Codex Desktop automations need first-class run identity and live status
What variant of Codex are you using?
Codex Desktop App (macOS)
What feature would you like to see?
Codex Desktop should model each automation execution as a first-class run under its parent automation, with enough identity and live status to distinguish and monitor it while it is running.
Current experience
When multiple recurring automations run in the same project, their generated task/thread entries often have the same automation-derived title. During a run there is no reliable user-facing way to:
- rename the current task/thread as its phase changes;
- see the current step and completed/total progress incrementally;
- tell which execution this is (for example, run #9);
- see the automation's total run count and a compact success/failure history.
This makes the sidebar hard to scan and forces users to open several same-named tasks to understand which run is current, completed, failed, or waiting for action.
Requested behavior
Please add a first-class automation run model and UI with:
- Run identity: a stable run number/ID, scheduled time, actual start time, and current status.
- Live progress: current stage, latest meaningful action, and completed/total steps updated during execution rather than only at the end.
- Dynamic naming: allow the running task title to be updated by the agent/workflow, and/or support title templates such as
{automation_name} · Run #{run_number} · {status}. - Run history: show total execution count plus recent success, failure, blocked, and cancelled runs grouped under the parent automation.
- Consistent surfaces: reflect the same run title and status in the project task list, automation history, thread header, search, and notifications.
For example, a daily publishing automation could appear as:
Daily publish · Run #9 · Publishing
and update to:
Daily publish · Run #9 · Published
without creating an indistinguishable same-name entry.
The key requirement is not only a title API or a progress widget in isolation. Users need one coherent, observable automation-run identity throughout the execution lifecycle.
Additional information
Environment: Codex Desktop App on macOS, local recurring automations, multiple automation runs in one project.
Related issues cover parts of this request:
- #24202 requests a supported hook to update visible Desktop thread titles live.
- #16863 reports task status/progress not updating throughout a session.
- #30515 reports automation run threads cluttering the main thread list.
- #22475 requests automation/session title templates with date/time variables.
This request focuses on the missing product-level run instance that ties identity, dynamic naming, live progress, run count, and grouped history together.