Use Codex with Todoist (CLI and MCP)

Connect Todoist to Codex and manage your tasks without leaving your coding workflow. Once connected, Codex can read, create, and update your Todoist tasks and projects while it helps you work on your code. You won’t need to switch between your editor and your task list to keep track of what’s next.

There are three ways to connect:

Todoist plugin: The quickest option. Already connected in ChatGPT, and available in Codex without extra setup.
Todoist CLI: Best for terminal-first workflows.
Todoist MCP server: A direct connection that works across local Codex clients and doesn’t require the Todoist CLI.

You only need one method. If you’re not sure which to choose, start with the Todoist plugin.

Set up the Todoist plugin from ChatGPT

The plugin is the fastest way to connect. It reuses the Todoist connection from ChatGPT, and there’s nothing extra to install in Codex.

Connect the plugin in ChatGPT if you haven’t already. For the steps, see Use the Todoist plugin in ChatGPT.
In Codex, type /todoist and select Todoist.
Describe what you want in plain language.

To see everything Codex has connected, enter /apps.

Nota

Connecting the Todoist MCP server in ChatGPT is a different setup. See Use ChatGPT with Todoist (MCP).

Set up the Todoist CLI

The Todoist CLI lets Codex manage Todoist by running td commands in your terminal. Its Codex skill teaches Codex which commands and options to use.

Check the requirements

Node.js and npm installed on your machine.
Codex installed and authenticated.
A Todoist account to sign in to.

Install and connect

1. Install the Todoist CLI

npm install -g @doist/todoist-cli

2. Install the Codex skill so Codex knows which commands to use.

td skill install codex

3. Authenticate with Todoist

td auth login

td auth login opens your browser for OAuth sign-in. After you approve access, the CLI stores the token in your operating system’s credential manager: Keychain on macOS, Credential Manager on Windows, or Secret Service on Linux.

Start a new Codex session after installing the skill. Then ask Codex to work with Todoist in plain language, and it will run the appropriate td commands.

Consejo rápido

Want Codex to read your Todoist data but never change it? Run td auth login --read-only instead. In read-only mode, any command that would create, update, complete, move, archive, or delete data is blocked.

Check the CLI connection

Run these commands if you want to confirm that the CLI, skill, and account connection are ready:

td --version
td skill list
td auth status

Set up the Todoist MCP server

The official Todoist MCP server gives Codex structured Todoist tools over a hosted Streamable HTTP connection. You don’t need to install or run the server locally.

Open your terminal, then check whether Todoist is already configured:

codex mcp list

If it isn’t listed, add the hosted server and authenticate:

codex mcp add todoist --url https://ai.todoist.net/mcp
codex mcp login todoist

Start a new terminal session after connecting, then start Codex. Enter /mcp to see the active server and its tools.

Advertencia:

Add the server only once. Running codex mcp add again creates a duplicate entry, which can cause sign-in loops. Run codex mcp list first to check whether Todoist is already connected.

What Codex will have access to

Once connected through the plugin, CLI, or MCP server, Codex can work with your Todoist data when you ask it to. Depending on the connection and available tools, this can include:

Reading tasks and projects.
Creating tasks and projects.
Updating tasks and projects, such as renaming, rescheduling, completing, or moving them.
Organizing work with sections, labels, comments, filters, reminders, and other Todoist features supported by the selected connection.

Advertencia:

These connections can make changes to your Todoist data. Review important changes before you approve them, especially bulk edits, task completion, project moves, and deletions.

Examples of what you can do

Category	Example prompts
Capture tasks from code	Add a Todoist task to fix the authentication bug in `login.js` and put it in the Engineering project. Find the TODO comments in this file and create a task for each one in the current sprint project.
Plan your work	List my overdue Todoist tasks and help me decide what to tackle today. Show everything due this week and suggest a realistic plan.
Triage your Inbox	Review my Todoist Inbox and rewrite vague items as clear next actions. Ask before changing anything. Find tasks labeled `waiting`, move them into the Waiting for section, and add follow-up tasks for next Monday.
Stay in flow	I’m working on the checkout feature. Check Todoist for related open tasks. Create a task to write unit tests for the payment module, due this Friday.

Privacy and data handling

When Codex uses Todoist, relevant task and project data can enter the Codex conversation context. Data handled by Todoist is subject to Todoist’s privacy policy. Data handled by ChatGPT or Codex is subject to OpenAI’s privacy policy.

You can review or revoke Todoist authorization at any time in Todoist Settings > Integrations. You can also adjust Codex approval settings to control when it asks before reading data or making changes.

Disconnect Todoist from Codex

The steps depend on how you connected.

Todoist plugin

The plugin connection lives in ChatGPT, not in Codex. Open ChatGPT Settings > Plugins, select Todoist, then click Disconnect. You can also remove it from Todoist Settings > Integrations by selecting ChatGPT, then Remove.

Todoist CLI

Log out and remove the Codex skill:

td auth logout
td skill uninstall codex

To remove the CLI itself as well:

npm uninstall -g @doist/todoist-cli

You can also revoke the CLI authorization from Todoist Settings > Integrations.

MCP server

Log out of the MCP connection and remove the server from Codex:

codex mcp logout todoist
codex mcp remove todoist

Then open Todoist Settings > Integrations and revoke the corresponding Todoist MCP connection if you also want to invalidate its authorization.

Tips for best results

Start a new session after setup

Installed skills and newly configured MCP servers may not appear in a Codex session that was already open. Start a new session or restart Codex after setup.

Batch tasks when adding several at once

The Todoist MCP supports adding up to 25 tasks in one call. Ask Codex to add the tasks together instead of creating them one by one.

Use “reschedule” for recurring tasks

To move a recurring task to another date without losing its recurrence pattern, tell Codex to reschedule it rather than simply changing its date.

Tell Codex which connection to use

If you have more than one Todoist connection enabled, say which one to use, such as “Use the Todoist plugin,” “Use the Todoist CLI,” or “Use the Todoist MCP server.” Keeping only one connection enabled can make tool selection more predictable.

Troubleshooting

The `td` command isn’t recognized

Confirm that Node.js and npm are installed, then reinstall the CLI:

npm install -g @doist/todoist-cli

Restart your terminal to make the global npm binary directory available in your PATH.

Codex doesn’t find the Todoist CLI skill

Check whether the Codex skill is installed:

td skill list

If Codex is marked as not installed, run td skill install codex, then start a new Codex session.

Todoist appears in `codex mcp list`, but its tools are unavailable

Run codex mcp login todoist, restart Codex, and enter /mcp in the new session. If authentication is still required, select Todoist and complete the browser sign-in.

The OAuth browser doesn’t open or authentication fails

Allow pop-ups and cookies for Todoist, avoid private browsing, and try again. If the problem continues, remove the Todoist connection from both Codex and Todoist Settings > Integrations, then reconnect once.

Codex asks for approval before making changes

The approval is a Codex safety control because Todoist tools can change your data. You can review the connection’s permission settings, but keeping approval prompts for write actions gives you a chance to inspect important changes before they happen.

Report a bug or request a feature

Both Todoist integrations are open source:

Report Todoist CLI problems or feature requests in the Todoist CLI repository.
Report Todoist MCP problems or feature requests in the Todoist MCP repository.

For Codex setup details, see OpenAI’s documentation for MCP servers.

Get in touch

If you have questions about connecting Todoist to Codex or want to learn more, get in touch with us.