Bundled `openai-docs` skill instructs agents to use Docs MCP even though it is not configured by default

What version of Codex CLI is running?

codex-cli 0.132.0

What subscription do you have?

plus

Which model were you using?

gpt-5.5

What platform is your computer?

Microsoft Windows NT 10.0.26100.0 x64

What terminal emulator and version are you using (if applicable)?

PowerShell / Git-Bash / VS Code Codex extension

Codex doctor report

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  "codexVersion": "0.132.0",
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        "control socket": "C:\\Users\\Alex\\.codex\\app-server-control\\app-server-control.sock",
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        "mode": "ephemeral",
        "pid file": "C:\\Users\\Alex\\.codex\\app-server-daemon\\app-server.pid (missing)",
        "settings": "C:\\Users\\Alex\\.codex\\app-server-daemon\\settings.json (missing)",
        "status": "not running",
        "update-loop pid file": "C:\\Users\\Alex\\.codex\\app-server-daemon\\app-server-updater.pid (missing)"
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      "status": "ok",
      "summary": "auth is configured",
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        "auth file": "C:\\Users\\Alex\\.codex\\auth.json",
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      "status": "ok",
      "summary": "config loaded",
      "details": {
        "CODEX_HOME": "C:\\Users\\Alex\\.codex",
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        "feature flag overrides": "none",
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        "model": "gpt-5.5",
        "model provider": "openai",
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    "installation": {
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      "details": {
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        "current executable": "C:\\Users\\Alex\\AppData\\Roaming\\npm\\node_modules\\@openai\\codex\\node_modules\\@openai\\codex-win32-x64\\vendor\\x86_64-pc-windows-msvc\\codex\\codex.exe",
        "install context": "npm",
        "managed by bun": "false",
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        "managed package root": "C:\\Users\\Alex\\AppData\\Roaming\\npm\\node_modules\\@openai\\codex",
        "npm update target": "C:\\Users\\Alex\\AppData\\Roaming\\npm\\node_modules\\@openai\\codex"
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    "mcp.config": {
      "id": "mcp.config",
      "category": "mcp",
      "status": "ok",
      "summary": "MCP configuration is locally consistent",
      "details": {
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      "durationMs": 8
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      "status": "ok",
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      "remediation": null,
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      "category": "websocket",
      "status": "ok",
      "summary": "Responses WebSocket handshake succeeded",
      "details": {
        "DNS": "2 IPv4, 0 IPv6, first IPv4",
        "auth mode": "chatgpt",
        "connect timeout": "15000 ms",
        "endpoint": "wss://chatgpt.com/backend-api/<redacted>",
        "handshake result": "HTTP 101 Switching Protocols",
        "model provider": "openai",
        "models etag present": "true",
        "provider name": "OpenAI",
        "proxy env vars": "none",
        "reasoning header": "false",
        "server model present": "false",
        "supports websockets": "true",
        "wire API": "responses"
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    "runtime.provenance": {
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      "summary": "running npm on windows-x86_64",
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        "version": "0.132.0"
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        "filesystem sandbox": "restricted",
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      "status": "ok",
      "summary": "state paths and databases are inspectable",
      "details": {
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        "log DB": "C:\\Users\\Alex\\.codex\\logs_2.sqlite (file)",
        "log DB integrity": "ok",
        "log dir": "C:\\Users\\Alex\\.codex\\log (dir)",
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      "durationMs": 0
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    "updates.status": {
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      "status": "ok",
      "summary": "update configuration is locally consistent",
      "details": {
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        "check for update on startup": "true",
        "last checked at": "2026-05-21T21:43:36.389844600Z",
        "latest version": "0.133.0",
        "latest version status": "newer version is available",
        "npm update target": "C:\\Users\\Alex\\AppData\\Roaming\\npm\\node_modules\\@openai\\codex",
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      "durationMs": 628
    }
  }
}

What issue are you seeing?

The bundled official openai-docs skill tells the agent to prioritize the OpenAI Developer Docs MCP tools:

• mcp__openaiDeveloperDocs__search_openai_docs
• mcp__openaiDeveloperDocs__fetch_openai_doc
• mcp__openaiDeveloperDocs__list_openai_docs

However, a default/local Codex setup may not have openaiDeveloperDocs configured, so those tools are not available in the thread. The agent then reports that the OpenAI Docs MCP is unavailable and falls back to web search.

This is confusing because the skill is bundled/official and reads as if the matching MCP is part of the normal available tool surface. The Docs MCP is optional setup, but the skill does not make that clear at point of use.

What steps can reproduce the bug?

1. Use a Codex setup where openaiDeveloperDocs is not configured.
2. Verify:

``sh
codex mcp list
`
In my case, the list contains other MCP servers but not openaiDeveloperDocs`.

1. Ask Codex a question that triggers the bundled openai-docs skill, for example:

``text
Research current Codex docs for /goal and code review behavior.
``

1. Observe output like

```
<Ran command>
$ Get-Content -Path C:\Users\Alex\.codex\skills\.system\openai-docs\SKILL.md

...

<Codex thinking>
The OpenAI docs MCP tool is not available in this session, so I’m using official OpenAI web sources as the fallback
``
because that skill tells Codex to use mcp__openaiDeveloperDocs__...` tools, but those tools are not available in the session which is the default codex Windows CLI / Extension / App setup.

What is the expected behavior?

One of these should happen:

• Codex should bundle/configure the OpenAI Developer Docs MCP by default when the official openai-docs skill is bundled, or
• the bundled skill should clearly treat Docs MCP as optional and instruct the agent to check availability first, or
• Codex should surface a clearer setup hint when a bundled skill references an unavailable first-party MCP.

Actual behavior:

The official bundled skill strongly instructs the agent to use an MCP server that is not necessarily configured or exposed in the current session. This creates a confusing mismatch between bundled skill instructions and actual available tools.

Additional information

The official setup command works as the likely workaround:

codex mcp add openaiDeveloperDocs --url https://developers.openai.com/mcp

But users may not know they need to run this, because the openai-docs skill is already bundled and appears official.

[mcp_servers.openaiDeveloperDocs]
url = "https://developers.openai.com/mcp"

openaiDeveloperDocs  https://developers.openai.com/mcp  enabled  Unsupported

[features]
chronicle = true

codex mcp add openaiDeveloperDocs --url https://developers.openai.com/mcp