Quoting OpenAI Codex base_instructions

Simon Willison's Blog / 4/29/2026

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Key Points

  • Simon Willison’s Weblog posts a quotation from OpenAI Codex “base_instructions” (for GPT-5.5), including guidance to avoid mentioning certain creatures (e.g., goblins, gremlins, trolls) unless the user’s query clearly requires it.
  • The quoted instruction reflects a broader system-prompt style aimed at keeping responses tightly relevant to the user’s request rather than injecting irrelevant fantasy or animal references.
  • The post is presented as a collected reference to OpenAI Codex’s internal instruction text rather than as an explanation or new release.
  • The article is tagged with themes around AI, OpenAI, prompt engineering, generative AI, LLMs, and system prompts, positioning it as a prompt-engineering/system-prompt signal.
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28th April 2026

Never talk about goblins, gremlins, raccoons, trolls, ogres, pigeons, or other animals or creatures unless it is absolutely and unambiguously relevant to the user's query.

OpenAI Codex base_instructions, for GPT-5.5

Posted 28th April 2026 at 10:02 pm