Superpowers for Codex
Summary
This is the complete guide for using the Superpowers skill extension system with OpenAI Codex. Codex support for Superpowers is currently experimental and may be refined based on user feedback.
Installation
Quick Install
Instruct Codex to run the following to install automatically:
Fetch and follow instructions from https://raw.githubusercontent.com/obra/superpowers/refs/heads/main/.codex/INSTALL.md
Manual Installation
Prerequisites
- Active OpenAI Codex access
- Shell access to install required files
Installation Steps
-
Clone the Superpowers repository
mkdir -p ~/.codex/superpowers git clone https://github.com/obra/superpowers.git ~/.codex/superpowers -
Install Bootstrap The bootstrap file is included in the repository at
.codex/superpowers-bootstrap.md, and Codex will automatically load it from the cloned installation path. -
Verify Installation Instruct Codex to run the following command to confirm setup is complete:
Run ~/.codex/superpowers/.codex/superpowers-codex find-skills to show available skillsA successful installation will return a list of available skills with corresponding descriptions.
Usage
Find Available Skills
Instruct Codex to run:
Run ~/.codex/superpowers/.codex/superpowers-codex find-skills
Load a Specific Skill
Instruct Codex to run, replacing <skill-name> with the target skill:
Run ~/.codex/superpowers/.codex/superpowers-codex use-skill <skill-name>
Example: Run ~/.codex/superpowers/.codex/superpowers-codex use-skill superpowers:brainstorming
Bootstrap All Skills
Load the full bootstrap file containing all registered skill information by instructing Codex to run:
Run ~/.codex/superpowers/.codex/superpowers-codex bootstrap
Create Custom Personal Skills
- Create a dedicated directory for your custom skill:
mkdir -p ~/.codex/skills/my-skill - Create a
SKILL.mdfile in the skill directory following this template:--- name: my-skill description: Use when [condition] - [what it does] --- # My Skill [Your skill content here]
Personal skills will override built-in Superpowers skills that share the same name.
Architecture
Superpowers Codex CLI Tool
- File Location:
~/.codex/superpowers/.codex/superpowers-codex - A Node.js command-line utility that provides 3 core skill management commands:
bootstrap: Load the complete bootstrap dataset with all skill metadatause-skill <name>: Load and activate a single specified skillfind-skills: List all available registered skills with descriptions
Shared skills-core Module
- File Location:
~/.codex/superpowers/lib/skills-core.js - An ES format module that handles skill discovery and parsing logic. This module is shared between the Codex Superpowers integration and the OpenCode plugin to ensure consistent skill behavior across platforms.
Claude Code to Codex Tool Mapping
Skills originally written for Claude Code are adapted for Codex compatibility via the following mappings:
TodoWrite→update_planTaskwith subagents → Directly perform requested work, with notification that subagents are not availableSkilltool →~/.codex/superpowers/.codex/superpowers-codex use-skill- File operations → Use native Codex file management tools
Updating Superpowers for Codex
Run the following shell command to pull the latest version of the Superpowers repository:
cd ~/.codex/superpowers
git pullTroubleshooting
Skills Not Found
- Verify the skill directory exists and is populated:
ls ~/.codex/superpowers/skills - Confirm the CLI tool is functional:
~/.codex/superpowers/.codex/superpowers-codex find-skills - Check that all registered skills have a valid
SKILL.mdfile in their directory
CLI Script Not Executable
Run the following to grant execution permissions to the CLI tool:
chmod +x ~/.codex/superpowers/.codex/superpowers-codexNode.js Errors
The Superpowers Codex CLI tool requires Node.js. Verify your installed version with:
node --versionA minimum of Node.js v14 is required; Node.js v18+ is recommended for full ES module support.
Getting Help
- Report bugs or issues: https://github.com/obra/superpowers/issues
- Main Superpowers documentation: https://github.com/obra/superpowers
- Official launch blog post: https://blog.fsck.com/2025/10/27/skills-for-openai-codex/