Add manual .plugin file installation to the Codex desktop GUI

What variant of Codex are you using?

Codex desktop app on macOS. Codex CLI 0.144.0-alpha.4 is also installed.

What feature would you like to see?

I’d like the Codex desktop app to support installing a local .plugin package directly through the GUI.

Suggested workflow:

1. Open Plugins.
2. Select Install from file, or drag a .plugin file into the window.
3. Codex validates the package and displays the plugin name, version, developer, included skills, apps, requested permissions, and any security warnings.
4. The user confirms installation.
5. Codex installs and enables the plugin, then confirms which capabilities are available.

This would provide a simple distribution path for private, commercial, and community-built plugins.

Plugin creators could send a packaged plugin directly to:

• Teams and colleagues
• Clients and customers
• Community members
• Beta testers
• Students or program participants
• Anyone purchasing or downloading a plugin outside the official directory

Current limitation

Installing a supplied .plugin file currently requires creating and registering a local marketplace through the Codex command line. On macOS, the package cannot simply be opened because no application is registered to handle the file type.

Feature parity

Claude Desktop and Claude Cowork already allow users to upload a custom plugin file they created or received from someone else:

https://support.claude.com/en/articles/13837440-use-plugins-in-claude

Adding the same capability would bring Codex in line with Claude Cowork and remove a significant point of friction for creators distributing plugins across both platforms.

A secure Install from file workflow would make Codex plugins much easier to create, test, sell, share, and distribute without requiring every recipient to understand command-line tools or marketplace configuration.