MAJOR Layout Usability Limitation

Ideas Feature Requests
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1

I want to report a major usability limitation with the current Cursor layout system, specifically around the Codex panel.

Right now, the Codex chat panel (with model controls like GPT-5.5, context settings, IDE context, etc.) is locked to the primary (left) sidebar. There is no option to move it to the secondary (right) sidebar, unlike other panels such as the Agent view.

This creates a frustrating and inconsistent workflow:

  • The left sidebar is already where the project directory (Explorer) lives

  • Codex competes for the same space, forcing constant toggling

  • Meanwhile, the right sidebar is underutilized and reserved for the Agent panel, which does not offer the same level of control as Codex

For users who rely on Codex for precise prompting, model selection, and context control, this is a significant downgrade in usability.

What should be changed:

  1. Allow Codex to be moved to the secondary (right) sidebar, just like other panels

  2. Enable drag-and-drop docking for Codex (consistent with standard editor UX expectations)

  3. Unify Codex and Agent panel behavior so users can choose between control (Codex) and automation (Agent) without being forced into a fixed layout

  4. Restore parity in UI flexibility with standard editor layouts (e.g., movable panels like in VS Code)

At minimum, users should be able to:

  • Keep Explorer on the left

  • Dock Codex on the right

  • Maintain full access to model controls and context visibility

Right now, the limitation feels arbitrary and actively reduces productivity for users doing real development work.

Please prioritize making Codex a movable panel.

4

Unless OpenAI has improved Codex VERY significantly in the last couple of months, Codex CLI/Ext is much slower than Cursor IDE and has much worse context and chat management. The Codex Extension is worth using solely for its generous quotas on OpenAI models — certainly not for development speed or quality.

And the fact that it’s visually separated from the main chat is actually correct from a UI/UX perspective. Although I agree with the general idea of flexible interfaces.