The Workspaces UI uses a four-panel layout for host-backed Codex work. The selected host owns the workspace folder, Git branch, terminal, preview, and Codex execution.

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Panel Overview

The navbar at the top of the workspace provides quick access to common actions.

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Left Section

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Right Section - Panel Controls

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Right Section - Utilities

When the Changes panel is open, additional diff controls appear for toggling between side-by-side and inline views.

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Workspace Sidebar

The left sidebar displays all your workspaces at a glance. Switch to accordion layout to group workspaces by status:

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Status Indicators

Each workspace shows its current state:

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Workspace Actions

  • Search: Filter workspaces by name or branch
  • Pin: Keep important workspaces at the top
  • Archive: Move completed workspaces out of the main list
  • Layout toggle: Switch between flat list and accordion (grouped by status)

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Creating a New Workspace

Click the + button at the top of the sidebar to create a new workspace. The interface switches to create mode:
  1. Select a project from the Project dropdown in the right sidebar
  2. Add repositories - click repos from the “Add Repositories” list or browse for repos on disk
  3. Set target branch - each selected repo shows its target branch (click to change)
  4. Describe your task in the chat input at the bottom
  5. Select runtime resources with the workspace default, a preset, or custom skills and MCP servers
  6. Click Create to start the workspace
For detailed instructions, see Creating Workspaces and Repositories.

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Conversation Panel

The left main panel is where you interact with Codex threads.

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Chat Interface

  • View the full conversation history with the agent
  • Send messages and follow-up instructions
  • Rich text support for formatting
  • Approval workflows for reviewing agent plans
  • Runtime resource selection
See Chat Interface for the complete guide.

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Thread Dropdown

The chat box toolbar includes a thread dropdown that lets you:
  • View all threads in the workspace
  • Switch between threads (shows “Latest” or timestamp)
  • Create a new thread by selecting “New Thread”
Create multiple threads to work around conversation token limits or to split independent workstreams in parallel.
See Threads for more details on managing multiple threads.

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Chat Shortcuts

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Context Panel

The right main panel toggles between four views:

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Changes View

Displays all modified files with inline diffs:
  • File tree: Hierarchical view of changed files
  • Search: Filter files by name
  • Diff viewer: See code changes with syntax highlighting
  • Comments: Add inline comments for agent feedback

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Branch Graph View

Shows workspace branch lineage for non-Main Chat workspaces:
  • Lineage tree: See parent and child workspaces created from branch forks
  • Related workspaces: Open another workspace in the branch family
  • Fork action: Use Fork branch or Checkpoint and fork from the current node

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Logs View

Shows process execution logs:
  • Process tabs: Switch between different running processes
  • Log output: View stdout/stderr in real-time
  • Search logs: Filter log content

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Preview View

Built-in browser for testing your application:
  • Dev server tabs: Multiple dev servers supported
  • Device modes: Desktop, mobile, custom viewport
  • Process logs: View dev server output
Toggle between views using the navbar buttons or the command bar.

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Details Sidebar

The right sidebar provides quick access to workspace details.

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Git Section

Always visible, showing:
  • Current repository and branch
  • Target branch for merging
  • Uncommitted changes count
  • Commits ahead/behind target
  • Quick access to git operations
See Repositories for details on managing repositories and branches.

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Terminal Section

The expandable terminal lets you run commands directly in your workspace:
  • Full terminal emulation powered by xterm.js
  • Run any command - git, npm, build scripts, etc.
  • Persistent state - terminal persists across panel toggles
  • Expandable - collapse when not needed, expand when you need it

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Notes Section

The expandable notes section lets you document important information:
  • Auto-save - Notes save automatically as you type
  • Per-workspace - Each workspace has its own notes
  • Persistent - Notes are preserved across threads

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Context Bar

A floating toolbar that provides quick access to common actions:
The context bar is draggable - position it wherever works best for your workflow.

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Resizing Panels

Drag the separators between panels to adjust their proportions. Your layout preferences are saved per workspace.

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Toggling Panels

Show or hide panels to focus on what matters:
  • Use the navbar toggle buttons
  • Use the command bar with Cmd/Ctrl + K
  • View Options commands let you toggle any panel
Panel states are remembered, so your preferred layout is restored when you return to a workspace.