Model Routing (Task-Based)
Model routing automatically selects the best model for each task type based on the content of the request. This lets you use a powerful model for complex reasoning while routing simpler tasks to a faster, cheaper model.
Brains / Muscles architecture
ClawCentral uses a Brains / Muscles model:
- Brains — the primary model for complex, reasoning-heavy tasks (planning, coding, analysis). Default: your configured primary model.
- Muscles — a secondary model for fast, straightforward execution tasks (formatting, lookups, simple transforms). Default: a faster/cheaper model.
The agent selects which model to use based on the detected task type, without any manual intervention.
Task routing categories
| Task type | Description | Default model |
|---|---|---|
planning | Architectural decisions, multi-step plans | Brains |
coding | Writing, reviewing, or debugging code | Brains |
research | Web search, information gathering, summarization | Brains |
creative | Writing, brainstorming, generation tasks | Brains |
execution | Running tools, formatting output, simple lookups | Muscles |
Routing heuristic
Routing is determined by a smart heuristic that analyzes the message content:
- Keywords and phrasing patterns signal the task type (e.g., "write a function", "what is", "format this").
- Tool calls in progress shift routing toward execution.
- Ambiguous requests default to Brains to avoid degrading quality.
Configure task routing
Task routing is configured in Admin UI → Agents → [agent name] → Task Routing.
Settings:
- Enable task routing — toggle on/off (off means all tasks use the primary model)
- Brains model — model for planning, coding, research, creative tasks
- Muscles model — model for execution tasks
- Per-task override — pin a specific model to any task category
Example: Use claude-opus-4-5 as Brains and claude-haiku-4-5 as Muscles. Coding tasks go to Opus; tool-execution tasks go to Haiku. Both share the same BYOK API key.
Why use task routing?
- Cost — execution tasks don't need the most expensive model.
- Speed — Muscles responses are faster, improving perceived latency for simple turns.
- Quality — critical reasoning still uses your highest-capability model.
Notes
- Task routing is per-agent. Different agents can use different routing configs.
- BYOK API keys apply to both Brains and Muscles; both must be supported by the configured provider.
- Streaming works the same regardless of which model is selected.
- If the Muscles model is unavailable, routing falls back to Brains automatically.
Related
- Model providers — configure BYOK keys.
- Model failover — automatic failover on model errors.
- Agents — agent configuration overview.