Reasoning
Cumulus lets you control how deeply the AI thinks before responding. Choose a reasoning level to balance speed against thoroughness — from instant answers to multi-step analysis.
Reasoning levels
Click the sliders icon in the bottom-right of the chat input to open the settings panel. Under Reasoning, choose a level:
| Level | Description | Best for |
|---|---|---|
| Minimal | Faster responses | Quick questions, simple lookups, casual conversation |
| Low | Some reasoning | Everyday tasks, drafting, summarizing |
| Medium | Balanced depth | Multi-step problems, analysis, research |
| High | Deeper analysis | Complex technical questions, strategic decisions, reconciling multiple sources |
Your selection applies to the next message you send. The panel closes automatically after you choose.
The default is Minimal. The AI still provides thoughtful answers at this level — higher settings add explicit step-by-step reasoning before the response.
When to increase reasoning
Higher reasoning levels are most useful when:
- The question requires reconciling multiple documents or data sources
- You need the AI to show its work — visible reasoning steps in the thinking panel
- The problem has multiple valid approaches and you want the AI to evaluate trade-offs
- Accuracy matters more than speed
For simple questions (“What’s our refund policy?”), Minimal is best. For complex questions (“Compare our Q3 and Q4 results and recommend budget adjustments”), try Medium or High.
Reasoning visibility
Regardless of the level you choose, you can see the AI’s reasoning process in the thinking panel during generation. This shows what the AI is working through, what sources it’s pulling from, and tool call results as they happen.
Related
- AI Chat — the main chat interface
- Citations — see sources used in deep-reasoning responses
- Prompt Strategies — how to ask questions that get the best answers