Set up Contexara in Codex

Understand your connection

Hooks capture supported conversation events. Claude Code and Codex hooks also retrieve relevant memory and inject it before a response. MCP is separate: it lets the assistant request recall or save a memory on demand.

The Connected badge reflects server-confirmed hook capture, not continuous device health or an MCP-only connection. Capture, automatic injection and MCP reads/writes need separate checks.

Before you start

Sign in to Contexara, activate your plan and open Integrations. Manage credentials from API keys.

Install a supported host version, Node.js 20 or later and npm on the machine where you work. Enter your key locally; never paste it into an assistant conversation or commit it to a project.

1. Install and verify hooks

Choose Codex in Integrations and follow its wizard. Copy its command, or use the interactive command below to enter your existing key locally.

npx --yes contexara@latest init --platform codex

Review the installer output and approve host hook changes when requested. Restart Codex in a fresh terminal session. Setup applies to this machine, not every device using your account.

Keep the wizard open at Verify. Send its current setup-code message in the selected tool, not another host or an old session. Wait for server-confirmed capture. Diagnose delays with:

npx --yes contexara@latest status

Check recent delivery and queue status. Memories become searchable after processing. In Claude Code and Codex, test automatic injection separately using a harmless saved fact and hook diagnostics; do not assume a plausible answer came from CTX.

2. Connect MCP

Add the remote server and authenticate with Contexara. Check codex mcp --help if your installed version differs.

codex mcp add contexara --url https://mcp.contexara.com/mcp

codex mcp login contexara

codex mcp list

Use /mcp in a fresh session to inspect the enabled connection. In the Codex app, Settings → MCP servers exposes connection/authentication controls. Check each device separately.

3. Test reading and saving

Use harmless sample data. Explicitly use Contexara, not the host's built-in memory, and check that the remember tool returns success.

Use Contexara's remember tool to save: my connection test phrase is amber-paper compass.

After processing, start a new chat with the connection enabled. Inspect the cognitive_intelligence tool call and returned result:

Use Contexara's cognitive_intelligence tool to recall my connection test phrase.

A matching answer alone is not evidence of a CTX call. If nothing is found, wait for processing, confirm the same account and project scope, and retry. This test does not automatically mark an MCP-only card Connected.

Manage and resume

Verified coding tools open their connection summary without generating a new key or capture test. Unfinished progress is saved for this account and tool on this browser for 30 days. Keys are never saved in browser storage. After a reload, reuse an existing key locally or continue to verification if already installed. Create a replacement only intentionally.

Close the wizard with ×. Manage or remove MCP in the host. Removing MCP does not uninstall hooks. Revoke unused keys from API keys. Follow the capture removal guide for hooks; deleting a folder alone does not remove scheduled tasks.

Troubleshooting

Capture: check the selected tool, fresh session, hook approval and recent delivery. MCP: check HTTPS reachability, /mcp, authentication, enabled tools and read/write permissions. Reauthenticate expired connectors rather than creating new hook keys.

If custom setup is missing, check your host plan and administrator policy. A read-only connector is not proof that saving works. Contact howdy@contexara.com with the version and redacted error, never your key.