Summary
OpenAI has made the harness powering Codex available as a cloud API, and in this tutorial Bart Slodyczka builds a working “speed to lead” sales agent that responds to website form submissions automatically — researching the prospect, checking Google Calendar for open slots, and sending a personalized email via Gmail — all without a human at a computer. The agent runs 24/7 in the cloud, which Slodyczka contrasts with desktop Codex, where the same capabilities only execute when the user is actively working.
The tutorial walks through setup on platform.openai.com from scratch, including a critical distinction many viewers may miss: the developer API is entirely separate from ChatGPT consumer subscriptions and requires its own billing and prepaid credits. Slodyczka covers agent configuration (model selection including Astra, verbosity, response format, session isolation), explains why stateless sessions are actually ideal for per-form-submission workflows, and shows how to wire up MCP tools for Gmail and Google Calendar through N8N.
A particularly useful workflow demonstrated: using ChatGPT with the Codex plugin installed to write system prompts, configure MCP connectors, and even rename or modify agents in the developer portal through natural conversation — with changes reflecting in real time via a split-screen view. The video gives developers a clear mental model of agents, environments, and sessions before diving into the practical build.
📺 Source: Bart Slodyczka · Published September 12, 2026
🏷️ Format: Tutorial Demo
