Change the model, effort, and thinking settings (original) (raw)

The model menu next to the send button controls three settings: which Claude model you're chatting with, how much effort it puts into each response, and whether it uses extended thinking. This article explains how to change each one and when to use them.

Change the model

Choose an effort level

The effort level controls how much thinking Claude applies to a response. Higher effort means more thorough responses, but they take longer and use more tokens, so you'll reach your usage limits faster.

The effort selector is available for Opus 4.8, Opus 4.7, Opus 4.6, and Sonnet 4.6.

To change the effort level:

Each model has a recommended effort level, marked as "Default" in the menu:

Use extended thinking

Extended thinking lets Claude spend more time breaking down problems, planning solutions, and exploring different approaches before responding.

Thinking and effort are separate settings, and you can use any combination of the two. The effort level controls how thorough Claude is with every response. The thinking toggle controls whether Claude works through its reasoning in an expandable section before responding.

Turn extended thinking on or off

For models with effort levels:

For other models:

View Claude's thought process

When extended thinking is enabled, you'll see:

Click the "Thinking" section to view Claude's thought process summary and problem-solving approach. Reviewing it can be valuable for verifying how Claude arrived at its conclusion.

Incomplete thought processes

Occasionally, you may notice that Claude's thinking stops before it's complete, with a message stating that the rest of Claude's thought process is not available.

This happens when Claude's thinking involves information our safety systems have identified as potentially posing an elevated risk of harm or misuse per our Usage Policy.

If the incomplete thought process affects Claude's ability to help with your request, you can try reframing your prompt to help Claude approach the problem from a different angle.

Choose the right settings for your task

For everyday tasks, the defaults work well. Simple questions, basic information requests, and general writing don't need extra effort or thinking, and lower effort stretches your usage further.

For complex tasks, raise the effort level, turn on thinking, or both. These settings help most with:

For the most difficult, correctness-critical work, choose Max effort and expect longer response times.

Whichever settings you choose, be specific about your problem or question. Clear prompts help Claude use its effort and thinking time effectively.

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