Codex CLI Adds Keyboard-Driven Transcript Selection With Word, Line and Page Motions
CodexCodex CLI 0.166.0 added keyboard-driven transcript selection, so developers can select and copy text in the transcript with word, line and page motions instead of reaching for the mouse. The feature includes integrated search and configurable shortcuts. It builds on the fullscreen terminal UI that became the default in September, which first brought transcript search and mouse selection.
Key Takeaways
- Keyboard-only selection is now possible in the Codex CLI transcript, so copying output no longer requires the mouse.
- Selection supports word, line and page motions, giving fine and coarse control over what gets copied.
- Integrated search lets developers find a snippet in a long session and start selecting from the match.
- The selection shortcuts are configurable, fitting into Codex's existing custom keymap support.
- The feature closes a gap in the fullscreen terminal UI, which launched with mouse-only selection in September.
- It arrives in Codex CLI 0.166.0, alongside other terminal polish such as consistent Markdown rendering in async questions and answers.
Select and Copy Transcript Text From the Keyboard
Codex CLI 0.166.0, released on October 29, 2026, added keyboard-driven selection to the transcript. Until now, selecting text from a long agent session mostly meant dragging with the mouse or using right-click copying in the fullscreen view. The new mode lets developers build a selection entirely from the keyboard.
Word, Line and Page Motions
Selection supports motions at three scales: by word, by line and by page. A developer can start a selection at a point in the transcript and extend it with the same kind of movement keys used in editors and pagers. This is useful for grabbing a command, a stack trace or a block of generated output from a long response without losing their place.
Integrated Search
Selection works together with transcript search. A developer can search for a term, jump to a match and then start selecting from that spot, which makes it quick to pull a specific snippet out of a long session. The search and selection features share one set of controls instead of being separate tools.
Configurable Shortcuts
The key bindings for the new selection mode are configurable. Developers who already customize their Codex TUI keymaps can adapt the selection shortcuts to their own habits or to avoid conflicts with their terminal or multiplexer.
Where It Fits
The change continues a run of terminal UI work in Codex CLI. The fullscreen UI launched as an opt-in /tui mode on September 22 and became the default three days later, adding transcript search, mouse selection and right-click copy. Keyboard selection fills the remaining gap for people who prefer to keep their hands on the keyboard, a limitation users had raised in community discussion of the fullscreen view.