Codex Desktop: Project Scripts Panel and Project Actions API

What version of the Codex App are you using (From “About Codex” dialog)?

26.513.3673.0

What subscription do you have?

ChatGPT Pro

What platform is your computer?

Microsoft Windows NT 10.0.26200.0 x64

What issue are you seeing?

This is a feature request / enhancement, not a crash report.

Please add a native Codex Desktop Project Scripts Panel and Project Actions API so Codex can discover project scripts from the current thread/workspace cwd and expose them as first-class actions in the desktop UI.

Problem

Many repositories define their primary workflows in package.json:

• npm run dev
• npm run build
• npm run test
• npm run lint
• project-specific repair or sync scripts

Today Codex can run these commands after the user asks, but there is no native project-level UI surface that:

• detects the current thread/project cwd
• discovers scripts from package.json
• shows them as first-class actions in the Codex Desktop UI
• runs them in the current thread's command execution stream
• allows plugins to contribute safe project actions without forking Codex Desktop

External H5 panels, terminal TUIs, and MCP/plugin tools can partially solve this, but they are not native to Codex Desktop and cannot reliably track the currently focused thread/project.

Existing app-server primitives

The current app-server protocol already appears to provide most backend primitives needed for this:

• Thread.cwd captures the working directory for a thread.
• thread/list, thread/read, and thread/loaded/list can retrieve thread metadata.
• command/exec, process/spawn, and thread/shellCommand can execute commands and stream output.

What is missing is a stable UI and extension layer:

• a way to know the currently focused/selected desktop thread
• a way for plugins to contribute native UI panels or toolbar actions
• a safe project action runner tied to the current thread and cwd

Proposed UX

When a Codex Desktop thread is associated with a repository containing package.json, show a native Project Scripts panel or toolbar entry.

Example:

Project Scripts

dev npm run dev
build npm run build
test npm run test
lint npm run lint

Clicking a script should run it in the current thread/project context and show output using Codex's existing command execution UI.

Acceptance criteria

• Codex Desktop can show a native Project Scripts panel for repositories with package.json.
• The panel updates when the active thread/project changes.
• Clicking a script runs it in the correct cwd.
• Output appears in the same Codex command execution stream used by normal commands.
• Plugins can contribute project actions without forking the desktop app.
• If there is no package.json, the panel is hidden or shows an empty state.

Environment

• Codex App: 26.513.3673.0
• Codex CLI: codex-cli 0.131.0-alpha.9
• Platform: Microsoft Windows NT 10.0.26200.0 x64
• Subscription: ChatGPT Pro

What steps can reproduce the bug?

This is a feature request, so there is no crash reproduction. The reproducible workflow gap is:

1. Open Codex Desktop.
2. Start or resume a thread whose cwd points to a repository containing package.json.
3. The repository has scripts such as dev, build, test, lint, or project-specific scripts.
4. In Codex Desktop, there is no native Project Scripts panel or toolbar entry for these scripts.
5. The user must manually type prompts or shell commands to discover and run scripts.

Expected reproduction result: Codex has enough context to know the thread cwd, but the desktop UI does not expose project scripts as first-class actions.

What is the expected behavior?

When the active Codex Desktop thread is associated with a project cwd containing package.json, Codex should show a native Project Scripts panel or toolbar entry.

The panel should:

• read scripts from package.json
• show script names and commands
• run selected scripts in the correct cwd
• route output through Codex's existing command execution stream
• update when the active thread/project changes
• hide or show an empty state when there is no package.json

For plugin support, Codex should expose a Project Actions API so plugins can contribute safe project actions without forking the desktop app.

Additional information

Current app-server primitives appear close to supporting this backend behavior:

• Thread.cwd captures the working directory for a thread.
• thread/list, thread/read, and thread/loaded/list can retrieve thread metadata.
• command/exec, process/spawn, and thread/shellCommand can execute commands and stream output.

The missing piece is the native desktop UI extension layer:

• focused/active thread change event
• current workspace/cwd API for UI extensions
• project action contribution point
• native panel or toolbar surface
• safe command runner connected to the current thread

External H5 panels, terminal TUIs, and MCP/plugin tools can partially solve this, but they cannot render a native Codex Desktop panel or reliably follow the currently focused thread/project.