Run Long Tasks in Codex Using Goals

Why It Matters

Goal mode transforms Codex into a persistent workhorse, allowing businesses to automate lengthy, complex development tasks with measurable outcomes, boosting efficiency and reducing human supervision.

Key Takeaways

• Codex now supports persistent goal mode for hours‑long tasks.
• Activate via “/goal” command in app, IDE, or CLI.
• Goals must be measurable with clear success criteria.
• Users can pause, resume, edit, or steer tasks mid‑execution.
• Side chats let you review progress without interrupting main workflow.

Summary

The video announces a new "goal" feature for Codex, enabling the AI to work continuously toward a defined objective for hours or even days. The capability is rolled out across the Codex web app, IDE extensions, and command‑line interface, and is triggered by typing "/goal" in the message composer.

Users supply a concrete, measurable goal that serves both as the initial prompt and the benchmark for completion. Codex can help craft the goal via Plan Mode or an interview‑style session, and the system evaluates success against clear test criteria. Throughout execution, users may steer the process, pause and resume later, or edit the goal if requirements change.

The presenter highlights practical tools such as side‑chat windows to inspect progress without halting the main task, and cites examples of Codex persisting on complex projects for over 100 hours on a single goal. These demonstrations underscore the feature’s robustness for long‑running, high‑complexity work.

For developers and enterprises, the goal mode promises greater automation of extensive coding or research tasks, reducing manual oversight and accelerating delivery timelines while maintaining control through measurable checkpoints.

Original Description

Goal mode (/goal) has graduated from an experiment—for tasks big and small, Codex gets your work done.

Use goal mode in the Codex app, IDE Extension, or CLI to give Codex a specific milestone, and it will keep working until it gets there, even across hours or days.

You can check in and steer, and even pause Codex along the way.