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Claude Opus 4.6

Claude Opus 4.6 is the first Opus model with a context window of 1M tokens, introduces adaptive thinking for model-decided reasoning depth, supports interleaved thinking and tool calls in a single response, and delivers equal or better performance than fixed extended thinking across programming, analysis, and creative tasks.

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index.ts
import { streamText } from 'ai'


const result = streamText({
  model: 'anthropic/claude-opus-4.6',
  prompt: 'Why is the sky blue?',
  providerOptions: {
    anthropic: {
      speed: 'fast',
    },
    gateway: {
      only: ['anthropic'],
    },
  },
})
OverviewPlaygroundAboutProvidersThroughputLatencyUptimeStatusSimilarFAQ

What To Consider When Choosing a Provider

  • Configuration: Requests using the context window of 1M tokens generate much higher per-request token volumes than typical API calls. AI Gateway's cost tracking per request is especially important for budgeting large-context workloads.
  • Zero Data Retention: AI Gateway supports Zero Data Retention for this model via direct gateway requests (BYOK is not included). To configure this, check the documentation.
  • Authentication: AI Gateway authenticates requests using an API key or OIDC token. You do not need to manage provider credentials directly.

When to Use Claude Opus 4.6

Best For

  • Tasks requiring both Opus intelligence and massive context: Entire large codebases, extensive document sets, or long conversation histories where prior Opus models hit context limits
  • Agentic workflows with interleaved reasoning and tool use: Complex multi-step pipelines where reasoning about tool results before the next call improves outcomes
  • Workloads where adaptive thinking efficiency matters: Letting the model calibrate its own reasoning depth avoids over-spending thinking tokens on simpler requests in mixed workloads
  • Programming, analysis, and creative tasks: At Opus depth, the model was specifically described as excelling across all three categories
  • Agents handling real-world development lifecycle tasks: The announced strength area for this checkpoint

Consider Alternatives When

  • Primary cost constraint: Sonnet 4.6 approaches Opus-level intelligence at lower cost per token
  • Smaller context sufficient: Earlier Opus versions are available when the context window of 1M tokens isn't needed
  • Maximum speed required: Sonnet and Haiku variants serve latency-sensitive use cases better

Conclusion

Claude Opus 4.6 closes the context window gap between the Opus and Sonnet tiers while introducing adaptive thinking, a more efficient approach to reasoning that performs on par with or better than fixed thinking budgets. For teams that need Opus-level intelligence at massive context scale, this is the model.

Frequently Asked Questions

  • What is adaptive thinking and how does it differ from extended thinking?

    Adaptive thinking (thinking: { type: 'adaptive' }) lets the model decide when and how much to reason internally. Unlike extended thinking, you don't set a fixed thinking token budget. The model calibrates reasoning depth per request.

  • How is the context window of 1M tokens significant for Opus 4.6?

    This is the first Opus model to support 1M tokens. Previous Opus models had a 200K context limit. This enables Opus-level analysis of entire large codebases, extensive document collections, or long agent histories in a single request.

  • Can Opus 4.6 interleave thinking and tool calls in one response?

    Yes. Claude Opus 4.6 can interleave thinking and tool calls within a single response, reasoning about a problem, calling a tool, reasoning about the result, and calling another tool, all in one turn.

  • How do I configure adaptive thinking and effort together in the AI SDK?

    Under providerOptions.anthropic in the AI SDK, set thinking.type to adaptive and pass an effort level (for example, max). Set the model to anthropic/claude-opus-4.6.

  • Does the effort parameter work the same way in Opus 4.6 as in Opus 4.5?

    Yes, the effort parameter controls overall token usage across all token types, defaults to a high level, and operates independently of the thinking configuration. Both parameters can be set separately.

  • What real-world work is Opus 4.6 specifically designed to handle?

    Programming, analysis, and creative tasks across the development lifecycle. The hybrid reasoning architecture lets you use extended thinking for complex problems while keeping latency low for straightforward queries.

  • When was Opus 4.6 made available on AI Gateway?

    February 5, 2026.