| Level | Available on | Best for | Token cost | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Low | Low | All models | Quick lookups, simple edits, latency sensitive tasks | Lowest |
| Medium | Medium | All models | Routine coding, cost sensitive work | Low |
| High (default) | High | All models (default on Opus 4.8, 4.6, Sonnet 4.6) | Most development work, balanced reasoning | Moderate |
| Xhigh | Xhigh | Opus 4.7 and 4.8 only (default on 4.7) | Complex architecture, difficult debugging, autonomous workflows | High |
| Max | Max | All models (session only) | Extremely demanding tasks, may show diminishing returns | Highest |
Effort levels persist across sessions (except max)
Low, medium, high, and xhigh persist across sessions once set. Max applies to the current session only. Ultracode also resets when you start a new session. If you set xhigh for a complex project, it stays at xhigh until you change it. Switching back to the default is as simple as running
/effort auto.Practical effort strategy
Start at the default (high) for most work. Switch to xhigh when you are tackling a difficult architectural problem, debugging a subtle bug, or running a long autonomous session that needs deep reasoning at every step. Drop to low or medium for batch operations where you are running many small, well-defined tasks and want to minimize cost. Use fast mode when you want speed regardless of effort level.