Allow separate instructions for Chat and Work modes

What variant of Codex are you using?

ChatGPT desktop app on macOS (26.721.81911, build 5973)

What feature would you like to see?

ChatGPT Projects can contain both Chat and Work conversations, but Project instructions currently have a single shared scope. Please separate the cloud-stored Project instructions into three scopes:

1. Shared instructions — apply to Chat and Work.
2. Chat instructions — apply only to Chat.
3. Work instructions — apply to cloud and local Work.

Expected instruction composition:

| Mode | Instruction composition |
| --- | --- |
| Chat | Shared + Chat |
| Cloud Work | Shared + Work |
| Local Work | Shared + Work + AGENTS.md |

For Local Work, the cloud-derived Project instruction layer under ~/.codex/.chatgpt-projects/<project-id>/ should contain only Shared + Work instructions. Chat-only instructions should never be injected into Local Work. The normal local AGENTS.md instruction hierarchy should then be applied in addition to that Project layer.

This separation is needed because Chat and Work can require different behavioral instructions. Chat-specific instructions may govern response formatting, widgets, image handling, and conversational conventions. Work-specific instructions may govern file operations, artifacts, validation, and completion criteria.

Shared Project files and sources can remain available to both modes. This request is only to separate instruction scope.

Additional information

_No response_