Ticketly
Codex integration guide

Turn a Codex conversation into a structured backlog.

Use Ticketly when you are starting a product, narrowing an MVP, or deciding how to turn the next confirmed upgrade into actionable work.

Install for Codex
pipx install ticketly
ticketly install codex

1 · Install

Wire Ticketly into Codex

Install the PyPI package, then add Ticketly's Codex front-door instructions.

Terminal
pipx install ticketly
ticketly install codex
ticketly home

2 · Start

Open the project and ask Codex to use Ticketly

Prompt
codex
use Ticketly to plan this project

In a blank folder, Codex starts by discussing what you want to build. In an existing repository, it reviews the codebase and asks you to confirm what it found before planning.

3 · Choose scope

Select a full backlog or a lean MVP

  • Full backlog: plan all confirmed areas and phases.
  • MVP: keep the first usable version and list what was deferred.
  • Not sure: ask Ticketly to explain the difference before choosing.

Starting from an idea? Follow the product-idea-to-MVP workflow for a concrete planning example.

After the MVP

Use the existing product to plan the next release

Ticketly is not limited to the first version. Open the existing repository, describe the confirmed upgrade goal, and let Codex inspect the current implementation before proposing areas and tickets.

Example prompt
use Ticketly on this existing product
plan the next release around team workspaces
show me the proposed areas before generating tickets
Product judgment stays with you.

Ticketly structures confirmed goals and remaining work. It does not replace user research or automatically decide the roadmap.

For a reusable method, read the existing-codebase planning guide.

4 · Keep human control

Use three approval gates before Codex starts implementation

Do not turn every repository observation directly into work. Pause at three checkpoints so the backlog reflects confirmed evidence and product decisions.

  1. Confirm repository findings. Let Codex summarize the current implementation and unknowns, then correct anything it misunderstood.
  2. Approve the release scope. Separate current facts, required changes, and deferred ideas. A person still owns priority and roadmap decisions.
  3. Review the generated backlog. Check dependency order and acceptance criteria. Keep an unresolved product decision as a clarification instead of letting the agent guess.
Prompt with approval gates
inspect the repository for this confirmed goal
show findings and unknowns before planning
pause for scope approval
keep unresolved product decisions as clarifications
See the workflow on a real repository.

Read the Ticketly team's controlled post-MVP demonstration. It shows the approval gates, dependency-ordered output, and a product decision deliberately left unresolved. This is not a customer case study or performance benchmark.

Need a reusable review checklist? Follow the Codex human approval gates guide.

5 · Make work verifiable

Give Codex acceptance criteria it can actually check

Name the exact command, observable result, or required artifact that demonstrates completion. This gives Codex a concrete finish line and gives the reviewer the same evidence to inspect.

Verifiable acceptance criteria
npm test exits with code 0
unauthenticated GET /api/projects returns 401
docs/release-checklist.md includes rollback steps

Ticketly checks for missing or potentially vague acceptance criteria, but it does not guarantee that a test or artifact is the right product decision. Keep unresolved choices as clarifications, then let a person approve the final check.

6 · Review and hand off

Use the output that matches the next reader

  • ticketly/backlog.md for a readable, epic-grouped plan.
  • ticketly/tasks.md for a coding agent to work through.
  • ticketly/backlog.csv for a general tracker handoff.
  • ticketly/backlog.notion.csv for manual Notion import.

The exported Assignee field remains blank unless you provide an owner. Your team assigns or claims work in the destination tracker, not inside Ticketly.

FAQ

Common Codex questions

Does Ticketly need an OpenAI API key?

No separate Ticketly API key is required. You must already be signed in to Codex.

Does the Ticketly CLI scan my repository by itself?

No. Codex reads and reasons about the repository. Ticketly provides the planning workflow and local validation/export engine.

Can I change the backlog after generation?

Yes. Ask in plain language to split, merge, re-estimate, add acceptance criteria, or change dependencies.

What makes acceptance criteria useful to Codex?

A useful criterion names an observable result and, when possible, the exact command, test, or artifact that proves completion. A person still confirms that the check matches the intended product outcome.

Install Ticketly for Codex