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Codex Issues / #29197

Codex WebSearch receives Cloudflare managed challenge (403) on /backend-api/codex/alpha/search

Open 💬 14 comments Opened Jun 20, 2026 by paceaitian

Environment

  • Codex app for Windows: 26.616.5445.0
  • Codex CLI: 0.141.0
  • OS: Windows
  • Date: 2026-06-20

Description

Codex WebSearch requests to /backend-api/codex/alpha/search return HTTP 403 with a Cloudflare managed-challenge HTML page containing Enable JavaScript and cookies to continue.

The search tool is a non-browser HTTP client and cannot complete this interactive Cloudflare challenge, so all WebSearch requests fail before returning search results. Regular ChatGPT web access works in Chrome through the same network path.

Steps to reproduce

  1. Open the Codex Windows app.
  2. Ask Codex to perform any web search.
  3. Observe that the WebSearch tool fails with HTTP 403 and Cloudflare challenge HTML.

Troubleshooting already performed

  • Signed out of Codex and signed back in.
  • Confirmed the Codex app is current; Microsoft Store reports no newer version.
  • Retested through multiple independent exit nodes, including US and Japan.
  • Confirmed each node change was active in the local proxy routing log.
  • Browser access to ChatGPT remained functional.
  • The failure persisted in every case.

Cloudflare Ray IDs

  • a0e9bd09285df210
  • a0e9c8c4cd2c49d4
  • a0e9c9c718280f27
  • a0e9cadddd0f966a

Expected behavior

The search endpoint should return search results to the Codex WebSearch client without requiring an interactive browser challenge.

Actual behavior

The endpoint returns a Cloudflare managed challenge with HTTP 403, making WebSearch unusable.

View original on GitHub ↗

14 Comments

yuzaoqian77 · 1 month ago

same😭😭😭

Gladskih · 1 month ago

At least 20 hours already for me.

thaakeno · 1 month ago

I experience the same issue on windows.

Kjwj · 29 days ago

It's the same issue, yet few people are reporting it—could it be an isolated case?

Stanislaw-Rudnicki · 29 days ago

same😭😭😭

Update:
Web search works fine in version 0.139.0.
If anyone needs it, you can temporarily downgrade:
_npm install -g @openai/codex@0.139.0_

MatKrl · 29 days ago

Same here. This issue makes Codex practically unusable for my use case. Web research is essential for many of my tasks, so without it, Codex cannot deliver the functionality I need.

thaakeno · 29 days ago
I experience the same issue on windows.

Update:

I switched to another account and WebSearch tool worked briefly on the same PC/network. After logging back into the original account, it immediately returned the Cloudflare managed challenge again (403).
This makes it look like a session/account-side Cloudflare false positive, not a local Codex config or network issue.

lotznancy44-glitch · 28 days ago

可以安装serper MCP、Exa MCP或者Tavily MCP，这几个都有免费额度，挺快，用着不必codex自带的差

lotznancy44-glitch · 28 days ago

You can install Serper MCP, Exa MCP or Tavily MCP; all of these offer free quotas, are quite fast, and are no worse to use than the one that comes with Codex.

Bykfa · 27 days ago

I can confirm this issue is still reproducible after updating to Codex CLI 0.142.0.

My results:

  • The same ChatGPT account works correctly on Linux with Codex 0.141.0.
  • WebSearch fails on two different Windows computers.
  • The failure persisted on both Codex 0.141.0 and 0.142.0.
  • Full logout/login, new threads, app restart, Windows reboot, home internet, and mobile internet did not help.
  • Regular ChatGPT web search works in the browser.
  • All built-in web operations fail before execution with HTTP 403 and a Cloudflare managed challenge.

Latest Cloudflare Ray ID:
a1024064398a3536

This is blocking normal work because web research is essential to many Codex tasks. It appears to be a Windows-specific WebSearch regression rather than an account, network, or local configuration problem.

thaakeno · 27 days ago
> I experience the same issue on windows. Update: I switched to another account and WebSearch tool worked briefly on the same PC/network. After logging back into the original account, it immediately returned the Cloudflare managed challenge again (403). This makes it look like a session/account-side Cloudflare false positive, not a local Codex config or network issue.

Another Update:

It seems that GPT 5.4 Mini works for some reason, meanwhile GPT 5.5 still returns the Cloudflare 403 error, perhaps this will get fixed once GPT 5.6 gets released soon. 🤞

thaakeno · 26 days ago

Temporary workaround for GPT-5.5 WebSearch on Windows:

CLI 0.140.0 works, while 0.141.0+ returns the Cloudflare managed challenge / HTTP 403. Install the working CLI version: ``powershell npm install -g @openai/codex@0.140.0 ` Verify: `powershell codex --version # codex-cli 0.140.0 ` Then run: `powershell codex --model gpt-5.5 --search ``

This is CLI-only; it does not downgrade or replace the Codex desktop app.

Rainmman · 26 days ago

Additional version-bisect data:

  • @openai/codex@0.137.0 — WebSearch works
  • @openai/codex@0.140.0 — WebSearch works
  • @openai/codex@0.141.0 — WebSearch fails with HTTP 403 Cloudflare managed challenge

Same account, same machine, same network, same prompt. This suggests the regression was introduced between 0.140.0 and 0.141.0, rather than being caused by the user's network or prompt.

Observed error text:

Web search returns HTTP 403, Cloudflare challenge: "Enable JavaScript and cookies to continue".
Gladskih · 24 days ago

Today it seems to work (Version 26.623.31921)