> ## Documentation Index > Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://aidocs.ethanbragdon.icu/llms.txt > Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further. # Reasoning Modes > Understand how Starfire AI reasoning settings affect model behavior, latency, cost, and workload fit. # Reasoning modes Some Starfire models can spend additional compute on internal reasoning before producing the visible response. Reasoning configuration changes the tradeoff between speed, depth, and usage. ## When deeper reasoning helps Use higher reasoning effort for work such as: * complex debugging * multi-step architecture * difficult math or logic * constraint-heavy planning * codebase-wide changes * research synthesis Routine rewriting, simple extraction, or short factual questions often do not need the deepest mode. ## Reasoning is not verification A model can reason carefully and still begin from incomplete or incorrect information. Use search, Knowledge, validators, or source inspection when the answer must be grounded in external evidence. ## Latency and credits More reasoning can increase response latency and compute consumption. The exact credit effect is controlled by the current model and metering configuration. ## Tool-backed workflows FORGE, Research, and agent workflows can combine reasoning with tools. In those cases, model reasoning is one part of the process; validation, retrieval, or external sources can be more important than simply increasing reasoning effort. ## Availability Reasoning controls only appear for models and accounts that support them. A route without reasoning support cannot gain the capability because a prompt asks for it. Increase reasoning when the **problem is hard**, not merely because the output should be long.