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Codex CLI integration

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Codex is OpenAI's agentic coding tool. The Codex CLI runs in your terminal, reads and edits your codebase, runs commands, and completes multi-step development tasks.

The Apify plugin for Codex connects Codex to Apify's library of Actors and bundles:

This guide covers installation in the Codex CLI.

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Prerequisites

Install the plugin

  1. In the Codex CLI, run the /plugins command.

    Codex CLI prompt with the /plugins command typed in

  2. Use the arrow keys to select the Add Marketplace tab, then press Enter.

    Codex CLI plugins menu with the Add Marketplace tab selected

  3. Type the Apify plugin repository and press Enter to confirm:

    apify/apify-codex-plugin

    Codex CLI add marketplace prompt with the Apify repository entered

  4. Open the Apify Plugin tab, select Apify, and press Enter to view the plugin details.

    Codex CLI plugins menu showing the Apify plugin as available

  5. Select Install plugin and press Enter to install.

    Codex CLI Apify plugin detail with the Install plugin option selected

Authenticate to Apify

The plugin bundles the Apify MCP server. Read-only tools like searching Apify Store and fetching Actor details work without signing in, but you need to authenticate to run Actors and access your account data.

  1. The first time Codex calls a tool that requires authentication, such as running an Actor, it opens a browser tab for the Apify OAuth flow.

  2. Review the permissions and click Allow access.

  3. Back in the terminal, the apify MCP server is connected and ready to use in any new chat.

Session persistence

The connection stays authenticated for future sessions. You can revoke access at any time in Apify Console > Settings > Integrations.

Run your first prompt

In any new Codex CLI chat, describe what you want in natural language. Because this bundle exposes the MCP tools and skills directly, be explicit about the workflow you want.

Use Apify to find a good Actor for scraping Google Maps places. Show me the best option, its input requirements, pricing model, and what kind of dataset output it returns. Do not run the Actor yet.

Codex searches Apify Store and fetches the top Actor's details through the apify MCP server.

Codex CLI calling the Apify MCP server search-actors tool

It then summarizes the Actor's inputs, pricing, and output - all without running the Actor.

Codex CLI response summarizing the Google Maps Actor inputs and pricing

Bundled skills

SkillDescription
apify-ultimate-scraperCLI-driven extraction using existing Actors for multi-step scraping and lead-generation workflows.
apify-actor-developmentFull Actor lifecycle - template selection, development, local testing, and deployment with apify push.
apify-actorizationConverts existing JavaScript, TypeScript, Python, or CLI projects into Apify Actors.
apify-generate-output-schemaGenerates dataset and key-value store schemas for existing Actors.
apify-sdk-integrationIntegrates Actor execution into applications using the apify-client package.

Example prompts that route to specific skills:

Ultimate scraper:

Find 10 highly rated coffee shops in Seattle with name, address, rating, phone, and website.

Actor development:

Create an Apify Actor that accepts a startUrl and maxPages input, crawls the site, and stores each page title and URL.

SDK integration:

Add Apify to this project. The Node.js API route should run an Actor and return dataset items as JSON.

Troubleshooting

The /plugins command does not appear

Plugins require a local installation of the Codex CLI with plugin support enabled. Install or update the Codex CLI locally, then run /plugins again.

The Apify plugin does not appear in the list

Reopen /plugins, move to the Apify Plugin tab, and confirm the marketplace was added. If the Apify plugin still doesn't appear, re-add the marketplace using the repository apify/apify-codex-plugin.

Browser doesn't open, or OAuth fails

If the browser doesn't open automatically, copy the OAuth URL shown in the terminal and paste it into your browser manually.

If you're running the Codex CLI in a headless environment (SSH, remote container) or the OAuth flow still fails, authenticate with an API token instead. Copy your token from Apify Console > Settings > Integrations and set it before starting Codex:

export APIFY_TOKEN=<YOUR_API_TOKEN>

Limitations

  • Long-running Actors may exceed the time a single tool call waits for completion. Reduce the scope or split the work across multiple prompts.
  • Each Actor run consumes Apify platform usage from your plan in addition to any Codex usage. See Billing for details.
  • Skills that edit files in your project (Actor development, actorization, SDK integration) make local changes - review them before deploying or committing.

Resources