[Bug] Anthropic API Error: Unsupported effort level 'xhigh' without thinking enabled
Status Fixed / completed
Reported on v2.1.220
Maintainer reply ✓ Yes — bcherny
Activity 3 comments · opened Jul 25, 2026 · closed Aug 20, 2026
💡 Likely answer: A maintainer (bcherny, collaborator)
responded on this thread — see the highlighted reply below.
Bug Description
Web Search("Claude Code effortLevel high Opus 5 recommended setting")
⎿ Error: API Error: 400 output_config.effort 'xhigh' is not supported when thinking is disabled on this model. Use effort 'high' or below, or enable
thinking.
Environment Info
- Platform: darwin
- Terminal: iTerm.app
- Version: 2.1.220
- Feedback ID: 34423f4d-fa0d-4749-8156-26d6e28cf520
Errors
[{"error":"Error: 400 {\"type\":\"error\",\"error\":{\"type\":\"invalid_request_error\",\"message\":\"output_config.effort 'xhigh' is not supported when thinking is disabled on this model. Use effort 'high' or below, or enable thinking.\"},\"request_id\":\"req_011CdNP2tbAJHJEzxL14v7nu\"}\n at generate (/$bunfs/root/src/entrypoints/cli.js:40:49836)\n at makeRequest (/$bunfs/root/src/entrypoints/cli.js:80:7690)\n at processTicksAndRejections (native:7:39)","timestamp":"2026-07-25T07:27:54.711Z"},{"error":"Error: 400 {\"type\":\"error\",\"error\":{\"type\":\"invalid_request_error\",\"message\":\"output_config.effort 'xhigh' is not supported when thinking is disabled on this model. Use effort 'high' or below, or enable thinking.\"},\"request_id\":\"req_011CdNQ5mWxjaApMZzSvgseU\"}\n at generate (/$bunfs/root/src/entrypoints/cli.js:40:49836)\n at makeRequest (/$bunfs/root/src/entrypoints/cli.js:80:7690)\n at processTicksAndRejections (native:7:39)","timestamp":"2026-07-25T07:41:41.099Z"}]
3 Comments
Same issue - it's definitely something recent and seems to break tool usage.
Global settings.json configuration
Platform
I was able to reproduce this in the claude code cli:
Bug Description
there is a bug in xhigh thinking where the system indicates thinking is off and produces the following error:
⏺ Web Search("...")
⎿ Error: API Error: 400 output_config.effort 'xhigh' is not supported when thinking is disabled on this model. Use effort 'high' or below, or enable thinking.
⏺ Web Search("...")
⎿ Error: API Error: 400 output_config.effort 'xhigh' is not supported when thinking is disabled on this model. Use effort 'high' or below, or enable thinking.
Environment Info
Errors
Fixed in 2.1.221 — changelog: "Fixed WebSearch failing with a 400 error at effort
xhigh/maxwhen thinking is disabled" (https://github.com/anthropics/claude-code/blob/main/CHANGELOG.md). Closing — reply to reopen if it still happens on the latest version.🤖 Generated with Claude Code