration - Basic Usage (3:15)
- Per-session Models & Other Configuration (3:40)
- Getting Started: Codex Desktop App (3:42)
- Desktop App: UI Overview & Walkthrough (2:57)
- Tracking Your Codex Usage (0:59)
- Configuring Codex (Cross-Session) (3:29)
- Understanding The Codex Security Model (2:30)
- Tweaking Codex Security Settings (3:11)
- The Shell Environment Policy (1:16)
- Working with Profiles & One-off Configs
- Using Other Providers
- Managing & Resuming Sessions (1:10)
- Version Control & Undoing Changes (1:43)
- Advanced Ways Of Invoking The CLI (1:35)
- Codex CLI - Command & Options Cheat Sheet
- Context Window Management & Compaction (2:47)
- Course Resources & Community
- Module Introduction (0:59)
- Prompt & Context Engineering (1:06)
- Bun Needed!
- Prompt Engineering In Action Using Spec-driven Development (4:26)
- Context Engineering in Codex CLI, IDE & Desktop App (3:22)
- Analyzing Code Changes (3:48)
- Prompting: Hoping vs Knowing (2:47)
- Leveraging Plan Mode (5:05)
- Reviewing Agent Code & Providing Feedback (2:23)
- Creating & Managing Great AGENTS.MD Files (4:50)
- Working with Nested AGENTS.MD Files (1:24)
- Maintaining Efficient AGENTS.MD Files
- Leveraging Codex' Worktrees Feature (11:03)
- Using Git Worktrees Manually
- Steering & Queueing Follow-up Messages (4:21)
- Planning & Iterating on Code: With and Without AI (3:14)
- Using MCP Servers (10:39)
- More MCP Servers
- Agent Skills: An Introduction (3:01)
- Creating & Understanding Agent Skills (3:38)
- Invoking Skills Manually & Automatically (3:42)
- Advanced Agent Skills (3:35)
- Creating Skills via Codex (4:04)
- Loading Skills From Directories (3:24)
- Adding Images To Prompts (4:44)
- The Importance Of Feedback Loops in Agentic Engineering (2:04)
- Using the Built-in Code Review Mode (2:41)
- Setting Up & Using Automated Tests (6:42)
- Providing Browser Access To Codex (6:24)
- Forking Sessions (3:34)
- Codex Cloud: Setup (5:57)
- Codex Cloud: Sending Tasks & Applying Changes (7:28)
- Using Desktop App Automations (1:42)
- Module Introduction (0:34)
- Codex for GitHub PR Code Reviews (5:19)
- Slack Integration (2:54)
- Codex as Non-Coding Agent (4:04)
- Redirecting Codex Output (2:08)
- Codex as a Web Search / Research Assistant (1:39)
- Extracting & Writing JSON Output (3:37)
- Using the Codex SDK (4:41)
- Wrap Up & Course Roundup (0:50)
Course Prerequisites
Here's what you need to get the most out of this course
- Basic programming experience is required
- You will need a Codex subscription to efficiently use it.
- NO advanced technical expertise is required.
All pre-requisites are covered by courses in our "Academind Pro" Membership.
Your Instructor
Maximilian Schwarzmüller
Founder & Instructor
Self-taught developer with 3,500,000+ students and 900,000 YouTube subscribers. I co-founded Academind with Manuel Lorenz to help people master new skills and build amazing projects.
Join 804 happy students!
Choose the plan that works best for you
Single-Course License
Full access to "Codex - The Practical Guide"
This is a one-time payment that grants access to this course only, not to any other courses.
Academind Pro Membership
Unlimited access to this and all other current & future courses!
This is a recurring payment. You can cancel anytime from your profile. For more info, contact Academind.
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