# Smart Model Switching Glm

> Auto-route tasks to the cheapest z.ai (GLM) model that works correctly. Three-tier progression: Flash → Standard → Plus/32B. Classify before responding. FLASH (default): factual Q&A, greetings, reminders, status checks, lookups, simple file ops, heartbeats, casual chat, 1–2 sentence tasks, cron jobs. ESCALATE TO STANDARD: code >10 lines, analysis, comparisons, planning, reports, multi-step reasoning, tables, long writing >3 paragraphs, summarization, research synthesis, most user conversations. ESCALATE TO PLUS/32B: architecture decisions, complex debugging, multi-file refactoring, strategic planning, nuanced judgment, deep research, critical production decisions. Rule: If a human needs >30 seconds of focused thinking, escalate. If Standard struggles with complexity, go to Plus/32B. Save major API costs by starting cheap and escalating only when needed.

- Skill: `johnalbertini14-glitch/smart-model-switching-glm` (Agent Skill, multi-file: 2 files)
- Install (CLI): `npx skillmds@latest add johnalbertini14-glitch/smart-model-switching-glm`
- Raw SKILL.md: https://api.skillmd.com/api/skills/johnalbertini14-glitch/smart-model-switching-glm/raw
- Safety review: pending (external: skill-scanner PASS, skillspector PASS)
- Works with: Claude Code, Claude.ai, OpenAI Codex
- Category: AI & ML
- Author: johnalbertini14-glitch (https://skillmd.com/u/johnalbertini14-glitch)
- Updated: 2026-09-09
- Page: https://skillmd.com/skills/johnalbertini14-glitch/smart-model-switching-glm

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# 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.

---

## 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.

---

## 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.

---

## 💚 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

---

## 💛 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.**

---

## ❤️ 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

---

## 🔄 Implementation

### For Subagents
```javascript
// 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
pgsql
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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
less
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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.