zero2codex
OpenAI Codex workflow course

Course goal: ship your personal brand site

Build a personal brand site with Codex

Keep improving one project from an empty folder to a responsive one-page site with an introduction, projects, and contact details. Every lesson adds a visible result or a check toward that finish line.

Curriculum

Personal brand site build path

01

Start With Codex

Set up Codex and build the hero section of your personal brand site.

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00｜Install And Open CodexInstall the desktop app, sign in, open the site project folder, and send a safe first message.What Codex Is ForBuild the first version of your site with a name, introduction, projects, contact details, and one working button.Choose A Codex SurfaceEdit the site's Projects button locally, then verify its text and behavior in a browser.Your First Useful PromptTurn “add an About section” into a concrete request with content, constraints, and browser checks.
05

Lock In Your Site Rules

Write project rules that preserve the site's content and visual style.

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Write Your Site RulesWrite an AGENTS.md for my-brand-site so later edits keep the same voice, layout, and checks.Separate Site And Section RulesKeep permanent site rules separate from one-time requests for the Projects or Contact section.Turn Site Mistakes Into RulesTurn missed labels, broken links, or mobile overflow into rules that prevent the same problem next time.
8 minReady

Turn Site Mistakes Into Rules

Make the next my-brand-site edit safer by recording one useful lesson from this build.

site mistakesspecific rulesrepeatable checks

Plain-language explanation

Look back at the site issues you already found: a vague button label, a broken section link, or content that overflowed on mobile. One real mistake can become one useful future rule.

A good rule says when it applies, what Codex must do, and how to check the result.

Why it matters

The site gets easier to maintain because the project remembers what went wrong during the first build.

Common beginner mistake

A rule such as “make the site better” is too vague to prevent the same bug.

Step-by-step

  1. Choose one real problem from my-brand-site.
  2. Describe the next change that could trigger it again.
  3. Write the required behavior and verification in one short rule.
  4. Add it only if AGENTS.md does not already cover it.

Good prompt

Codex, the my-brand-site theme button was unclear without visible text. Add one concise AGENTS.md rule: whenever an icon-only control changes, keep an accessible name and verify it in the browser. Do not duplicate an existing rule.

Try this

Turn one mobile, link, or accessibility issue from this site into a single testable rule.

Completion checklist

  • The rule prevents a problem that actually appeared in the site.
  • The rule includes a trigger and a way to verify the result.

Sources

08

Finish And Deliver The Site

Polish independent tasks in parallel, then complete one final acceptance review.

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Complete The Site GoalTurn the finished personal site into one measurable goal with content, layout, interaction, and evidence checks.Polish Copy And Accessibility In ParallelUse isolated worktrees only when copy polish and accessibility review can avoid editing the same lines.Run The Final Three ReviewsRun separate content, link, and accessibility reviews, then compare all evidence against the same launch checklist.

Practice lab

Copyable Codex prompts

Plan before coding

Codex, inspect the relevant files first, then propose a plan. Do not edit until the plan names tests and verification steps.

Verification checklist

  • Relevant files are named before edits begin.
  • The plan includes tests and verification commands.

Verify a UI change

Codex, start the dev server, open the route in the browser, check desktop and mobile layouts, then report the exact evidence.

Verification checklist

  • Desktop and mobile states are checked in the browser.
  • The final note includes exact evidence.

Review focused risk

Codex, review the uncommitted diff. Focus on behavioral regressions, missing tests, and accessibility issues. Do not modify files.

Verification checklist

  • Findings lead with severity and file references.
  • Unchanged files are left untouched.
Every good Codex request says what to change, what to preserve, and how to prove it worked.

Reference

Codex concepts to keep nearby