Good coding prompts specify boundaries and evidence rather than demanding broad rewrites.
The practical workflow
For features, describe user behavior and acceptance criteria. For refactors, require unchanged observable behavior and targeted tests. For docs, require examples that match real CLI commands. For migrations, define rollback and data-safety requirements.
Copy-and-adapt prompt
Task: [change]. Context: [paths]. Keep unchanged: [interfaces and behavior]. Acceptance: [tests]. Constraints: [security and style]. First inspect related code, then make the smallest change. Report files edited, tests executed and remaining risks.
Review checklist and limitations
Keep each change reviewable. Ask for a plan first when scope is unclear, and verify generated command lines before executing them.
What to do next
Choose a small issue, document the baseline and verify the result with a real test. Continue with the other Codex guides in the navigation menu.
Official documentation
OpenAI Codex documentation: https://developers.openai.com/codex/
