# Goal Mode

> An emerging coding-agent workflow where a persistent objective stays active across progress checks, continuation, pause, and resume.

- Category: Agents & Autonomy
- Stage: Watch
- Also called: /goal, Goal command, Persistent goal
- Canonical: https://www.joelcsaji.com/ai-dictionary/goal-mode

## Plain English

Instead of asking once, you pin the outcome the agent should keep pursuing until it finishes or hits a stop rule.

## Example

A developer starts `/goal reduce bundle size by 20% and verify with build output`, then lets the coding agent continue until it can prove the result.

## Why it matters

Goal-style commands turn agent work from a chat request into a bounded task contract with acceptance criteria.

## Related

- [Long-Running Agent](https://www.joelcsaji.com/ai-dictionary/long-running-agent)
- [Checkpoint](https://www.joelcsaji.com/ai-dictionary/checkpoint)
- [Coding Agent](https://www.joelcsaji.com/ai-dictionary/coding-agent)

## Sources

- [Community: Codex /goal Guide](https://www.buildgreatproducts.com/guides/codex-cli-goal)
- [OpenAI: Codex CLI](https://developers.openai.com/codex/cli)