Guide · updated Oct 27, 2026

How to install a Codex plugin

There are basically three ways a plugin gets onto your machine: the built-in directory, a GitHub repo that ships a marketplace, or a folder you made yourself. Here's each one, with the commands.

1. From the built-in directory (easiest)

In the Codex app or ChatGPT desktop app, open Plugins, search, open the plugin and hit install. In the CLI, start codex and type /plugins. Plugins in the OpenAI tab are the ones OpenAI curates, so this is the low-risk route.

2. From a GitHub repo

Most community plugins live in a repo that has a .agents/plugins/marketplace.json (or the older .claude-plugin/marketplace.json). You add the repo as a marketplace once, then install by name:

codex plugin marketplace add owner/repo
codex plugin list
codex plugin add plugin-name@marketplace-name

The marketplace name comes from the name field in that repo's marketplace.json, and codex plugin list shows it.

Point it at the repo, not the raw marketplace.json URL. The command clones a git repo, so a raw file link fails with a 404. Every plugin page on PickAPlugin shows the install line we found in that project's README. If you just have a repo link, paste it into our install command finder.

3. From a local folder

Put the plugin in ./plugins/my-plugin (repo) or ~/.codex/plugins/my-plugin (personal), then list it in .agents/plugins/marketplace.json with "source": {"source": "local", "path": "./plugins/my-plugin"}. Restart the app and it shows up. Check the manifest first with our plugin.json validator.

Before you install anything from GitHub

Community plugins can bundle hooks, MCP servers and shell commands. Spend two minutes on the repo: when was the last commit, what does .mcp.json start, are there hooks. We wrote that up in how to tell if a plugin is safe to install.

Questions people ask

Where do Codex plugins get installed?

Into ~/.codex/plugins/cache/MARKETPLACE/PLUGIN/VERSION/. Local plugins use the version 'local'.

Do ChatGPT and Codex use the same plugins?

Yes, according to OpenAI's docs they share one plugin directory, and plugins can include skills, connectors (apps) or both.

How do I remove a plugin?

Run codex plugin remove plugin-name@marketplace, or uninstall it from the Plugins view in the app.

Why does 'codex plugin marketplace add' give a 404?

Usually because you passed the raw marketplace.json URL. Give it the repo (owner/repo or the .git URL) instead.

All guides · Free tools · FAQ · Browse all 346 plugins