Support default effort level in settings.json
Status Fixed / completed
Maintainer reply None cached
Activity 3 comments · opened Mar 23, 2026 · closed Mar 23, 2026
Summary
Allow setting a default effort level (low, medium, high) in settings.json, so users don't have to manually run /model every session.
Current Behavior
- Default model can be configured in
settings.jsonvia"model"field - Effort level can only be changed manually via
/modelcommand per session - No way to persist effort preference across sessions
Proposed Behavior
Add "effort" field to settings.json (user-level and project-level):
{
"model": "claude-opus-4-6",
"effort": "low"
}
This would set the default effort when a session starts. Users can still override with /model during the session.
Scope: user settings (~/.claude/settings.json) and project settings (.claude/settings.json), with project taking precedence — same as model.
Why
Different workflows benefit from different effort levels. Power users who primarily do quick edits/questions want low by default. Users doing complex architecture work want high. Currently this requires manual action every session.
🤖 Generated with Claude Code
3 Comments
Found 3 possible duplicate issues:
This issue will be automatically closed as a duplicate in 3 days.
🤖 Generated with Claude Code
This already works — the field is
effortLevel(noteffort):Works in both
~/.claude/settings.json(user-level) and.claude/settings.json(project-level), project takes precedence. Valid values:low,medium,high. Note:maxis not yet supported in the schema — see #35904.One caveat: mid-session changes via
/effortdon't update the file, so the persisted value is always the default. claude-lens reads this field and displays it in the statusline so you can confirm which level is in effect.This issue has been automatically locked since it was closed and has not had any activity for 7 days. If you're experiencing a similar issue, please file a new issue and reference this one if it's relevant.