Codex Desktop is starting to behave like a workspace index for long-lived projects.
That creates a retrieval problem that appears once the product becomes part of daily work. My Projects sidebar now spans dozens of repositories and workspace roots. The existing search is useful for finding previous tasks. Project switching still requires scanning a separate list and scrolling until the right workspace appears.
Project names, task titles, and file contents are different retrieval namespaces. Each benefits from an entry point close to the action it serves.
A compact filter beside the Projects heading would cover the common case:
- match the project display name
- match the workspace or root-folder basename
- match the full local path
- use Up/Down to select
- use Enter to open
- use Esc to clear and close
The implementation can remain client-side. Codex already has a local project catalog; filtering the rendered sidebar rows requires no model, agent-loop, filesystem, or backend change. Clearing the query should restore the existing ordering and collapsed state.
Folders and sidebar sections help classify a collection. Search retrieves the specific project already in mind. As Codex users accumulate more repositories, both behaviors become part of basic navigation.
I opened the focused implementation request as openai/codex issue #41756.
I would be interested in how people with large local project collections handle project switching today.