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OpenAI Codex CLI

Codex CLI is OpenAI’s terminal-based coding agent. Connect Nitrosend via MCP for full access to all 20 tools, or use the REST API with a helper script. Codex CLI supports MCP natively via a config file.

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1. Get your API key

Go to Settings > API Keys in the Nitrosend dashboard and copy your key.

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2. Add Nitrosend to your Codex config

Add to ~/.codex/config.toml (global) or .codex/config.toml (project): 
[mcp_servers.nitrosend]
url = "https://api.nitrosend.com/mcp"
bearer_token_env_var = "NITROSEND_API_KEY"

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3. Set your API key

export NITROSEND_API_KEY=nskey_live_your_key_here

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4. Use with Codex

codex "Check my Nitrosend account status"
codex "Create a welcome email flow for new subscribers"
codex "Send our newsletter to the active subscribers list"
Codex CLI uses your API key for authentication. Get yours from Settings > API Keys in the Nitrosend dashboard.

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Option 2: REST API with helper script

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How it works

Codex CLI executes shell commands and reads files. By giving it a helper script and API documentation, Codex can call the Nitrosend REST API using curl to manage campaigns, contacts, templates, and more.

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Setup

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1. Get your API key

Go to Settings > API Keys in the Nitrosend dashboard and copy your key.

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2. Set the environment variable

Add your API key to your shell profile (~/.zshrc, ~/.bashrc, etc.): 
export NITROSEND_API_KEY="nskey_live_your_key_here"
Reload your shell: 
source ~/.zshrc

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3. Create a helper script

Save this as nitrosend.sh in your project or home directory: 
#!/bin/bash
# Nitrosend API helper for Codex CLI
# Usage: ./nitrosend.sh <method> <endpoint> [json_body]

METHOD="${1:-GET}"
ENDPOINT="$2"
BODY="$3"
BASE_URL="https://api.nitrosend.com/v1/my"

if [ -z "$NITROSEND_API_KEY" ]; then
  echo "Error: NITROSEND_API_KEY not set"
  exit 1
fi

CURL_ARGS=(
  -s
  -X "$METHOD"
  -H "Authorization: Bearer $NITROSEND_API_KEY"
  -H "Content-Type: application/json"
)

if [ -n "$BODY" ]; then
  CURL_ARGS+=(-d "$BODY")
fi

curl "${CURL_ARGS[@]}" "${BASE_URL}${ENDPOINT}" | python3 -m json.tool
Make it executable: 
chmod +x nitrosend.sh

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4. Add a Codex instructions file

Create a codex.md (or add to your existing one) so Codex knows how to use Nitrosend: 
## Nitrosend API Access

You can manage email marketing via the Nitrosend REST API.

Helper script: `./nitrosend.sh <METHOD> <endpoint> [json_body]`

Common operations:
- Check account: `./nitrosend.sh GET /account`
- List campaigns: `./nitrosend.sh GET /campaigns`
- List contacts: `./nitrosend.sh GET /contacts`
- Send email: `./nitrosend.sh POST /messages '{"channel":"email","to":"user@example.com","subject":"Hello","body":"Hi there"}'`
- Create campaign: `./nitrosend.sh POST /campaigns '{"name":"My Campaign","channel_type":"email"}'`
- List templates: `./nitrosend.sh GET /templates`

API base: https://api.nitrosend.com/v1/my
Auth: Bearer token via $NITROSEND_API_KEY environment variable

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5. Use with Codex

Start Codex CLI and ask it to manage your email marketing: 
codex "Check my Nitrosend account status and list my recent campaigns"

codex "Send a test email to george@nitrosend.com with the subject 'Hello from Codex'"

codex "Import these contacts: jane@example.com (Jane Doe), bob@example.com (Bob Smith)"

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Direct curl usage

You can also use the API directly without the helper script: 
# Check account status
curl -s https://api.nitrosend.com/v1/my/account \
  -H "Authorization: Bearer $NITROSEND_API_KEY" | python3 -m json.tool

# Send a transactional email
curl -s -X POST https://api.nitrosend.com/v1/my/messages \
  -H "Authorization: Bearer $NITROSEND_API_KEY" \
  -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
  -d '{
    "channel": "email",
    "to": "user@example.com",
    "subject": "Hello",
    "body": "<h1>Welcome!</h1>"
  }' | python3 -m json.tool

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API reference

ActionCommand
Account status./nitrosend.sh GET /account
List campaigns./nitrosend.sh GET /campaigns
Create campaign./nitrosend.sh POST /campaigns '{"name":"...","channel_type":"email"}'
List contacts./nitrosend.sh GET /contacts
Send email./nitrosend.sh POST /messages '{"channel":"email","to":"...","subject":"...","body":"..."}'
List templates./nitrosend.sh GET /templates
List segments./nitrosend.sh GET /segments
See the full API Reference for all available endpoints.
Codex CLI runs in your terminal with access to your environment variables. Make sure NITROSEND_API_KEY is set in your shell before starting Codex.