Advanced AI features
Learn when and how to use Dynamic Intelligence (Extended Thinking and High Power) and Web Search to maximize Agent’s capabilities for complex builds and accessing current information.
Matt Palmer
Head of Developer Relations
Agent has three advanced features that can significantly improve your development workflow: Extended Thinking, High Power mode, and Web Search. These features work together as part of Dynamic Intelligence to help you tackle complex builds with better results.
Here’s how to use them strategically while managing costs.
What each feature does
Dynamic Intelligence enhances Agent’s reasoning in two ways:
- Extended Thinking - Agent analyzes your request more thoroughly before coding
- High Power mode - Upgrades Agent to Claude Opus for maximum capability
Web Search lets Agent access current information from the internet, overcoming knowledge cutoffs.
When to use what
Feature | Perfect for | Skip for | Cost |
---|---|---|---|
Extended Thinking | Complex architecture, unfamiliar APIs, edge cases | Simple bug fixes, style changes | Approximately more |
High Power mode | Large codebases, critical business logic, complex algorithms | Basic features, quick fixes | Approximately more |
Web Search | Latest packages, current docs, real-time data | Well-known tech, static content | Standard pricing |
Extended Thinking
Extended Thinking makes Agent pause and think through your request before jumping into code. It’s great when you need Agent to consider multiple approaches or handle complex requirements.
Try it for:
- Planning app architecture and database design
- Implementing authentication or payment systems
- Building features with lots of edge cases
- Working with APIs you haven’t used before
Example:
Skip it for simple requests:
High Power mode
High Power upgrades Agent to Claude Opus, Anthropic’s most capable model. It costs about 5× more but handles complex tasks that standard Agent might struggle with.
Reserve it for:
- Analyzing large codebases (500+ files)
- Building complex recommendation engines
- Financial or healthcare apps requiring high accuracy
- Advanced data processing pipelines
The extra cost is usually worth it when precision matters more than speed.
Web Search
Web Search lets Agent research current information while helping you build. It’s particularly valuable for discovering the latest tools and best practices.
Use it when you need:
- The newest React animation libraries
- Current API documentation
- Latest security best practices
- Real-time market data for your app
Example:
Combining features
The real power comes from using these features together. For complex projects, try combining all three:
Enable: Extended Thinking + High Power + Web Search
This gives you:
- Web Search finds the best current libraries
- Extended Thinking plans solid architecture
- High Power ensures accurate implementation
Smart cost management
- Plan first: Agent’s initial planning is free, so review the approach before implementing
- Be selective: Use Web Search for research, Extended Thinking for complexity, High Power for critical tasks
- Test and learn: Try different combinations to see what works for your workflow
- Monitor value: Compare results with and without features
Common scenarios
Building an MVP? Web Search + Extended Thinking gives you current best practices with solid architecture.
Modernizing legacy code?
High Power + Extended Thinking can analyze large codebases and plan migrations effectively.
Learning new tech? Web Search finds current tutorials while Extended Thinking helps you understand concepts.
Mission-critical system? Use all three features for research, analysis, and maximum accuracy.
Getting started
- Pick a moderately complex task in your current project
- Enable Extended Thinking and see how the analysis differs
- Try High Power on something that stumped standard Agent
- Use Web Search when you need current information
- Experiment with combinations as you get comfortable
Start small, measure the value, and gradually use these features for your most challenging builds.
Learn more
- Dynamic Intelligence - Complete guide to Extended Thinking and High Power
- Web Search - Full documentation on Web Search capabilities
- Agent billing - Pricing and cost management