What is going on
You paste the error. Codex makes a change and says it is fixed. The error comes back, and the next attempt is almost the same change. After a few rounds you have a messier project and the same problem.
Error messages you might see
Common causes
- Codex has a wrong idea of the cause and keeps working on it.
- It only has part of the information: it never saw the full error message, the file where it happens, or the settings involved.
- The cause is outside the code: a setting in the host, database permissions, or a key that is missing.
- The conversation has grown long and old, wrong attempts are mixed in with the facts.
How to fix it
- Stop asking it to try again. Ask it to explain the cause first, in plain words, and not to change anything yet.
- Give it the full error text, the file name and the steps that lead to the error.
- Check the idea yourself. If it says a value is empty, print the value and look.
- Start a new conversation with a short description of what is true now, instead of the long history.
- Revert the changes from the failed attempts so you are testing one thing at a time.
- If two clean attempts fail, the cause is probably not where Codex is looking. That is a good point to have a developer look at the real setup on a call.
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ISHANTDEEP SINGH
React · next.js · javascript · node.js · expressjs · HTML · CSS · Firebase · UX Performance
Senior Software Engineer with 7+ years of experience in React, JavaScript, TypeScript, Next.js, and Node.js. I’ve also worked as a tech lead for startups, owning end-to-end technical execution including architecture, development, scaling, and delivery. I bring a strong mix of hands-on coding, product thinking, and technical leadership, and I’m comfortable building products from scratch as well as improving and scaling existing systems.
Simon A.
java · spring boot · postgres · mongodb · c# · unity · godot · react · typescript · next.js
I'm a backend developer building APIs, emulators, and interactive game systems. Professionally, I've developed Java/Spring reporting solutions, managed relational and NoSQL databases, and implemented CI/CD workflows.
Bastien Labelle
php · python · nodejs · javascript · typescript · react · nextjs · nuxt · nuxtjs · jquery · html · css · laravel · django · fastapi · wordpress · mysql · postgresql · mariadb · docker · api · fullstack · backend · frontend · webdev · mongodb · svelte · sveltejs
Full stack dev w/ 20+ years of experience
Questions
Why does Codex say it is fixed when it is not?
It reports what it changed, and it may not have been able to run your app to confirm. Always run the app yourself.
How many tries are too many?
If two clean attempts with the full error and the right file fail, a different approach or a second pair of eyes will help more than a third try.
