Pin a model or use Auto

Every new chat starts on Auto: Coder looks at your message and picks who answers and on which model. You can pin your own choice instead, for one chat or for every new chat. This guide shows when each makes sense and how to do it.

What Auto does

• It picks among the agents that are on and logged in on this computer. With no other reason to choose, it tries Claude Code, then OpenCode, then Coder's own loop.
• A short question can go to Coder's own loop on a cheap model: our quick model on your free daily allowance when you're logged in, else the cheapest model on your login (Haiku on the Claude plan). It never picks Opus or Sonnet for that unless you chose them.
• It skips an agent whose usage window has run out.
• Once it has answered, the chat stays with that agent and model.

Use Auto when you don't mind who answers and want the cheap answer for small things. Pin when you need a particular model, such as the strongest one for a hard change, or want the work to stay on one plan.

Pin one chat

Both choices are made before the chat's first message.

1. Press Shift+Tab to pick who answers: Auto, Claude Code, Codex, OpenCode, or another agent on this computer.
2. Type /models to pick that agent's model and reasoning level. Type to search, press Up and Down to move, and Enter to go on.
3. Send your message.

The label at the input's top right then shows your pick alone, such as Claude (Opus 5.5), without "Auto". The chat keeps it. To use another model later, press Ctrl+N for a new chat.

Who answers	What /models offers
Claude Code	Haiku 5.5 (the default), Sonnet 5.5, Opus 5.5, and Fable 5.1, each with a reasoning level from low to max.
Codex	GPT-6.1-Sol (the default), GPT-6-Astra, GPT-6-Sol, and GPT-6-Luna, each with a reasoning level.
OpenCode	OpenCode's own list: free models first, then your favorites and recent models, then each provider's models.
Coder's own loop	Auto (we pick the model), the models your account can use, and OpenRouter models on your own key.

Start every new chat on one agent

To make new chats start on Claude Code, Codex, or OpenCode without pressing Shift+Tab each time:

openagents coder models set claude-code

Use codex or opencode in its place, or opencode/PROVIDER/MODEL for one OpenCode model. Check what's set:

openagents coder models list
openagents coder status

To go back to Auto choosing:

openagents coder models set auto

Say it in plain words

Coder also keeps standing choices you tell it:

Always use Claude Opus for code in this repo.

Other examples: "Use Codex less." "Never use Devin." Coder saves each as a pin, for one project, one kind of work, or everywhere. An agent you said never to use is never started. Type /preferences to see your pins in plain words.

Lean Auto toward cost, speed, or quality

Type /preferences and set Cost efficiency, Speed, and Intelligence from 1 to 5. Press Up and Down to move, and Left and Right (or - and +) to change a value; each change is saved at once.

More detail: Choose who answers.

Next: Queue messages while Coder works.