[FEATURE] Add effort parameter support for Opus 4.5 in Claude Code
Status Fixed / completed
Maintainer reply None cached
Activity 8 comments · opened Nov 25, 2025 · closed Mar 13, 2026
Preflight Checklist
- [x] I have searched existing requests and this feature hasn't been requested yet
- [x] This is a single feature request (not multiple features)
Problem Statement
Problem Statement
Opus 4.5 introduced an effort parameter (low/medium/high) via the API that controls token usage and response thoroughness. This is currently not exposed in Claude Code CLI.
Proposed Solution
Proposed Solution
Add ability to configure the effort level via:
- Environment variable:
CLAUDE_CODE_EFFORT=medium - Settings file:
~/.claude/settings.jsonwith"effort": "medium" - CLI flag:
claude --effort medium - Slash command:
/effort medium
Use Case
- Use
lowfor simple tasks, faster responses - Use
mediumfor balanced performance (76% fewer tokens than Sonnet) - Use
high(default) for complex reasoning tasks
References
Alternative Solutions
_No response_
Priority
High - Significant impact on productivity
Feature Category
CLI commands and flags
Use Case Example
_No response_
Additional Context
_No response_
8 Comments
Whats the default
effortfor claude code Opus 4.5?It defaults to 'high' and it's already supported via environment variable, it's just not documented.
Which env variable, please share the details.
any updates?
are you also setting header via environment var as per claude api docs. if so, how?
or
Also curious about this. #12403 mentions that the env var doesn't work anymore.
Can confirm that old env variable (CLAUDE_CODE_EFFORT_LEVEL) is broken.
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