Write /goal prompts that survive the audit.
Codex performs best when a goal combines a clear artifact, rich context, guard rails, and a finish line that can be proven.
State the artifact
Name the concrete thing Codex must leave behind: files, routes, reports, tests, deployment config, or an evidence-backed verdict.
Load the context
Include stack, repo boundaries, existing behavior, known constraints, and the evidence Codex should inspect first.
Constrain the blast radius
Say what must not change, which commands need approval, and which refactors are out of scope for this loop.
Define Done When
Turn completion into observable facts: build passes, tests run, links work, pages load, docs update, or blockers are named.
Demand verification
Ask for exact command results and source evidence. Passing checks matter only when they cover the requested behavior.
Close with an audit
Require a final requirement-to-evidence checklist so Codex cannot substitute effort for completion.
Drop these into any serious /goal.
These lines turn Codex from a responder into a looped engineering collaborator with real completion pressure.
- 1
Start with current state: inspect relevant files, commands, logs, and artifacts before changing code.
- 2
Continue autonomously through implementation and verification unless a blocker requires my input.
- 3
Use existing project patterns and keep edits scoped to the requested behavior.
- 4
Before finalizing, map every explicit requirement to concrete evidence from files, tests, build output, browser behavior, or deployment state.
- 5
If a requirement cannot be completed, state the blocker, the evidence collected, and the smallest next input needed.