Subject: Missing “Analysis / Plan” Button Without Code Generation in Codex

What feature would you like to see?

Hello Codex / OpenAI Team,

I’ve noticed that the feature to request an analysis or plan without immediately generating code — i.e. a “preliminary analysis” button — is no longer available in Codex. This was a crucial tool for me to get a conceptual overview or step-by-step plan before diving into implementation.

Here’s what I’m experiencing and what I’d like:

What changed / what’s wrong: The option to ask Codex to just analyze or outline a solution (without writing code) has disappeared from the UI.

Why it matters: Having a mode for just analysis helps me check logic, break the task down, ask clarifying questions, and adjust the approach before any code is produced. Without it, I sometimes end up with code I don’t agree with or that misses architectural considerations.

Requested behavior: Please restore a button or a mode (e.g. “Plan only”, “Analysis mode”, “Explain before code”) in the interface so users can explicitly ask for a plan or reasoning first, before code generation.

Thank you for all the work you do on Codex — it’s already very helpful, and bringing back this feature would improve workflow and trust in the generated solutions.

Best regards, Korobprog

Are you interested in implementing this feature?

_No response_

Additional information

_No response_