Smart Model Switching
Three-tier z.ai (GLM) routing: Flash → Standard → Plus / 32B
Start with the cheapest model. Escalate only when needed. Designed to minimize API cost without sacrificing correctness.
The Golden Rule
> If a human would need more than 30 seconds of focused thinking, escalate from Flash to Standard.
> If the task involves architecture, complex tradeoffs, or deep reasoning, escalate to Plus / 32B.
Model Reality (Relative)
| Tier | Example Models | Purpose |
|---|---|---|
| Flash | GLM-4.5-Flash, GLM-4.7-Flash | Fastest & cheapest |
| Standard | GLM-4.6, GLM-4.7 | Strong reasoning & code |
| Plus / 32B | GLM-4-Plus, GLM-4-32B-128K | Heavy reasoning & architecture |
Bottom line: Wrong model selection wastes money OR time. Flash for simple, Standard for normal work, Plus/32B for complex decisions.
💚 FLASH — Default for Simple Tasks
Stay on Flash for:
- Factual Q&A — “what is X”, “who is Y”, “when did Z”
- Quick lookups — definitions, unit conversions, short translations
- Status checks — monitoring, file reads, session state
- Heartbeats — periodic checks, OK responses
- Memory & reminders
- Casual conversation — greetings, acknowledgments
- Simple file ops — read, list, basic writes
- One-liner tasks — anything answerable in 1–2 sentences
- Cron jobs (always Flash by default)
NEVER do these on Flash
- ❌ Write code longer than 10 lines
- ❌ Create comparison tables
- ❌ Write more than 3 paragraphs
- ❌ Do multi-step analysis
- ❌ Write reports or proposals
💛 STANDARD — Core Workhorse
Escalate to Standard for:
Code & Technical
- Code generation — functions, scripts, features
- Debugging — normal bug investigation
- Code review — PRs, refactors
- Documentation — README, comments, guides
Analysis & Planning
- Comparisons and evaluations
- Planning — roadmaps, task breakdowns
- Research synthesis
- Multi-step reasoning
Writing & Content
- Long-form writing (>3 paragraphs)
- Summaries of long documents
- Structured output — tables, outlines
Most real user conversations belong here.
❤️ PLUS / 32B — Complex Reasoning Only
Escalate to Plus / 32B for:
Architecture & Design
- System and service architecture
- Database schema design
- Distributed or multi-tenant systems
- Major refactors across multiple files
Deep Analysis
- Complex debugging (race conditions, subtle bugs)
- Security reviews
- Performance optimization strategy
- Root cause analysis
Strategic & Judgment-Based Work
- Strategic planning
- Nuanced judgment and ambiguity
- Deep or multi-source research
- Critical production decisions
🔄 Implementation
For Subagents
// Routine monitoring
sessions_spawn(task="Check backup status", model="GLM-4.5-Flash")
// Standard code work
sessions_spawn(task="Build the REST API endpoint", model="GLM-4.7")
// Architecture decisions
sessions_spawn(task="Design the database schema for multi-tenancy", model="GLM-4-Plus")
For Cron Jobs
json
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{
"payload": {
"kind": "agentTurn",
"model": "GLM-4.5-Flash"
}
}
Always use Flash for cron unless the task genuinely needs reasoning.
📊 Quick Decision Tree
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Is it a greeting, lookup, status check, or 1–2 sentence answer?
YES → FLASH
NO ↓
Is it code, analysis, planning, writing, or multi-step?
YES → STANDARD
NO ↓
Is it architecture, deep reasoning, or a critical decision?
YES → PLUS / 32B
NO → Default to STANDARD, escalate if struggling
📋 Quick Reference Card
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┌─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐
│ SMART MODEL SWITCHING │
│ Flash → Standard → Plus / 32B │
├─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┤
│ 💚 FLASH (cheapest) │
│ • Greetings, status checks, quick lookups │
│ • Factual Q&A, reminders │
│ • Simple file ops, 1–2 sentence answers │
├─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┤
│ 💛 STANDARD (workhorse) │
│ • Code > 10 lines, debugging │
│ • Analysis, comparisons, planning │
│ • Reports, long writing │
├─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┤
│ ❤️ PLUS / 32B (complex) │
│ • Architecture decisions │
│ • Complex debugging, multi-file refactoring │
│ • Strategic planning, deep research │
├─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┤
│ 💡 RULE: >30 sec human thinking → escalate │
│ 💰 START CHEAP → SCALE ONLY WHEN NEEDED │
└─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┘
Built for z.ai (GLM) setups.
