---
title: "Using Skills with Codex — Compound Law"
description: "How to install and use Compound Skills in the OpenAI Codex App."
image: "https://compound.law/assets/images/og-image-en.webp"
source: "https://compound.law/en-DE/learn/using-skills-with-codex/"
language: "en"
---

Learn · Chapter 4 of 8

# Using Skills with Codex

How to install and use Compound Skills in the OpenAI Codex App.

4 min read

On this page

## Overview

Compound Skills work with OpenAI’s Codex App. Skills are structured markdown files that guide an AI through a legal analysis step by step — the same format works whether you run them in Claude, Codex, or another markdown-aware tool. If you already use Codex for research or drafting, adding Skills means you can run repeatable, structured legal reviews without writing new prompts every time.

This guide covers setup, running analyses, and organizing your workspace for ongoing use.

## Setting Up Skills in Codex

Getting a Skill into Codex takes less than a minute.

**Step 1 — Download the Skill file.** Browse the Compound Skills library and download the `.md` file you need — for example, `terms-and-conditions-check.md` or `employment-reference-analysis.md`.

**Step 2 — Open the Codex App and navigate to your workspace.** If you do not have one yet, create a new workspace — the project folder where Codex looks for files and context.

**Step 3 — Add the Skill file to your project files.** Drag the `.md` file into your workspace or use the file upload interface. A `skills/` folder works well.

**Step 4 — Confirm Codex can see it.** Codex reads markdown files in the workspace automatically. It parses their structure — headings, numbered steps, decision criteria — and follows those instructions when you reference the file. No plugins or extensions needed.

## Running an Analysis

With the Skill in your workspace, you are ready to analyze a document.

1. **Upload or paste the document** you want reviewed — an AGB, an employment reference, a data processing agreement, or any text the Skill is designed to handle.

2. **Prompt Codex to apply the Skill.** Be explicit about which Skill to use. For example:

   - *“Use the Terms & Conditions Check skill to review this AGB document. Flag any clauses that deviate from standard consumer protection requirements under German law.”*
   - *“Apply the Employment Reference Analysis skill to decode this Arbeitszeugnis. Tell me what each phrase actually means and rate the overall assessment.”*
   - *“Run the Data Processing Agreement Review skill against this Auftragsverarbeitungsvertrag. Check GDPR compliance and highlight missing provisions.”*

3. **Review the output.** Each section maps to a step defined in the Skill file. If the Skill has five analysis steps, you get five corresponding sections — making it easy to verify each part independently.

4. **Ask follow-ups.** Drill into specific findings — ask Codex to elaborate on a flagged clause, suggest alternative language, or compare against a specific legal standard.

## Using AGENTS.md for Persistent Skills

If your Codex workspace uses an `AGENTS.md` file, you can register Skills there so Codex knows about them without you mentioning them in every prompt. This is useful when you work with multiple Skills across practice areas.

Here is an example `AGENTS.md` configuration:

```
## Available Skills

### Contract Law
- Terms & Conditions Check: See skills/contract-law/terms-and-conditions-check.md
- NDA Review: See skills/contract-law/nda-review.md

### Employment Law
- Employment Reference Analysis: See skills/employment/employment-reference-analysis.md

### Data Protection
- GDPR Data Processing Agreement: See skills/data-protection/dpa-review.md

## Instructions
When a user uploads a legal document, suggest the most relevant Skill
from the list above. Always apply the full Skill workflow before summarizing.
```

With this in place, you can simply upload a document and say *“Review this”* — Codex will match it to the right Skill based on context.

## Workspace Organization

A clean folder structure keeps your Skills manageable as the collection grows:

```
my-legal-workspace/
├── AGENTS.md
├── skills/
│   ├── contract-law/
│   │   ├── terms-and-conditions-check.md
│   │   └── nda-review.md
│   ├── employment/
│   │   └── employment-reference-analysis.md
│   └── data-protection/
│       └── dpa-review.md
├── documents/
└── outputs/
```

If you use Git, track your Skills alongside your projects for change history, team sharing, and easy rollback.

## Best Practices

**Be explicit with your prompts.** The same principles that work with Claude apply here. Provide the full document — not an excerpt — and tell Codex exactly which Skill to apply.

**Batch-process when it makes sense.** Codex can apply the same Skill to multiple documents in sequence. If you have a stack of employment references to decode or vendor contracts to review, upload them together and run the Skill against each one.

**Fork and customize Skills for your firm.** Library Skills are starting points. If your firm has specific standards — particular clauses you always check in NDAs, or data protection requirements beyond the GDPR baseline — fork the Skill and add your own criteria. Just add a heading or checklist item.

**Always verify AI output against your professional judgment.** Skills provide structure and speed, but they do not replace legal analysis. Treat every AI-generated review as a first draft. Check the reasoning, confirm the citations, and apply the context that only you as the practicing lawyer can bring.

Chapters

#### Ready to try?

Browse our library of AI-powered legal skills.

[Explore Skills →](https://compound.law/en-DE/skills/#all-skills)

## Contribute

### Have expertise to share?

We're building a hub where legal experts can build and distribute their workflows. Be among the first contributors.

[Submit Your Skill →](mailto:contact@compound.law)

## Structured data

```json
[
  {
    "@context": "https://schema.org",
    "@type": [
      "Organization",
      "LegalService"
    ],
    "@id": "https://compound.law/#organization",
    "name": "Compound Law",
    "alternateName": "Compound Law — AI Law Firm",
    "url": "https://compound.law/",
    "logo": {
      "@type": "ImageObject",
      "url": "https://compound.law/press/logos/PNG/Compound_Law_Icon.png",
      "width": 1024,
      "height": 1024
    },
    "image": "https://compound.law/assets/images/og-image.webp",
    "description": "The AI-native law firm in Berlin for start-ups, mid-sized companies and corporates: commercial and contract law, data protection, the EU AI Act, trademarks, corporate law, and restructuring and insolvency. A lawyer reviews every result, billed at a flat fee.",
    "foundingDate": "2026",
    "founder": [
      {
        "@type": "Person",
        "name": "Marko Bradic",
        "jobTitle": "CEO",
        "url": "https://compound.law/en-DE/tech-team/marko-bradic/",
        "sameAs": [
          "https://www.linkedin.com/in/markobradic/"
        ],
        "knowsAbout": [
          "Product strategy and development",
          "Scaling technology companies",
          "FinTech and financial services",
          "AI-powered product innovation",
          "Business operations and growth",
          "Digital transformation"
        ]
      },
      {
        "@type": "Person",
        "name": "Mohit Tilwani",
        "jobTitle": "CTO",
        "url": "https://compound.law/en-DE/tech-team/mohit-tilwani/",
        "sameAs": [
          "https://www.linkedin.com/in/mohit-tilwani/"
        ],
        "knowsAbout": [
          "Engineering leadership and architecture",
          "Scaling high-traffic systems",
          "AI and machine learning infrastructure",
          "FinTech platform development",
          "Cloud infrastructure and DevOps",
          "Product engineering"
        ]
      },
      {
        "@type": "Person",
        "name": "Julian Jantze",
        "jobTitle": "Rechtsanwalt",
        "url": "https://compound.law/en-DE/lawyers/julian-jantze/",
        "sameAs": [
          "https://www.linkedin.com/in/julian-jantze-957b95158/"
        ],
        "knowsAbout": [
          "Corporate law and corporate governance for technology companies",
          "Employment law and HR compliance",
          "EU AI Act compliance and AI governance",
          "Employee participation models (VSOP/ESOP)",
          "Regulatory compliance for tech companies",
          "Legal operations and Legal Tech implementation"
        ]
      }
    ],
    "employee": [
      {
        "@type": "Person",
        "name": "Marko Bradic",
        "jobTitle": "CEO",
        "url": "https://compound.law/en-DE/tech-team/marko-bradic/",
        "sameAs": [
          "https://www.linkedin.com/in/markobradic/"
        ],
        "knowsAbout": [
          "Product strategy and development",
          "Scaling technology companies",
          "FinTech and financial services",
          "AI-powered product innovation",
          "Business operations and growth",
          "Digital transformation"
        ]
      },
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        "@type": "Person",
        "name": "Mohit Tilwani",
        "jobTitle": "CTO",
        "url": "https://compound.law/en-DE/tech-team/mohit-tilwani/",
        "sameAs": [
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          "Product engineering"
        ]
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          "Data protection law (GDPR)",
          "AI law and the EU AI Act"
        ]
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        "sameAs": [
          "https://www.linkedin.com/in/markusdreissigacker"
        ],
        "knowsAbout": [
          "M&A (Due diligence, post-merger integration, IPO readiness)",
          "Corporate Law (Governance, board work, restructuring)",
          "Commercial Law (Customer contracts, supplier agreements, NDAs)",
          "IP (Trademark management, IP transfer agreements)",
          "Compliance & ESG (Global compliance programs, human rights, sustainability)",
          "Data Protection (GDPR strategy, DPO experience, privacy programs)"
        ]
      },
      {
        "@type": "Person",
        "name": "Philipp Brandt",
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        "sameAs": [
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          "Intellectual property (trademarks, unfair competition, copyright, trade secrets, licence agreements)",
          "Data protection law (data breaches, regulatory fine proceedings, access and damages claims)",
          "Distribution and commercial law (distribution agreements, acquisition and sale of industrial plants)"
        ]
      }
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    "address": {
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      "addressLocality": "Berlin",
      "addressCountry": "DE"
    },
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      "European Union",
      "United Kingdom",
      "United States",
      "Singapore"
    ],
    "availableLanguage": [
      "de",
      "en"
    ],
    "serviceType": [
      "AI law firm",
      "AI-native legal services",
      "legal counsel for start-ups and growth companies",
      "legal counsel for mid-sized companies and corporates",
      "Commercial Law",
      "Corporate Law",
      "Employment Law",
      "Regulatory & Compliance",
      "Intellectual Property",
      "Insolvency & Restructuring"
    ],
    "hasOfferCatalog": {
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      "name": "Compound Law services",
      "itemListElement": [
        {
          "@type": "Offer",
          "itemOffered": {
            "@type": "Service",
            "name": "Commercial Contracts",
            "description": "Battle-tested contracts for your sales process",
            "serviceType": [
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              "MSA",
              "DPA",
              "sales contracts"
            ],
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            "description": "Compliant hiring across borders",
            "serviceType": [
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              "hiring abroad",
              "employment contracts"
            ],
            "areaServed": [
              "Germany",
              "European Union",
              "United Kingdom",
              "United States",
              "Singapore"
            ]
          }
        },
        {
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          "itemOffered": {
            "@type": "Service",
            "name": "VSOP/ESOP Setup",
            "description": "Employee participation that actually works",
            "serviceType": [
              "VSOP",
              "ESOP",
              "employee stock options",
              "equity incentives"
            ],
            "areaServed": [
              "Germany",
              "European Union",
              "United Kingdom",
              "United States",
              "Singapore"
            ]
          }
        },
        {
          "@type": "Offer",
          "itemOffered": {
            "@type": "Service",
            "name": "Funding Round Support",
            "description": "Clean legal for your next raise",
            "serviceType": [
              "funding round",
              "term sheet",
              "SHA",
              "due diligence",
              "cap table"
            ],
            "areaServed": [
              "Germany",
              "European Union",
              "United Kingdom",
              "United States",
              "Singapore"
            ]
          }
        },
        {
          "@type": "Offer",
          "itemOffered": {
            "@type": "Service",
            "name": "Corporate Housekeeping",
            "description": "Get your legal house in order",
            "serviceType": [
              "corporate governance",
              "board resolutions",
              "shareholder register"
            ],
            "areaServed": [
              "Germany",
              "European Union",
              "United Kingdom",
              "United States",
              "Singapore"
            ]
          }
        },
        {
          "@type": "Offer",
          "itemOffered": {
            "@type": "Service",
            "name": "Data Protection & Privacy",
            "description": "GDPR compliance that doesn't slow you down",
            "serviceType": [
              "GDPR",
              "data protection",
              "privacy",
              "DPA",
              "cookies",
              "data breach response",
              "GDPR fines",
              "Art. 82 GDPR"
            ],
            "areaServed": [
              "Germany",
              "European Union",
              "United Kingdom",
              "United States",
              "Singapore"
            ]
          }
        },
        {
          "@type": "Offer",
          "itemOffered": {
            "@type": "Service",
            "name": "AI Act Compliance",
            "description": "Navigate EU AI regulation",
            "serviceType": [
              "AI Act",
              "AI compliance",
              "AI governance",
              "EU AI regulation"
            ],
            "areaServed": [
              "Germany",
              "European Union",
              "United Kingdom",
              "United States",
              "Singapore"
            ]
          }
        },
        {
          "@type": "Offer",
          "itemOffered": {
            "@type": "Service",
            "name": "IP & Competition",
            "description": "Protect and enforce what you've built",
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              "intellectual property",
              "trademarks",
              "trademark enforcement",
              "warning letters",
              "preliminary injunctions",
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            "areaServed": [
              "Germany",
              "European Union",
              "United Kingdom",
              "United States",
              "Singapore"
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            "serviceType": [
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              "Germany",
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              "United Kingdom",
              "United States",
              "Singapore"
            ]
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          "@type": "Offer",
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            "description": "Navigate financial regulation",
            "serviceType": [
              "fintech compliance",
              "BaFin",
              "banking regulation",
              "AML",
              "KYC"
            ],
            "areaServed": [
              "Germany",
              "European Union",
              "United Kingdom",
              "United States",
              "Singapore"
            ]
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            "description": "Predictable legal support when you need it",
            "serviceType": [
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              "StaRUG",
              "self-administration",
              "insolvency plan",
              "director liability"
            ],
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              "Germany",
              "European Union",
              "United Kingdom",
              "United States",
              "Singapore"
            ]
          }
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      ]
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        "German"
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        "AT",
        "CH",
        "EU",
        "GB",
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        "SG"
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