Switch Models Mid-Conversation with /model

Not every task needs the most powerful (and expensive) model. Switch on the fly with /model.

/model sonnet

This is a game-changer for cost management. Use Opus for complex architecture decisions and tricky debugging, then drop to Sonnet for straightforward file edits and boilerplate generation.

A practical workflow:

# Start with Opus for the hard thinking
/model opus
"Design the database schema for a multi-tenant SaaS app"

# Switch to Sonnet for the implementation grunt work
/model sonnet
"Now create the migration files based on that schema"

You can also set the default model when launching Claude Code:

claude --model sonnet

Here's a rough guide for when to use each:

• Opus — complex debugging, architecture decisions, multi-file refactors, subtle logic bugs
• Sonnet — boilerplate generation, simple edits, test writing, documentation, routine tasks
• Haiku — quick questions, formatting, simple lookups

The context window carries over when you switch, so Claude doesn't lose any conversation history.

Match the model to the task — your wallet will thank you.