Hey Reader,

What workflow is best for Codex and Xcode?

There are a lot of tools you can configure to work with Xcode, but they might be costing you context (or wasting time).

Last year, I started using Makefiles with my agents. A Makefile is a script that can be used to build or run anything (like xcodebuild).

I love that you can extend Makefile targets to support variables to hyper focus testing with agents.

It's better for Codex to make one tool call that does exactly what you need, rather than multiple tool calls. You'll save context and you reduce the risk of running dangerous commands accidentally.

Read my latest article: How I Build Apps With Codex Without Opening Xcode​

​Read the article above and learn:

• How to make Xcode projects agents friendly
• The only build command I use
• Why you need runtime logs
• Must have AGENTS.md rules
• How agents write better code

The benefit of the Makefile is that you and the agent can use the same command. So your agent is productive and you are able to double-check their work.

2 Tactics You Can Steal

#1 I don't let my agents use rm (remove)

But I do let my agents use rm in a Makefile. Grab my AppCreator skill so your agent can setup Xcode builds safely.

Don't let your agents use dangerous commands accidentally. Instead wrap them safely using this skill.

#2 App Store Keywords Tip

Your App Store keyword field is 100 characters. Do not put spaces between the commas; you should only have spaces between words.

You're losing out on 1-3 additional keywords when you format your keyword list incorrectly.

5 Links and Resources

1. Supercharge Codex with NEW Plugins: Codex Plugins Just Dropped: Skills, Apps, and MCP in One Place​
2. Write better code with both Claude and Codex. OpenAI launched a new Plugin for Claude: Codex can code review Claude from within Claude Code.​
3. New to Codex + apps? Start with these 7 beginner tips for apps with Codex.
4. Marketing your app? Follow a plan from a full-time indie developer: How I Promote My Apps – My Personal Secret Sauce​
5. Need to work with App Store Connect? Give your agent a new tool to take the pain away from publishing. Use App Store Connect CLI (1.0.1 Release)​

From the Community

Do you use Plan mode? I discuss this in the article today.

Sometimes plan mode is useful to get a quick prototype, but I find it will do things I don't want (and it creates a huge wall of text to read). If you don't read it and push back, you risk wasting a lot of time and tokens.

Short, concise plans designed from discussion have always felt better to me. Talk through a feature, poke holes in it, and work step-by-step with an AI agent.

Peter Steinberger 🦞 @steipete I never use plan mode. The main reason this was added to codex is for claude-pilled people who struggle with changing their habits. just talk with your agent. https://twitter.com/kr0der/status/2039340816980660556 Anthony @kr0der slowly starting to use plan mode a LOT less nowadays i realised whenever i use plan mode, it generates a gigantic plan and then i dont read it and hit build out of laziness having a meaningful conversation with the AI agent to discuss implementation feels a lot easier 🤔 3:50 AM • Apr 2, 2026 238 Retweets 4643 Likes Read 536 replies

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Quick Question

​What's one Codex skill that you cannot live without?

Click above to share your best practices. Thanks for joining the conversation!

Talk soon,

Paul Solt
Paul@SuperEasyApps.com

P.S. How do you get more downloads on the App Store? Your App Store screenshots drive sales — get 100 best practices today. 👇

​The Screenshot Mistake That's Costing You Downloads Every Day (196K views)

P.P.S. Vote for next weeks topic: