Write SEO blog post drafts with Codex
Writing blog post drafts with Codex means giving OpenAI's coding agent a brief from the repository you run it in, and having StoreSEO write the post into a draft article in your Shopify blog while Codex tracks the job.
Last updated: October 2026
Set up Codex for StoreSEO
Skip this if Codex is already connected. The full guide, with the alternatives, is on the Codex page.
- 1
Add StoreSEO to Codex
Run this in any terminal. It writes a [mcp_servers.storeseo] table to ~/.codex/config.toml, which the Codex CLI, the IDE extension and the ChatGPT desktop app all read.
Terminalcodex mcp add storeseo --url https://mcp.storeseo.com/mcp
- 2
Sign in to your store
Run the login command. Your browser opens: pick your Shopify store and approve access. Then run codex mcp list, or type /mcp inside Codex, to confirm storeseo is there.
Terminalcodex mcp login storeseo codex mcp list
How does this work in Codex?
You start Codex in a terminal, an IDE extension or the ChatGPT desktop app, all of which read the same config.toml, and ask for the post: an 1,100 word article on storing olive oil for the Recipes blog. Codex calls storeseo_start, then storeseo_list_blogs to get the blog id. These are reads, and with the server's default_tools_approval_mode set to writes, Codex lets read-only tools through and prompts for the rest.
That setting is what puts the hard stop on storeseo_generate_blog_post. StoreSEO tells the agent to state the credit cost and wait for your yes, and Codex then shows its own approval prompt for the write tool, so you answer twice at the two layers. After approval the generation runs in the background for a few minutes, and Codex polls storeseo_get_blog_post_job, printing steps completed out of total until the status is terminal. Because the job is polled in short calls, the wait does not depend on one long tool call.
When the job completes, ask Codex to read the draft's SEO record with storeseo_get_resource_seo and record the article id in a file in your working tree. You then review and publish the draft in Shopify admin. If your repository holds product copy or a tone guide, Codex can read it and fold it into the brief before you approve.
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You: Write an 1,100 word draft on storing olive oil in my Recipes blog.
- storeseo_start read-only
- storeseo_list_blogs read-only
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Codex: Recipes is synced. This post will spend AI credit that grows with its length. Shall I start it?
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You: Yes, start it.
- storeseo_generate_blog_post needs approval
- storeseo_get_blog_post_job read-only
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Codex: The job is running, 3 of 5 steps done. I will poll until it completes, then tell you the draft is ready in Shopify.
What to ask Codex
Use StoreSEO to list my Shopify blogs and tell me their ids and how many articles each holds.
Write an 1,100 word draft on storing olive oil for the Recipes blog. Tell me the AI credit cost and wait for my yes before you start.
Poll the blog post job until it finishes, then read the draft's SEO record and write the article id to notes.md.
- List my blogs and write a 1,200 word draft on how to care for linen shirts in the News blog. Tell me the cost first.
- Write a draft post targeting best gifts for coffee lovers, with a featured image.
- How far along is the blog post you started?
- Check the SEO score of the draft you just wrote.
- Draft three post ideas for my store and write the strongest one.
What StoreSEO does: blog post drafts
StoreSEO writes a full blog post with AI and saves it as a draft article in the Shopify blog you choose, optionally with a featured image. Nothing is published: you review and publish from Shopify admin.
Requires: Spends AI Content Optimizer credit; the cost grows with word count and a featured image. Blogs must be synced in the StoreSEO app.
- 1
Pick the blog
The agent lists your synced blogs, the sections posts go into, with their ids. An empty list means the blogs need syncing in the StoreSEO app first.
- 2
Agree the brief and cost
Topic, keyword, length and whether to add a featured image. The cost grows with length and the image, so the agent tells you and waits for your yes.
- 3
Generate in the background
Writing takes a few minutes. The agent polls the job and reports progress, and does not present the post as finished while it runs.
- 4
Check the draft
When the job completes, the agent can read the draft article's SEO record. You review and publish the post from Shopify admin.
Blog post drafts reference
| Output | A draft article in the chosen Shopify blog, never published live |
|---|---|
| Featured image | Optional; uploaded with the draft and adds to the cost |
| Run time | A few minutes in the background |
| Insufficient credit | The call fails before anything is queued or spent |
| Blogs | Only blogs synced with StoreSEO are listed; syncing is done in the app |
| Failed runs | The job reports the error and credits are settled automatically |
Rules Codex follows
- The agent states the expected credit use and waits for your yes before it starts a post.
- Posts are saved as drafts only; publishing is done by you in Shopify admin.
- While the job runs, the agent reports progress and never presents the draft as finished.
In Codex
Codex waits 60 seconds for a tool to finish by default. StoreSEO answers storeseo_generate_blog_post with a job id and writes in the background, so the call itself should return quickly, but raise tool_timeout_sec for the storeseo server if you see timeouts on the start or on slow polls. Set the server's default_tools_approval_mode to writes or prompt, not approve, because approve skips the prompt for the generate tool and leaves the confirmation StoreSEO asks for in chat as the only check. Reads like listing blogs and polling the job can stay automatic, so only the credit-spending call interrupts you.
What runs without asking. Reads such as SEO scores, store listings, settings and Google reports run straight away. Generating a preview spends AI credit but writes nothing, and StoreSEO tells the agent to say what a generation will cost before it runs one. Applying content, optimizing images, changing settings, publishing llms.txt or agents.md, writing a product description and deleting anything wait for your yes in the conversation. That yes is an instruction the agent follows, not a lock on the server, so your client's own tool-approval setting is the hard stop.
Questions
Does Codex stay blocked while the blog post is written?
No single call blocks for the whole run. storeseo_generate_blog_post returns a job id and the writing happens in the background for a few minutes, while Codex polls storeseo_get_blog_post_job for progress.
Which Codex approval mode suits blog post drafts?
Use writes or prompt for the storeseo server. Reads such as listing blogs and polling the job then run on their own, and storeseo_generate_blog_post, which spends credit, stops for your approval.
Will the agent publish a blog post on my store?
No. StoreSEO saves generated posts as drafts in the Shopify blog you choose. You review and publish them from Shopify admin.
How long does a blog post take?
A few minutes. The writing runs in the background and the agent checks the job until it is completed, failed or cancelled.
What does a blog post cost?
It spends AI Content Optimizer credit, and the amount grows with the word count and with a featured image. If you do not have enough credit the call fails before anything is spent.
Why does the agent say I have no blogs?
Only blogs synced with StoreSEO are listed. Sync your blogs in the StoreSEO app, then ask again.
Keep going
Blog post drafts with other agents
More Codex guides