Over the past period, I have gradually shifted from “using AI tools to write things” to “using AI to build a repeatable content production system.”
As tools like ChatGPT and Codex have become more capable, a clear problem has emerged:
There are more and more tools, but the cost of making each decision is also rising.
So I tried to reorganize the entire usage approach into a more stable structure: a three-tier AI workflow model.
🧭 1. Why We Need to Redefine How Tools Are Used
In practice, the main problems I encountered were:
- When writing articles, being unsure whether to use ChatGPT or Codex
- When optimizing content in batches, easily falling into repetitive work
- Scattered strategies for SEO, advertising, and affiliate marketing
- Lack of a unified “decision layer”
This ultimately leads to one result:
There are many tools, but efficiency is unstable.
Therefore, I started trying to layer the tools.
🧠 2. The Three-Tier AI Tool System
1) ChatGPT: Decision and Strategy Layer
This layer is responsible for “thinking clearly about what to do.”
Applicable to:
- SEO topic selection strategy
- Content direction judgment
- Advertising and monetization structure design
- Affiliate marketing strategy analysis
- WordPress page structure design
📌 Essential role:
Helping me reduce the cost of “choosing the wrong direction.”
2) Codex (Work Mode): Execution and Batch Processing Layer
This layer solves the “problem of repetitive execution.”
Applicable to:
- Batch optimization of blog posts (1000+ pieces of content)
- Automatic organization of SEO structure
- Batch insertion of affiliate links
- Ad placement optimization analysis
- Unified modification of tags / meta information
📌 Essential role:
Turning manual operations into batch processing tasks.
3) Codex (Developer Mode): System and Tool Building Layer
This layer is responsible for “building systems.”
Applicable to:
- NocoDB affiliate marketing management system
- WordPress automation plugin development
- SEO / traffic analysis tool site
- Content asset management system
- Custom automated workflows
📌 Essential role:
Turning experience into a system, rather than repetitive labor.
⚖️ 3. How the Three Work Together
My actual workflow is:
🧠 Step 1: ChatGPT (Decision)
Determine:
- What content to write
- What optimizations to make
- Which pages to modify first
↓
🧠 Step 2: Codex (Work)
Execute:
- Batch modify articles
- Insert ads / affiliate links
- Optimize SEO structure
↓
🧠 Step 3: Codex (Development)
Build:
- Automation tools
- Data management systems
- Long-term reusable capabilities
🔁 4. A Key Cognitive Shift
In this process, my biggest change was:
❌ Past approach:
Leaving everything to a single tool to solve
✅ Current approach:
Letting different tools handle different “cognitive levels”
🧩 5. A Simple Comparison of the Three Tools
| Tool | Layer | Role |
|---|---|---|
| ChatGPT | Decision layer | Think clearly about what to do |
| Codex (Work) | Execution layer | Do things in batches |
| Codex (Development) | System layer | Build tools |
🚀 6. The Most Important Efficiency Gains Right Now
Currently, the parts that truly bring revenue gains are:
- Batch insertion of affiliate links
- RPM optimization for high-traffic articles
- Ad placement structure optimization
- SEO internal link system restructuring
These all fall under the core application scenarios of “Codex (Work Mode).”
🧠 7. Summary
The tools themselves are not what matters; what matters is:
At which layer of the system you make your decisions.
Once I started understanding AI tools using a “layered approach”:
- Decisions became faster
- Repetitive labor decreased
- Content production became stable