GptSkin is a Codex theme skill: it turns artwork into a complete semantic design system for your OpenAI Codex desktop workspace. It extracts visual DNA—material, geometry, atmosphere, hierarchy, and syntax color—and applies it to real Codex components. Rich references can use a bounded, high-visibility hero stage on the real new-task home screen; active chat and code workspaces keep the artwork as a restrained atmospheric layer.
Codex's native appearance settings only cover color mode and font. GptSkin complements them with full custom image-backed themes: coordinated shell, sidebar, messages, composer, code, diff, menus, dialogs, status states, material treatment, and an accessibility-checked syntax palette, all applied locally. Six free presets work with zero setup; custom themes use any image you provide or an image Codex generates from one sentence.
🇨🇳 中文用户：GptSkin 是一个 Codex 换肤 / Codex 主题 / Codex 背景工具。Codex 官方原生设置只能改颜色和字体，GptSkin 可以给 Codex 桌面版换上图片背景主题。6 个免费预设开箱即用（无需注册），也可以用任意图片生成自定义主题（每次 20 Credits）。官网文档：gptskin.best/docs/install。
# Clone into Codex skills directory
git clone https://github.com/WendongAI/gptskin-skill.git ~/.codex/skills/gptskin-theme
cd ~/.codex/skills/gptskin-theme
npm installOr manually copy the gptskin-theme folder to ~/.codex/skills/.
6 built-in themes, zero setup:
# List all presets
node ~/.codex/skills/gptskin-theme/scripts/apply-theme.mjs --presets
# Apply one
node ~/.codex/skills/gptskin-theme/scripts/apply-theme.mjs --preset dark-void| Preset | Style | Colors | Details |
|---|---|---|---|
dark-void |
Deep dark with purple accents | #a78bfa #7c3aed #0f0a1a |
Preview |
sunset-glow |
Warm orange and pink | #f97316 #ec4899 #1c0a00 |
Preview |
aurora-borealis |
Aurora landscape with green and violet | #6ee7b7 #1d4a3c #07120e |
Preview |
snow-peak |
Calm alpine light | #9ec8f0 #3a5a7c #141c28 |
Preview |
city-lights |
Neon city at night | #f5a623 #2a3a55 #0b0e17 |
Preview |
minimal-light |
Clean minimal light | #3b82f6 #93c5fd #f8fafc |
Preview |
Each custom theme costs 20 Credits. Generate one from your image or describe a visual direction in one sentence and let Codex create the source image first:
- Connect through secure browser device authorization—no API key copy is needed:
node ~/.codex/skills/gptskin-theme/scripts/apply-theme.mjs --login - The browser opens GptSkin. Sign in or register, review the named Codex device, and select Authorize Codex. New verified accounts receive 20 bonus Credits, enough for one custom theme.
- Ask Codex to analyze the image and create a validated
theme-design.json. - After the user explicitly approves the 20-Credit charge, generate:
node ~/.codex/skills/gptskin-theme/scripts/apply-theme.mjs \ --image ~/Desktop/photo.jpg "My Theme" \ --design ~/Desktop/theme-design.json \ --confirm-charge=20
If the balance is too low, the command opens GptSkin pricing and waits. Choose a
pack and complete Creem checkout in the browser; once Credits arrive, the same
theme request continues automatically. GptSkin never charges a saved payment
method automatically. Manual --key-stdin setup remains available only for
advanced compatibility.
Just talk to Codex naturally:
- "用免费预设 dark-void" → applies the explicitly named free preset
- "I want sunset colors" → Codex generates a local image, confirms the 20-Credit cost, then uses
--image - "用 ~/Desktop/wallpaper.jpg 做个主题" → generates custom theme
- "Make Codex feel like a quiet neon Tokyo night" → Codex generates a local image, then runs the same paid
--imageflow
For custom prose, image generation happens in Codex. GptSkin's website handles the account, Credits, compilation, and durable artifacts; this Skill validates the visual-DNA manifest, generates semantic CSS, and applies the resulting theme locally.
--presets List free preset themes
--preset <name> Apply a free preset
--login Connect with secure browser device authorization
--image <path> [name] --confirm-charge=20
Generate a new paid custom theme after explicit confirmation
--design <path> Use a validated visual-DNA manifest with --image, --try, or --apply
--validate-design <path>
Validate a manifest without network or CDP access
--artwork on|off Toggle only the image layer for the background-off quality gate
--retry-failed Retry a server-confirmed refunded failure as a new paid attempt
--apply <theme-id> Apply a saved theme
--list List your themes
--check Check credit balance
--remove Remove current theme
--key-stdin Advanced: save a manually created API key through stdin
--list prints the complete theme ID. Copy that exact ID into --apply; locally saved themes can be reapplied without downloading them again.
| Pack | Price | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| Signup bonus | $0 | 20 (valid 30 days) |
| Starter | $9.9 | 100 |
| Pro | $19.9 | 500 |
| Studio | $49 | 1,500 |
Each custom theme costs 20 Credits. Paid credits never expire. One-time purchase, no subscription. See gptskin.best/pricing for details.
- Codex turns the reference image into a strict visual-DNA manifest; no model-generated CSS, HTML, JavaScript, or fake UI is accepted
- The local engine maps allowlisted tokens into real Codex components, including an optional new-task hero stage and coordinated suggestion-card icon badges, while verifying contrast, Daily/Seasonal limits, and reduced motion
- Custom themes: local image → authenticated
uploadKey→ one stable Idempotency-Key → 20-Credit compile → verified background SHA → saved manifest/semantic CSS → transactional local application - The website never applies a theme to your computer
- The script supports macOS and Windows and launches Codex with an explicit
127.0.0.1CDP address on a port in the19100range
After applying, Codex can capture a local screenshot and refine the manifest at most twice without another charge. Those screenshots stay local and must never be uploaded as community previews; community previews are derived from the paid source image only.
If a network response is lost, rerun the same image path and theme name without a new confirmation. The persisted request identity lets the server return the original result without a second charge. A server-confirmed failed build is marked terminal and refunded; after checking --list, an explicit --retry-failed --confirm-charge=20 starts a new attempt with a new Idempotency-Key. The normal apply path does not download the archival ZIP.
If app discovery fails, set CODEX_APP_PATH to the Codex .app path on macOS or to Codex.exe on Windows. Because local CDP can be reached by other processes on the same computer while enabled, only run the Skill on a trusted machine. The injector accepts only one uniquely identified Codex/ChatGPT/OpenAI page with a loopback WebSocket; ambiguous or unrelated Electron pages are rejected.
- 📦 Installation guide — detailed setup for macOS and Windows
- 🔒 Security model — how CDP injection, key storage, and billing confirmation work
- 🎨 Best Codex themes — a tour of the preset and custom theme styles
- 🖼️ How to change your Codex background — step-by-step walkthrough
- 🛡️ Is Codex theming safe? — what GptSkin does and does not touch
- ✨ Showcases — real themes from the community
MIT
GptSkin is an independent open-source project. It is not affiliated with, sponsored by, or endorsed by OpenAI. "Codex" refers to OpenAI's desktop application; all trademarks belong to their respective owners.