Quick answer
Codex stops with "You've hit your usage limit" when your five-hour or weekly window runs out. Run /status to see which one and when it resets. Then wait, buy credits if your plan allows it, or move the task to another tool.
Find out which window ran out
In the Codex CLI, /statusshows each window as a percentage left with its reset time, for example "5h limit: 0% left (resets 14:06)." The Codex usage page on chatgpt.com shows the same thing. If the five-hour window is empty, you wait hours. If the weekly one is, you may wait days.
Your options
- Wait. A new window starts with your first message after the old one ends.
- Use credits. Plus and Pro can buy Codex credits after a limit and keep going.
- Redeem a reset. OpenAI hands out resets from time to time.
/usagein the CLI redeems one you have earned. - Switch tools. Finish the task in Claude Code or another agent.
When the message looks wrong
Users have reported the limit message showing up while capacity was left. If /status shows room in both windows, update the CLI and sign in again before you assume the limit is real. A tracker like UsageAtlas gives you a second reading of the same windows.
Questions, answered
Does starting a new chat reset the Codex limit?
No. Limits belong to your account, not the conversation.
Do Codex cloud tasks use the same limit as the CLI?
Yes. Local messages and cloud tasks share one allowance.
How do I get a warning before Codex runs out?
Set an alert in UsageAtlas on the Codex five-hour or weekly window. It notifies you once when the window reaches the level you pick.