Composer placeholder: cannot disable + suggestions are not task-aware
Open 💬 3 comments Opened Mar 4, 2026 by pa4uslf
Summary
Two UX issues around the composer placeholder text in Codex CLI:
- There is currently no public config to disable the input-box placeholder text.
- The placeholder suggestions are often unrelated to the current task context or recent task history.
Environment
- Codex CLI version:
0.107.0 - OS: macOS (Apple Silicon)
- Config file:
~/.codex/config.toml(symlinked to dotfiles)
What I already tried
I configured:
[tui]
show_tooltips = false
This works for welcome tooltips, but does not affect the composer/input placeholder (e.g. Write tests for @filename).
Steps to reproduce
- Set
show_tooltips = falseunder[tui]in~/.codex/config.toml. - Restart Codex CLI.
- Observe the input box when idle.
Actual behavior
- Placeholder text still appears in the input box.
- Placeholder examples can be unrelated to the active session goals.
Expected behavior
- A config option to disable input placeholder entirely (for distraction-free mode), e.g.
tui.show_input_placeholder = false. - If enabled, placeholder suggestions should be context-aware (current task / recent interactions), not generic or unrelated.
Why this matters
For users who prefer a minimal UI, static/generic placeholder hints add noise and can conflict with task focus.
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