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Embedder picks a model for each chat. You can switch to another model at any time, or pin a default for a project.

Choose a model

  • VS Code: select the model control in the chat composer. It shows the current group, Fast or Thinking, or Models when your models aren’t grouped, and its tooltip reads Choose model. Choose a group to switch to its model, or select the arrow beside a group to pick a model from its list. You can also run /model or the Embedder: Switch Model command, which list each model by name with its provider beside it.
  • Terminal UI: run /model to open Select Model. Each model shows its provider in parentheses after the name.
/model appears when more than one model is available.

Set a default model for a project

To select a particular model whenever a project opens, create .embedder/models.json in the project root:
.embedder/models.json
The value is the provider and the model name, separated by /. Copy both exactly as /model lists them, including case: a model the terminal UI lists as model-name (provider) is provider/model-name. If you’re not sure of the exact name, choose the model with /model and leave main unset. To choose models for subagents, add subagents with a subagent type, or default for every type you don’t list:
.embedder/models.json
inherit makes that subagent type use Embedder’s usual choice. To apply the same defaults to every project, put the file in ~/.embedder/models.json. The project file takes precedence for each setting it includes. In a project file, set main to "inherit" to ignore a global default and use ordinary model selection. Removing main from the project file falls back to the global file, if there is one. A default does not make a model available. If the pinned model is not available to you, Embedder ignores it and selects a model as usual. A pinned main model applies each time the project opens, so a model you choose with /model lasts until the next start. Reopen the project after you change the file, then check the selected model. If the expected model is not selected, check the JSON syntax and the exact provider and model name. Embedder ignores a file with invalid JSON or an invalid value.
Last modified on November 13, 2026