codex-sdlc is an open-source plugin and repository framework described by its author as a way to coordinate Codex-assisted feature delivery—from requirements and implementation through a separate AI quality-check role and a report for human review. It configures an existing application; it does not generate a complete app from an empty directory. You still make key decisions and accept or reject the delivered work.
What codex-sdlc does with a feature request
The workflow starts with a feature request, then coordinates roles to define requirements, implement the change, check the integrated result, and return a delivery report. The author summarizes the intent as a repeatable lifecycle that records evidence and returns the result for human acceptance. The author’s project announcement and getting-started guide, both published September 14, 2026, are descriptions of the project, not independent evaluations.
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A representative request from the project is: “Start a codex-sdlc feature delivery for: let users save favorite items and find them later.” The framework is intended to turn that request into coordinated work and a reviewable result; it does not remove the need for human judgment.
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- Codex.
- Node.js
>=24.16.0 <25. - npm 11.
- An existing application repository to configure.
These prerequisites and setup details come from the author’s September 14, 2026 instructions and may change; check the project’s published guidance for current requirements before initializing. The framework configures an existing application directory rather than scaffolding a finished product from an empty folder.
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Initialize it in an existing project
The author’s recommended sequence is to work from an existing application repository in Codex, install the plugin through its project directory listing, and review the proposed initialization choices before applying them. This is the author’s described process, not an independently tested installation walkthrough.
- Open the existing application repository in Codex.
- Install the codex-sdlc plugin from its project directory listing.
- Ask Codex:
Initialize codex-sdlc for this existing project. Explain the setup choices and show the dry run before applying changes.
- Review the proposed configuration and dry run. Tell it where the application code lives, then apply the configuration only after the choices make sense for your project.
- Allow the setup checks to finish, then begin with a small feature request so you can assess the workflow and handoffs on a manageable change.
How the roles and decisions fit together
The project description assigns different responsibilities to different roles. Their work is coordinated, but clarifications and material decisions can come back to you during delivery.
| Role | Described responsibility | Your part |
|---|---|---|
| PM | Coordinates tasks, dependencies, and handoffs. | Answer clarifications and make material decisions when they are raised. |
| Business analysis | Defines requirements and acceptance criteria. | Clarify the intended behavior and whether the criteria match the feature you asked for. |
| Backend and frontend | Implement assigned changes within their scopes. | Review the proposed approach or resolve questions that affect the product. |
| AI QC | Separately checks the integrated feature. | Consider its findings alongside the report and your own review. |
| AI Product Owner (optional) | Provides advisory review. | Treat its input as advice, not final acceptance. |
The author says role assignments are constrained by scope and writable paths. That describes how work is bounded; it does not establish that the resulting changes are correct or secure. You remain the final decision-maker and accept or reject the delivery.
What stays in the repository
Workflow records live under .sdlc/. The author says the framework keeps requirements, tasks, decisions, blockers, and command evidence with the project, so a later session can continue with that run state rather than relying only on conversation history. Reports are described as tracking artifacts that collect command evidence.
For a project split across backend, web, or mobile repositories, the author says to provide the locations and use one coordinator repository for the shared delivery record. Consider whether that layout and shared record fit your team’s repository practices before adopting the workflow.
What the delivery report and QC can tell you
The report is described as covering changes, verification evidence, and limitations. A separate AI QC role checks the integrated feature, giving you another review point and recorded evidence to inspect. Neither a QC pass nor a list of successful commands proves that software is free of defects or security issues. Use the report as input to your own review and acceptance decision.
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Assess whether the workflow fits your project
The author lists presets for Go, Next.js, Flutter, PostgreSQL, and Redis, as well as generic application presets that use project-specific verification commands. Their inclusion does not by itself establish compatibility with every project using those technologies. Before using codex-sdlc for substantial work, consider:
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- How much setup and configuration your repository needs.
- Whether the roles and handoffs make ownership clearer for your team.
- Whether your repository layout and stack fit the available presets or require project-specific verification commands.
- Whether keeping run records under
.sdlc/suits your continuity and repository practices. - Whether the command evidence and stated limitations in the report are useful for your review.
- How much human clarification, decision-making, and acceptance the process still requires.
The project is described as Apache 2.0 open source. Running its workflow uses your Codex usage allowance; the author’s pages do not establish a separate price or measured time savings, quality gains, or adoption figures.
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