> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://docs.seltz.ai/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# Effort Levels for Agent

> Control how much research depth an Agent run applies with the new effort parameter, from a fast low pass to an exhaustive max run.

*Released: September 21, 2026*

[`create`](/api-reference/agent/start-run) now accepts an optional **`effort`** parameter: `low`, `medium`, `high`, or `max`. It sets a ceiling on how much research depth a run applies, and affects price. Omit it and a run executes at `medium`.

## Highlights

* **Four levels** — `low`, `medium`, `high`, `max`. Omitted requests default to `medium`.
* **A ceiling, not a guarantee** — Effort bounds how far a run can go; a straightforward question can still finish just as fast at `max` as at `low`.
* **Validated up front** — An unrecognized value is rejected with `INVALID_EFFORT` before the run starts, not partway through.

## Quick Start

<CodeGroup>
  ```python Python theme={null}
  from seltz import Seltz

  client = Seltz(api_key="your-api-key")

  run = client.agent.create_and_wait(
      "What are the three most notable AI-company acquisitions announced in 2026?",
      effort="high",
  )

  print(run.output.text)
  ```

  ```typescript TypeScript theme={null}
  import { Seltz } from "seltz";

  const client = new Seltz({ apiKey: "your-api-key" });

  const run = await client.agent.createAndWait({
    query: "What are the three most notable AI-company acquisitions announced in 2026?",
    effort: "high",
  });

  console.log(run.output?.text);
  ```

  ```bash cURL theme={null}
  curl -X POST https://api.seltz.ai/v1/agent/runs \
    -H "x-api-key: $SELTZ_API_KEY" \
    -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
    -d '{"query": "What are the three most notable AI-company acquisitions announced in 2026?", "effort": "high"}'
  ```
</CodeGroup>

<CardGroup cols={2}>
  <Card title="Concepts" icon="book" href="/agent/concepts?utm_source=changelog&utm_medium=changelog&utm_campaign=agent-effort">
    Effort levels, the run lifecycle, and output shapes
  </Card>

  <Card title="Reference" icon="code" href="/agent/reference?utm_source=changelog&utm_medium=changelog&utm_campaign=agent-effort">
    Full request fields and error codes
  </Card>
</CardGroup>