Claude Code /effort: Tune AI Thinking Depth to Task Difficulty

When you give an AI work, there are times it feels like it agonizes over even a simple typo fix, or conversely handles a complex design too carelessly. /effort is the command that lets you tune this "depth of thought" yourself. Deep for hard tasks, shallow for easy ones — so you can spend time and cost to fit the task.

Definition (what it is)

/effort is a command that tunes how deeply Claude thinks (from lowest up to maximum).

The deeper it thinks, the more careful and thorough an answer it gives, but the more time and cost (token usage) increase. Conversely, set it shallow and it handles things quickly and lightly. Think of it as turning this dial to match the task's difficulty.

How to use it (by difficulty)

Basic — specify the level directly

/effort high

Writing the level (e.g., high) alongside it sets it to think that deeply.

Applied — choose with a slider

/effort

Entering it without a level brings up a selection screen. You can pick the level you want with the keyboard arrows and apply it, deciding while seeing what stages exist with your own eyes.

Advanced — revert to default

/effort auto

Set to auto and the model picks an appropriate level on its own. It's for returning to the default when you're confused about what you tuned manually or just want to leave it to the model.

Common pitfalls (only when applicable)

• Setting it high across the board isn't always good. Setting even simple tasks to high makes answers slower and only increases cost.
• Once you set it, it keeps applying to later work. When a hard task is done, it's a good habit to lower it again or set it back to auto.

Real-world example

Light tasks like simple typo fixes or renaming variables are handled quickly at a low level. Then, only at moments that need deep thought — like complex algorithm design or tricky bug tracing — raise it with /effort high and entrust it carefully. Used this way, it's efficient.

Taking it further

Since you can tune the amount of thinking directly, you can spend cost and quality to fit the task's difficulty. If speed itself is urgent, think of it alongside /fast (fast response mode). effort is closer to "how deeply," fast to "how quickly."

Summary

/effort is a dial that tunes Claude's thinking depth to fit the task. high for hard tasks, low for easy ones, auto when you want to leave it. Just mastering this sense lets you spend time and cost far more economically.

Based on Claude Code v2.1.154 (2026.05)