Video walkthrough:** watch the Agents Dashboard and codex queue demo on YouTube.
Codex CLI sessions are easy to manage when only one task is active. The workflow becomes less predictable when several sessions operate in different repositories or terminal tabs. A task may be blocked on an approval while another is still running and a third is ready for review.
Codex CLI 0.149.0 introduced two related interfaces for this problem:
codex agents: an interactive dashboard connected to the shared local Codex app-server daemon.codex queue: a non-interactive command for delivering a message to an existing session.
This article examines both interfaces as task-management primitives rather than as isolated commands.
Dashboard model
Start the dashboard from a regular shell:
codex agents
Tasks are grouped by working directory. Each task exposes its current state and recent activity.
The three summary states have direct operational meaning:
State | Meaning | Operator action |
|---|---|---|
Need input | The task cannot continue without a response or approval | Inspect immediately |
Working | The task is executing or processing instructions | Usually leave it running |
Ready | The current step is complete | Review output and decide what follows |
The dashboard is not a second copy of the task. It is a view over sessions managed by the same app-server daemon.
Inside an interactive session, return to the dashboard with:
/agents
codex agents is a shell command. /agents is an interactive Codex command.
Navigation and task identity
The dashboard footer lists the active shortcuts. Typical controls include:
Up / Down: change selection
Enter: open the selected task
Ctrl+F: searchCtrl+S: change groupingCtrl+R: renameCtrl+X: stop the selected task
Task names should be treated as human-readable identifiers. Rename long generated names to short, unique values:
frontend-accessibility backend-rate-limits release-documentation
Inside a session:
/rename backend-rate-limits
For automation, use the session UUID instead of the name. The UUID can be read from /status or from the resume command printed when an interactive session closes.
Queueing instructions
The command format is:
codex queue --thread <NAME_OR_UUID> --message <TEXT>
Queue by exact name:
codex queue \ --thread "backend-rate-limits" \ --message "Add a regression test for concurrent requests."
Queue by UUID:
codex queue \ --thread "01a01234-abcd-7890-1234-123456789abc" \ --message "Run the complete test suite before finishing."
The values should be quoted. Shell quoting protects spaces in task names and keeps the complete message in one argument.
An image can be attached when the instruction depends on a visual reference:
codex queue \ --thread "frontend-accessibility" \ --message "Use this screenshot as the mobile-layout reference." \ --image "/absolute/path/mobile-reference.png"
Suggested concurrency workflow
A predictable workflow is:
create task ↓ assign unique name ↓ observe in codex agents ↓ respond to Need input ↓ queue additional requirements ↓ review Ready tasks
The dashboard handles discovery and state inspection. codex queue handles message delivery. /status provides the stable session identifier needed for scripts.
Failure modes
Session not found
Use the full exact name, including spaces, or use the UUID. Partial names are not reliable targets.
Duplicate names
Rename one session or target its UUID. Unique names are convenient for humans; UUIDs are safer for automation.
Dashboard is empty
Confirm that the dashboard is connected to the same local app-server daemon and operating-system user as the sessions you expect. Run:
codex doctor
Queued message is not processed immediately
A busy session may accept the message but process it only after reaching a safe point. Open the session from the dashboard and inspect its transcript.
Conclusion
codex agents and codex queue provide two complementary controls over local Codex sessions. The first gives an interactive view of task state; the second provides a script-friendly way to deliver new instructions.
For a complete terminal demonstration, watch the video tutorial.
Adapted from the original tutorial: OpenAI Codex Agents Dashboard and Codex Queue.
