# How OpenAI Agents Are Configured for No AI Slop: A Complete Technical Guide

> Configure OpenAI agents for No AI Slop with YAML interface definitions mapping the /no-ai-slop command to a default prompt. Learn how in this technical guide.

- Repository: [Peter Yang/no-ai-slop](https://github.com/petergyang/no-ai-slop)
- Tags: how-to-guide
- Published: 2026-09-13

---

**OpenAI agents are configured for No AI Slop through declarative YAML interface definitions that map the `/no-ai-slop` command to a default prompt, requiring no code changes to the underlying model.**

The No AI Slop skill in the `petergyang/no-ai-slop` repository exposes text editing capabilities to OpenAI-based agents through a lightweight configuration layer. Understanding how OpenAI agents are configured for No AI Slop reveals a declarative approach that separates skill logic from agent integration, allowing the same editing rules to work across different deployment contexts. The configuration leverages YAML interface files and plugin metadata to register the skill with the ChatGPT/Codex ecosystem.

## YAML Interface Definitions

The configuration relies on two complementary YAML files that define the agent interface. Both files follow the same schema to ensure consistency whether the skill operates as a standalone agent or as part of a larger package.

### Global Agent Configuration

The [`agents/openai.yaml`](https://github.com/petergyang/no-ai-slop/blob/main/agents/openai.yaml) file serves as the global entry point for OpenAI runtime discovery. This file declares the skill's display name, description, and the default prompt that prepends user requests:

```yaml
interface:
  display_name: "/no-ai-slop"
  short_description: "Remove AI slop while preserving the writer's personal voice."
  default_prompt: "Use $no-ai-slop to remove AI patterns from this draft while preserving my personal voice."

```

The `$no-ai-slop` placeholder signals the runtime to process the following text through the No AI Slop skill engine rather than standard completion logic.

### Skill-Specific Configuration

The [`skills/no-ai-slop/agents/openai.yaml`](https://github.com/petergyang/no-ai-slop/blob/main/skills/no-ai-slop/agents/openai.yaml) file mirrors the global definition, ensuring the skill can be loaded both as a top-level agent and as an embedded package component. This redundancy allows flexible deployment scenarios while maintaining identical interface contracts.

## Plugin Metadata Registration

The [`.codex-plugin/plugin.json`](https://github.com/petergyang/no-ai-slop/blob/main/.codex-plugin/plugin.json) file completes the integration by registering the skill for the ChatGPT/Codex ecosystem. This metadata file references the YAML configurations and establishes the skill's capabilities within the OpenAI plugin architecture. The plugin system scans this file during agent startup to discover available skills and their associated prompt templates.

## Runtime Execution Flow

When OpenAI agents are configured for No AI Slop, the runtime processes user requests through four distinct phases:

1. **Agent startup** – The OpenAI runtime scans the `agents/` directory and loads any YAML files matching the `interface` schema, populating the available command registry.

2. **Command matching** – When a user types `/no-ai-slop …`, the runtime looks up the `display_name` field in the loaded configurations and retrieves the associated `default_prompt`.

3. **Prompt injection** – The runtime expands the `$no-ai-slop` placeholder into a call to the underlying skill, combining the default prompt with the user's input. This ensures the model applies slop-removal rules rather than generating new content.

4. **Skill execution** – The skill processes the text using the logic defined in [`skills/no-ai-slop/SKILL.md`](https://github.com/petergyang/no-ai-slop/blob/main/skills/no-ai-slop/SKILL.md) and validated by [`skills/no-ai-slop/eval.md`](https://github.com/petergyang/no-ai-slop/blob/main/skills/no-ai-slop/eval.md), then returns the cleaned version to the agent for relay back to the user.

## Implementation Examples

The configuration supports both interactive chat usage and programmatic API access.

### Chat Interface Usage

Users invoke the skill directly through the command interface:

```text
User: /no-ai-slop
It’s not X. It’s Y. Here’s the thing, you should listen.

```

The agent processes this through the configured default prompt and returns:

```text
It’s not X. It’s Y. You should listen.

```

### Programmatic API Access

Developers can leverage the same configuration through direct API calls:

```python
import openai

prompt = "/no-ai-slop\n" + """It’s not X. It’s Y. Here’s the thing, you should listen."""
response = openai.ChatCompletion.create(
    model="gpt-4",
    messages=[{"role": "user", "content": prompt}]
)

print(response.choices[0].message.content)

```

## Summary

- **Dual YAML structure** – Both [`agents/openai.yaml`](https://github.com/petergyang/no-ai-slop/blob/main/agents/openai.yaml) and [`skills/no-ai-slop/agents/openai.yaml`](https://github.com/petergyang/no-ai-slop/blob/main/skills/no-ai-slop/agents/openai.yaml) define the interface, supporting standalone and embedded deployments.
- **Declarative configuration** – The [`.codex-plugin/plugin.json`](https://github.com/petergyang/no-ai-slop/blob/main/.codex-plugin/plugin.json) registers capabilities without requiring model modifications.
- **Placeholder system** – The `$no-ai-slop` token bridges agent configuration and skill execution.
- **Validation pipeline** – Execution relies on [`SKILL.md`](https://github.com/petergyang/no-ai-slop/blob/main/SKILL.md) for logic and [`eval.md`](https://github.com/petergyang/no-ai-slop/blob/main/eval.md) for output validation.

## Frequently Asked Questions

### What files are required to configure OpenAI agents for No AI Slop?

The configuration requires three core files: [`agents/openai.yaml`](https://github.com/petergyang/no-ai-slop/blob/main/agents/openai.yaml) for global agent definition, [`skills/no-ai-slop/agents/openai.yaml`](https://github.com/petergyang/no-ai-slop/blob/main/skills/no-ai-slop/agents/openai.yaml) for skill-specific settings, and [`.codex-plugin/plugin.json`](https://github.com/petergyang/no-ai-slop/blob/main/.codex-plugin/plugin.json) for plugin metadata registration. These files work together to expose the `/no-ai-slop` command to OpenAI-based agents.

### How does the `$no-ai-slop` placeholder function in the configuration?

The `$no-ai-slop` placeholder in the `default_prompt` field acts as a runtime marker that tells the OpenAI agent to route the following content through the No AI Slop skill engine rather than processing it as a standard completion request. This mechanism connects the declarative YAML configuration to the imperative skill logic defined in [`SKILL.md`](https://github.com/petergyang/no-ai-slop/blob/main/SKILL.md).

### Can the No AI Slop skill work without the YAML configuration files?

No. The OpenAI agent runtime specifically scans for YAML interface definitions in the `agents/` directories during startup. Without these configuration files, the runtime cannot recognize the `/no-ai-slop` command or inject the appropriate default prompts required to activate the skill's editing capabilities.

### Where is the actual editing logic defined if not in the YAML files?

The editing logic resides in [`skills/no-ai-slop/SKILL.md`](https://github.com/petergyang/no-ai-slop/blob/main/skills/no-ai-slop/SKILL.md), which contains the detailed rules for pattern matching, replacements, and voice preservation. The [`skills/no-ai-slop/eval.md`](https://github.com/petergyang/no-ai-slop/blob/main/skills/no-ai-slop/eval.md) file provides validation tests to ensure output quality. The YAML configuration files only handle the interface layer, while these markdown files contain the operational intelligence.