𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝟲 𝗖𝗹𝗮𝘂𝗱𝗲 𝘀𝗲𝘁𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴𝘀 𝗻𝗼𝗯𝗼𝗱𝘆 𝘁𝗼𝘂𝗰𝗵𝗲𝘀.

𝗖𝗹𝗮𝘂𝗱𝗲 𝗶𝘀𝗻'𝘁 𝗮𝘃𝗲𝗿𝗮𝗴𝗲. 𝗬𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝘀𝗲𝘁𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴𝘀 𝗮𝗿𝗲.

𝗦𝗶𝘅 𝗱𝗶𝗮𝗹𝘀 𝘀𝗶𝘁 𝗶𝗻 𝗽𝗹𝗮𝗶𝗻 𝘀𝗶𝗴𝗵𝘁 𝗶𝗻𝘀𝗶𝗱𝗲 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗮𝗽𝗽. 𝗠𝗼𝘀𝘁 𝗽𝗲𝗼𝗽𝗹𝗲 𝘁𝗼𝘂𝗰𝗵 𝗼𝗻𝗲.

Here's the full breakdown — dial by dial.

𝟭. 𝗧𝗛𝗘 𝗘𝗙𝗙𝗢𝗥𝗧 𝗗𝗜𝗔𝗟

→ Bottom right of the input box. Five levels: low, medium, high, extra, max.
→ It controls how hard Claude thinks. It's a budget, not a default.
→ Low for shortening text. Medium for first drafts. Max for costly mistakes.

𝟮. 𝗠𝗢𝗗𝗘𝗟 𝗖𝗛𝗢𝗜𝗖𝗘

→ Top half of that same menu. Haiku, Sonnet, Opus, Fable.
→ Effort is how long it thinks. Model is who is thinking.
→ Haiku when you already know the answer. Fable for your hardest calls.

𝟯. 𝗩𝗢𝗜𝗖𝗘 𝗜𝗡𝗣𝗨𝗧

→ The microphone moves about three times faster than your typing.
→ Ramble. Messy, complete context gives Claude better clues than a tidy command.

𝟰. 𝗔𝗧𝗧𝗔𝗖𝗛 𝗙𝗜𝗟𝗘𝗦

→ Upload the contract, the spreadsheet, the screenshot. Claude reads the actual file.
→ Uploading the same file every week? Move it into Projects instead.

𝟱. 𝗖𝗢𝗡𝗡𝗘𝗖𝗧 𝗬𝗢𝗨𝗥 𝗧𝗢𝗢𝗟𝗦

→ Next to the plus sign: calendar, email, drive.
→ Claude pulls live data instead of waiting on your copy-paste.

𝟲. 𝗔𝗨𝗧𝗢 𝗔𝗣𝗣𝗥𝗢𝗩𝗔𝗟𝗦

→ Left of the input box. Manual pauses for you. Auto keeps moving.
→ Treat it like a new hire. Start strict, loosen as trust grows.

Here's the part most people skip:

Effort costs time and usage limits.
Before you send anything, ask one question: if this is wrong, what does it cost me?
Cheap question, low effort. Expensive decision, max and Fable.

𝗧𝗛𝗘 𝗪𝗛𝗢𝗟𝗘 𝗖𝗢𝗖𝗞𝗣𝗜𝗧 𝗜𝗡 𝗙𝗜𝗩𝗘 𝗟𝗜𝗡𝗘𝗦

Effort = how long it thinks.
Model = who is thinking.
Voice and files = what it knows.
Tools = what it can reach.
Approvals = how far it goes alone.