Codex Adds Deep Research for Multi-Step Tasks

CodexSep 9, 2026View original changelog

OpenAI brought Deep Research to ChatGPT Work and Codex on September 9, 2026, letting a Codex session investigate a question across the web, a user's files, and connected apps, then turn the findings into an editable document, presentation, spreadsheet, or Site. The capability draws on the same Work/Codex usage allowance rather than Chat's separate deep-research quota, and Codex asks clarifying questions before it starts rather than presenting a fixed research plan upfront. It is rolling out to Plus, Pro, Business, Enterprise, and Edu users with Work access on web, desktop, iOS, and Android.

Key Takeaways

Deep Research now works inside Codex and Work, not just ordinary ChatGPT conversations, letting a research task run alongside actual coding or work sessions.
Codex asks clarifying questions before researching rather than presenting a fixed plan up front, the way the Chat version does.
Research findings can become an editable document, presentation, spreadsheet, or Codex Site with citations, not just a plain report.
The feature searches the web, a user's own files, and any connected apps the account is authorized to use.
It draws on the account's existing Work or Codex allowance or credits, rather than Chat's separate deep-research quota.
Access is rolling out to Plus, Pro, Business, Enterprise, and Edu users with Work access across web, desktop, iOS, and Android.

Deep Research Moves Into Codex

OpenAI extended Deep Research, the multi-step research feature already available in ordinary ChatGPT conversations, into ChatGPT Work and Codex on September 9, 2026. Where Deep Research in Chat produces a single cited report, the Work and Codex version is built for longer-running sessions where a user is already assembling a deliverable or working inside a software repository.

How It Works

Inside a Codex or Work session, a user starts a research task by typing "@Deep Research" or simply asking for one. Instead of proposing a fixed plan up front the way Chat's version does, Codex asks clarifying questions once it receives the initial prompt, then researches across the web, the user's own files, and any connected apps the account is authorized to use. The user can steer the scope while the task is still running rather than waiting for a finished report.

From Report to Deliverable

The output is not limited to a static writeup. Depending on which tools are available to the account, Codex can turn its findings into an editable document, a presentation, a spreadsheet, or a Codex Site, complete with citations back to its sources. In a coding context this makes Deep Research useful for things like a dependency review or a migration brief that a team wants to read before code changes begin.

Availability and Credits

Deep Research in Work and Codex is rolling out to Plus, Pro, Business, Enterprise, and Edu users who have Work access, across web, desktop, iOS, and Android. Rather than drawing on the separate deep-research allowance that Chat uses, the Work and Codex version spends the account's existing Work or Codex usage allowance or credits, so heavy research use competes with a team's coding and Work budget rather than a dedicated quota.