smart-model-switching-glm

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.

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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.

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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.

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💚 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

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💛 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.

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❤️ 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

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🔄 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.