Office files open from output links but show unsupported preview from workspace file picker

Open 💬 0 comments Opened Jun 24, 2026 by SORALNV

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

26.616.81150 (build 4306)

What subscription do you have?

$100Pro (I've also confirmed this with a friend's Plus plan.)

What platform is your computer?

Darwin 25.4.0 arm64 arm (M5MacbookAir M5,32GB,1tb,Tahoe26.4)

What issue are you seeing?

Generated Office files (.docx, .xlsx, .pptx) are available from the output/recommended file links in the Codex conversation. However, selecting one of the same generated files from the workspace file picker opens it through a different internal preview path.

For example, selecting complex_project_report.docx from the workspace file picker shows an unsupported Word preview tab:

Word ドキュメントのプレビューにはまだ対応していません表示するには、このファイルを Codex 外で開いてください

This is confusing because the file is valid and appears from one entry point as a generated output, but another entry point makes it look unsupported or broken.

What steps can reproduce the bug?

In a Codex desktop workspace, generate Office files such as .docx, .xlsx, and .pptx.
Open the generated files from the output/recommended file links shown in the conversation.
Confirm that the files open successfully.
Open the workspace file picker by selecting ファイルを開く.
Select one of the same Office files from the workspace tree, for example complex_project_report.docx.
The file opens in an internal preview tab that says the Word preview is not supported.

I saw this with generated Office files in the same workspace. The behavior differs depending on whether the file is opened from the output link or from the workspace file picker.

What is the expected behavior?

Office files should behave consistently across entry points.

If the Codex app cannot preview .docx, .xlsx, or .pptx internally, the workspace file picker should either route the file to the external Office app or provide the same external-open behavior available from output/recommended file links.

The UI should avoid making a valid generated Office file look broken just because it was opened from the workspace tree.

Additional information

This appears to be an entry-point consistency issue rather than a file-generation problem. The generated Office files themselves open successfully from the output/recommended file links.

Environment detail: Codex Desktop 26.616.81150 (build 4306) on macOS 26.4 (build 25E246). The uname -mprs value is included above as requested by the form.

Related issue: #25007 reports a similar entry-point-dependent DOCX preview inconsistency on Windows. This report is for macOS, and I saw the inconsistency while working with generated .docx, .xlsx, and .pptx files.

Additional verification after copying the sample files into the workspace root:

I copied the generated sample files from outputs/ into the workspace root and opened the root copies through the workspace file picker. Both show the same unsupported internal preview behavior:

sample_sales_dashboard.xlsx opens to:

> Excel スプレッドシートのプレビューにはまだ対応していません
> 表示するには、このファイルを Codex 外で開いてください

sample_business_overview.pptx opens to:

> PowerPoint プレゼンテーションのプレビューにはまだ対応していません
> 表示するには、このファイルを Codex 外で開いてください

I also checked the copied files locally with file and unzip -t: they are recognized as Microsoft Excel 2007+ / Microsoft PowerPoint 2007+ files and the ZIP package checks report no errors. That makes this look like a workspace file-viewer entry-point issue rather than corrupt generated Office files.

Attached screenshots:

Output/recommended file links show the generated Office files.

The workspace file picker selects one of the same Office files.

Opening from the workspace file picker shows the unsupported internal preview.

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