Day 05 of 21
Approval modes - when to use Suggest, Auto Edit, and Full Auto
Goal: Learn the current approval modes in Codex, when each one is safe, and how to stop a run immediately if something looks wrong.
What to do
Understand the current approval modes before you switch anything
Current Codex versions generally use approval modes such as Suggest, Auto Edit, and Full Auto. Older guides may call higher-autonomy behavior "Auto Mode". The names matter less than the rule: the more freedom Codex has, the tighter your scope must be.
CURRENT APPROVAL MODES - plain English
Suggest (default)
- Reads files
- Proposes edits and commands
- Waits for your approval before changing files or running commands
Auto Edit
- Can read and write files automatically
- Still asks before running shell commands
Full Auto
- Can read, write, and run commands with much less interruption
- Highest risk for a beginner
Rule:
- Stay in Suggest until you have read and approved a clear plan
- Use Auto Edit only for narrow, low-risk tasks
- Use Full Auto only when the task is tightly scoped and you are ready to review the full diff carefully afterwardStay in Suggest mode until the plan is reviewed
This is the most important rule for safe higher-autonomy use: never switch out of Suggest on a vague task. First ask Codex for a written plan while still in Suggest mode. Read the plan, confirm every file listed is one you expected, and reduce it if it looks too large.
Before I change approval modes for this task, I want to see the full plan first.
My task is: [PASTE YOUR TASK IN ONE SENTENCE]
Write a numbered plan with:
- Every file you will change
- What you will do to each one
- What you will NOT touch
Do not start any work yet. Wait for my approval before proceeding.Use Auto Edit first for a narrow file-only task
If the plan is small and does not require shell commands, Auto Edit is the safer first step up from Suggest. Ask Codex how to switch modes in your current version, or check the slash command list. Then watch the output carefully. If you see a file name that was not in the approved plan, type stop immediately.
Use Full Auto only when commands are part of the approved task
Full Auto is the highest-risk mode because it can go beyond file edits and run commands too. Only use it when shell commands are genuinely part of the approved task, the task is narrow, you are on a branch, and you are prepared to review everything afterward.
Stop a higher-autonomy run immediately if something looks wrong
You can stop Auto Edit or Full Auto at any point by typing stop and pressing Enter. Use this if an unexpected file name appears, an error message shows up, or Codex starts doing something that was not in the plan. After stopping, open GitHub Desktop and check the diff to see exactly what changed before the stop.
Stop. Do not make any more changes.
Show me a list of every file you changed before I said stop. Do not continue until I have reviewed the diff and told you to proceed.Review the full diff after any Auto Edit or Full Auto run
After any run outside Suggest mode, open GitHub Desktop and review every changed file. Higher-autonomy modes save time only because they skip some approval pauses. The diff review is how you get your safety back.
Expected result
You understand the difference between Suggest, Auto Edit, and Full Auto. You reviewed a plan before switching modes, used a safer higher-autonomy mode only when justified, practiced stopping it, and reviewed the full diff afterward. You ran it on a branch, not on main.
Key takeaway
- Higher-autonomy modes are speed tools, not safety shortcuts. Always review a written plan first. Always run them on a branch. Always review the full diff afterward. The less Codex pauses, the more careful you must be before and after the run.