How to use Codex to draft compliance assessments
A compliance writer uses Codex and Markdown to turn manually selected sources into section drafts, with repeated editing and final team approval.
news.ycombinator.com
Prompt to try
Editorial adaptation, not the source author’s exact prompt. Replace bracketed inputs and review tool permissions first.
Using only [selected source files], outline a compliance assessment for [customer situation]. Draft sections in separate Markdown files and wait for my edits before expanding each one. After approval, merge the sections and check repetition, ambiguity and length. Flag unsupported claims.
Reach people exploring AI agents
See placements →What happened
The author reports productivity gains and believes the content is better for customers; a 20–30-page document still takes several days.
Reported by tedggh on Hacker NewsHow the agent did it
- Researched and selected the source materials manually.
- Generated and shortened an outline with a skill.
- Drafted separate sections and manually revised them.
Where a person stepped in
The author reviewed drafts repeatedly; the author and team verified and approved the finished document.
A person approved each step before the agent continued.
The author produces customer documentation, mainly regulatory and compliance assessments, using Codex, VSCode and plain Markdown. Some government-related source documents exceed a thousand pages. The work involves mapping those guidelines and policies to each customer's circumstances.
They begin with manual research and source selection, giving Codex that material as its single source of truth. A skill generates an outline, which the author sometimes asks Codex to shorten. Next, the agent creates preliminary section drafts in separate Markdown files. The author reads and updates those drafts before asking for each section to be developed fully, then proofreads and revises again.
Once satisfied, they merge the sections into one Markdown document. Another skill checks repetition, ambiguity and length, usually recommending some legitimate improvements. The author and colleagues then read, verify and approve the document before delivery. A 20–30-page assessment can still take several days. The author reports obvious productivity gains and believes customer-facing content quality has improved.
Who it's for: teams preparing source-based customer assessments with people responsible for verification and approval.
Prompt
Suggested prompt (written by Agents In Use, not the author's)
Source: Hacker News · tedggh
Frequently asked questions
How were sources controlled?
The author manually researched and selected sources, then made those sources available to Codex as its single source of truth.
Who approved the finished document?
The author and other team members read, verified and approved the compliance document before it went out.
More details
Remaining steps
- Expanded and proofread the sections before merging them.
- Ran a document check and obtained team verification and approval.
About this account
Codex generated outlines and section drafts and ran a skill checking the combined document for writing problems.
Platform: Hacker News. Attribution: https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=48046482. Prompt: Suggested (written by Agents In Use, not the author's). Sourced by the Agents In Use pipeline.
Credit: tedggh on Hacker News
Source published 7 May 2026
Source checked 14 Oct 2026
Tools and topics
Codex · VSCode · Markdown
Compliance · Documentation · Markdown
Editorial completeness: 100/100. Measures documented fields, not agent performance or verified outcomes.