Add MCP servers to OpenAI Codex CLI

Codex keeps servers in config.toml, one [mcp_servers.<name>] table each, and can add them with codex mcp add.

macOS

~/.codex/config.toml

Windows

~/.codex/config.toml

Linux

~/.codex/config.toml

Project file

.codex/config.toml (trusted projects only)

Top-level key

mcp_servers

Format

toml

OAuth for remote servers

●Yes

Example config

This example adds GitHub's hosted server and Playwright as a local server, in the shape this client expects.

[mcp_servers.github]
url = "https://api.githubcopilot.com/mcp/"

[mcp_servers.playwright]
command = "npx"
args = ["@playwright/mcp@latest"]

codex mcp add github --url https://api.githubcopilot.com/mcp/
codex mcp add playwright -- npx @playwright/mcp@latest

Notes and quirks

• The same config.toml is read by Codex CLI, the Codex IDE extension and the ChatGPT desktop app.
• A project .codex/config.toml is read only in trusted projects.
• env_vars forwards variables from your shell by name; bearer_token_env_var sends a token from a variable to a remote server.
• Per-server options include startup_timeout_sec, tool_timeout_sec, enabled_tools and disabled_tools.
• codex mcp login <name> runs OAuth, with both CIMD and dynamic registration supported.

Build a OpenAI Codex CLI config →

Other clients