Workflow Setup: Claude for Planning and Codex for Implementation
Upset-Day9099 · reddit · 2026-08-11
A developer shared a practical configuration for using Claude and Codex as a collaborative team. The core idea is to stop relying on a single generalist model and instead assign roles based on strengths: Claude handles upfront code planning and diff review, while Codex executes the actual implementation.
The Workflow Loop:
- Planning: Claude receives the ticket and outputs a Markdown plan detailing files to change, load-bearing dependencies, and the smallest correct version, without writing implementation code.
- Human Review: The developer reviews and trims the plan.
- Execution: Codex implements the code based on the plan in an isolated Git worktree.
- Review: Claude compares the plan against the resulting diff, specifically checking for unexpected changes, missed requirements, or unrequested behavioral shifts (ignoring code style).
Key Takeaways:
- This division of labor reduces token spend by about 30% compared to running a single model, and significantly lowers the frequency of surprising diffs.
- What didn't work: Running both agents in parallel on the same task to pick the best output (wastes money); letting the reviewing agent also fix the code (leads to over-rewriting); using more than two agents (coordination overhead outweighs throughput gains).
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