feat(mothership): keep each chat's reasoning effort, default to medium, restore Low

The simple picker offers Low / Medium / High / Extra High again, each sending
exactly that effort. New chats and chats never changed run at medium instead
of high. An effort the user picks is stored on the chat (copilot_chats.config)
through a new PUT /api/mothership/chats/[chatId]/effort and at turn admission,
and later turns of that chat keep it. The global last-used effort is no longer
persisted. The Sim Chat block defaults to medium.

Author: waleedlatif1

apps/sim/app/api/copilot/chat/queries.ts

@@ -12,6 +12,7 @@ import {
   readLiveTurnSnapshot,
 } from '@/lib/mothership/chat/live-turn-snapshot'
 import { normalizeMessage } from '@/lib/mothership/chat/persisted-message'
+import type { MothershipEffort } from '@/lib/mothership/model-options'
 import {
   authenticateCopilotRequestSessionOnly,
   createBadRequestResponse,
@@ -32,6 +33,7 @@ function transformChat(chat: {
   model: string | null
   messages: unknown
   config?: unknown
+  effort?: MothershipEffort | null
   conversationId?: string | null
   resources?: unknown
   createdAt: Date | null
@@ -44,6 +46,7 @@ function transformChat(chat: {
     messages: Array.isArray(chat.messages) ? chat.messages : [],
     messageCount: Array.isArray(chat.messages) ? chat.messages.length : 0,
     config: chat.config || null,
+    effort: chat.effort ?? null,
     ...('conversationId' in chat ? { activeStreamId: chat.conversationId || null } : {}),
     ...('resources' in chat
       ? { resources: Array.isArray(chat.resources) ? chat.resources : [] }

apps/sim/app/api/mothership/chats/[chatId]/effort/route.ts

@@ -0,0 +1,23 @@
+import { setMothershipChatEffortContract } from '@/lib/api/contracts/mothership-chats'
+import {
+  defineInternalJsonRoute,
+  internalJsonPresenters,
+  internalOrchestrationErrorPolicy,
+  internalRateLimits,
+  internalSessionAuth,
+} from '@/lib/api/server/routes'
+import { setChatEffort } from '@/lib/mothership/chat/application/set-effort'
+
+/** Records the reasoning effort the owner picked for one of their chats. */
+export const PUT = defineInternalJsonRoute({
+  contract: setMothershipChatEffortContract,
+  operation: setChatEffort.operation,
+  auth: internalSessionAuth,
+  rateLimit: internalRateLimits.none({
+    reason: 'Personal chat settings updates have no separate rate bucket.',
+  }),
+  errorPolicy: internalOrchestrationErrorPolicy,
+  mapInput: ({ params, body }) => ({ chatId: params.chatId, effort: body.effort }),
+  useCase: setChatEffort,
+  present: internalJsonPresenters.withSuccess,
+})

apps/sim/app/api/mothership/chats/[chatId]/route.ts

@@ -94,6 +94,7 @@ export const GET = withRouteHandler(
           messages: effectiveMessages,
           activeStreamId: liveStreamId,
           resources: Array.isArray(chat.resources) ? chat.resources : [],
+          effort: chat.effort,
           createdAt: chat.createdAt,
           updatedAt: chat.updatedAt,
           // Events stay out of the payload (the resume endpoint replays them),

apps/sim/app/o/[organizationId]/home/components/composer/composer.test.tsx

@@ -102,10 +102,7 @@ let queryClient: QueryClient
 
 beforeEach(() => {
   mocks.advanced = false
-  useMothershipEffortStore.setState({
-    effort: 'high',
-    modelSelection: { model: 'gpt-6-astra', fastMode: false },
-  })
+  useMothershipEffortStore.getState().reset()
   mocks.plan = false
   vi.clearAllMocks()
   mocks.workspaces = [

apps/sim/app/workspace/[workspaceId]/home/components/user-input/components/model-selector.tsx

@@ -11,12 +11,18 @@ import { Brain, Check, Sparkles } from '@sim/emcn/icons'
 import {
   MOTHERSHIP_MODEL_OPTIONS,
   MOTHERSHIP_SIMPLE_EFFORT_OPTIONS,
+  type MothershipEffort,
   mothershipEffortOptions,
   resolveMothershipModelSettings,
 } from '@/lib/mothership/model-options'
+import { useChatSurface } from '@/app/workspace/[workspaceId]/home/components/chat-surface-context'
 import { FastModeToggle } from '@/app/workspace/[workspaceId]/home/components/user-input/components/fast-mode-toggle'
 import { ModelSettingTrigger } from '@/app/workspace/[workspaceId]/home/components/user-input/components/model-setting-trigger'
 import { useFeatureFlag } from '@/app/workspace/[workspaceId]/providers/feature-flags-provider'
+import {
+  useMothershipChatHistory,
+  useSetMothershipChatEffort,
+} from '@/hooks/queries/mothership-chats'
 import { useMothershipEffortStore } from '@/stores/mothership-effort/store'
 
 /** Model, reasoning effort, and Fast mode for Build chat composers. */
@@ -25,15 +31,23 @@ export function ModelSelector() {
   const selection = useMothershipEffortStore((state) => state.modelSelection)
   const setModel = useMothershipEffortStore((state) => state.setModel)
   const setFastMode = useMothershipEffortStore((state) => state.setFastMode)
-  const storedEffort = useMothershipEffortStore((state) => state.effort)
+  const { chatId } = useChatSurface()
+  const { data: chatHistory } = useMothershipChatHistory(chatId)
+  const newChatEffort = useMothershipEffortStore((state) => state.newChatEffort)
+  const setNewChatEffort = useMothershipEffortStore((state) => state.setNewChatEffort)
+  const { mutate: setChatEffort } = useSetMothershipChatEffort()
+  const effortChoice = chatId ? chatHistory?.effort : newChatEffort
   const { effort, modelSelection } = resolveMothershipModelSettings(
-    { effort: storedEffort, modelSelection: selection },
+    { effort: effortChoice ?? undefined, modelSelection: selection },
     advanced
   )
   const options = advanced
     ? mothershipEffortOptions(modelSelection.model)
     : MOTHERSHIP_SIMPLE_EFFORT_OPTIONS
-  const setEffort = useMothershipEffortStore((state) => state.setEffort)
+  const setEffort = (choice: MothershipEffort) => {
+    if (chatId) setChatEffort({ chatId, effort: choice })
+    else setNewChatEffort(choice)
+  }
   const effortLabel = options.find((option) => option.value === effort)?.label ?? effort
   const modelLabel =
     MOTHERSHIP_MODEL_OPTIONS.find((option) => option.value === modelSelection.model)?.label ??

apps/sim/app/workspace/[workspaceId]/home/hooks/use-chat.ts

@@ -3681,6 +3681,12 @@ export function useChat(
             ? {}
             : await getDesktopChatCapabilities(desktopScopeIdRef.current)
 
+        // Sent only when picked; otherwise the server uses the chat's stored pick or the default.
+        const effortChoice = requestChatId
+          ? queryClient.getQueryData<MothershipChatHistory>(
+              mothershipChatKeys.detail(requestChatId)
+            )?.effort
+          : useMothershipEffortStore.getState().newChatEffort
         const response = await fetch(apiPathRef.current, {
           method: 'POST',
           headers: { 'Content-Type': 'application/json' },
@@ -3707,10 +3713,11 @@ export function useChat(
             userTimezone: Intl.DateTimeFormat().resolvedOptions().timeZone,
             ...(options?.requestMode !== 'assistant'
               ? {
-                  ...resolveMothershipModelSettings(
+                  modelSelection: resolveMothershipModelSettings(
                     useMothershipEffortStore.getState(),
                     modelSelectorEnabled
-                  ),
+                  ).modelSelection,
+                  ...(effortChoice ? { effort: effortChoice } : {}),
                 }
               : {}),
           }),
@@ -3727,6 +3734,13 @@ export function useChat(
           return consumedByTranscript
         }
         if (admittedChatId && !requestChatId) {
+          if (effortChoice) {
+            queryClient.setQueryData<MothershipChatHistory>(
+              mothershipChatKeys.detail(admittedChatId),
+              (current) => current && { ...current, effort: effortChoice }
+            )
+            useMothershipEffortStore.getState().setNewChatEffort(null)
+          }
           requestChatId = admittedChatId
           streamTargetChatId = admittedChatId
           adoptResolvedChatId(admittedChatId, { replaceHomeHistory: true, invalidateList: true })

apps/sim/blocks/blocks/mothership.ts

@@ -1,5 +1,9 @@
 import { Blimp } from '@sim/emcn/icons'
-import { MOTHERSHIP_EFFORT_OPTIONS, MOTHERSHIP_MODEL_OPTIONS } from '@/lib/mothership/model-options'
+import {
+  DEFAULT_MOTHERSHIP_EFFORT,
+  MOTHERSHIP_EFFORT_OPTIONS,
+  MOTHERSHIP_MODEL_OPTIONS,
+} from '@/lib/mothership/model-options'
 import type { BlockConfig } from '@/blocks/types'
 
 export const MothershipBlock: BlockConfig = {
@@ -45,7 +49,7 @@ export const MothershipBlock: BlockConfig = {
       title: 'Reasoning Effort',
       type: 'dropdown',
       options: MOTHERSHIP_EFFORT_OPTIONS.map(({ value, label }) => ({ id: value, label })),
-      value: () => 'high',
+      value: () => DEFAULT_MOTHERSHIP_EFFORT,
     },
     {
       id: 'fastMode',

apps/sim/executor/handlers/mothership/mothership-handler.ts

@@ -29,6 +29,7 @@ import { assertValidMcpServerToolBindings, MCP_SERVER_ADVANCED_TOOL_TYPE } from
 import { resolveMcpToolBinding } from '@/lib/mcp/tool-binding'
 import { resolveMothershipConversation } from '@/lib/mothership/conversation-id'
 import { ChatPayloadSchema, ModelSelectionSchema } from '@/lib/mothership/generated/protocol'
+import { DEFAULT_MOTHERSHIP_EFFORT } from '@/lib/mothership/model-options'
 import { normalizeSecretMountPolicy } from '@/lib/mothership/secret-mount-policy'
 import {
   areModelSafeWorkspaceFileKeys,
@@ -971,7 +972,7 @@ export class MothershipBlockHandler implements BlockHandler {
       model: inputs.model ?? 'gpt-6-astra',
       fastMode: inputs.model === 'claude-opus-5' ? false : (inputs.fastMode ?? false),
     })
-    const effort = ChatPayloadSchema.shape.effort.parse(inputs.effort ?? 'high')
+    const effort = ChatPayloadSchema.shape.effort.parse(inputs.effort ?? DEFAULT_MOTHERSHIP_EFFORT)
     const body: Record<string, unknown> = {
       messages,
       useConversationHistory: true,

apps/sim/hooks/queries/mothership-chats.ts

@@ -20,12 +20,15 @@ import {
   type MothershipChatScope,
   markMothershipChatReadContract,
   restoreMothershipChatContract,
+  type SetMothershipChatEffortBody,
+  setMothershipChatEffortContract,
   updateMothershipChatContract,
 } from '@/lib/api/contracts/mothership-chats'
 import { mothershipResourceSchema } from '@/lib/api/contracts/mothership-resources'
 import { suspendDesktopChatScopes } from '@/lib/desktop/chat-scope'
 import type { PersistedMessage } from '@/lib/mothership/chat/persisted-message'
 import { normalizeMessage } from '@/lib/mothership/chat/persisted-message'
+import type { MothershipEffort } from '@/lib/mothership/model-options'
 import {
   type FilePreviewSession,
   isFilePreviewSession,
@@ -53,6 +56,8 @@ export interface MothershipChatHistory {
   messages: PersistedMessage[]
   activeStreamId: string | null
   resources: MothershipResource[]
+  /** The effort the user picked for this chat; null or absent while it follows the default. */
+  effort?: MothershipEffort | null
   streamSnapshot?: {
     events: StreamBatchEvent[]
     previewSessions: FilePreviewSession[]
@@ -200,6 +205,7 @@ function parseChatHistory(value: unknown): MothershipChatHistory {
     messages: normalizeMessages(chat.messages),
     activeStreamId: chat.activeStreamId,
     resources: parseResources(chat.resources, `${chatContext}.resources`),
+    effort: getMothershipChatResponseSchema.shape.chat.shape.effort.parse(chat.effort ?? null),
     streamSnapshot: parseStrictStreamSnapshot(chat.streamSnapshot, `${chatContext}.streamSnapshot`),
   }
 }
@@ -581,6 +587,43 @@ export function useSetMothershipChatPinned(owner?: MothershipChatOwner) {
   })
 }
 
+async function setChatEffort({
+  chatId,
+  effort,
+}: SetMothershipChatEffortBody & { chatId: string }): Promise<void> {
+  await requestJson(setMothershipChatEffortContract, {
+    params: { chatId },
+    body: { effort },
+  })
+}
+
+/**
+ * Records the effort the user picked for a chat, shown immediately. Success needs no
+ * refetch: the server stores exactly the picked value, and refetching the detail would
+ * reload the whole transcript, possibly mid-stream.
+ */
+export function useSetMothershipChatEffort() {
+  const queryClient = useQueryClient()
+  return useMutation({
+    mutationFn: setChatEffort,
+    onMutate: async ({ chatId, effort }) => {
+      const queryKey = mothershipChatKeys.detail(chatId)
+      const previousEffort = queryClient.getQueryData<MothershipChatHistory>(queryKey)?.effort
+      queryClient.setQueryData<MothershipChatHistory>(
+        queryKey,
+        (current) => current && { ...current, effort }
+      )
+      return { previousEffort }
+    },
+    onError: (_error, { chatId }, context) => {
+      queryClient.setQueryData<MothershipChatHistory>(
+        mothershipChatKeys.detail(chatId),
+        (current) => current && { ...current, effort: context?.previousEffort }
+      )
+    },
+  })
+}
+
 async function forkChat(params: {
   chatId: string
   upToMessageId: string

apps/sim/lib/api/contracts/mothership-chats.ts

@@ -39,6 +39,14 @@ export const mothershipChatParamsSchema = z.object({
   chatId: z.string().min(1),
 })
 
+/** The effort the user picked for a chat; null while the chat follows the default. */
+const mothershipChatEffortChoiceSchema = ChatPayloadSchema.shape.effort.unwrap().nullable()
+
+const setMothershipChatEffortBodySchema = z.object({
+  effort: ChatPayloadSchema.shape.effort.unwrap(),
+})
+export type SetMothershipChatEffortBody = z.input<typeof setMothershipChatEffortBodySchema>
+
 export const updateMothershipChatBodySchema = z
   .object({
     title: z.string().trim().min(1).max(200).optional(),
@@ -309,6 +317,19 @@ export const updateMothershipChatContract = defineRouteContract({
   },
 })
 
+export const setMothershipChatEffortContract = defineRouteContract({
+  method: 'PUT',
+  path: '/api/mothership/chats/[chatId]/effort',
+  params: mothershipChatParamsSchema,
+  body: setMothershipChatEffortBodySchema,
+  response: {
+    mode: 'json',
+    schema: z.object({
+      success: z.literal(true),
+    }),
+  },
+})
+
 export const deleteMothershipChatContract = defineRouteContract({
   method: 'DELETE',
   path: '/api/mothership/chats/[chatId]',
@@ -399,6 +420,7 @@ export const getMothershipChatResponseSchema = z.object({
       messages: z.array(z.unknown()),
       activeStreamId: z.string().nullable(),
       resources: z.array(z.unknown()),
+      effort: mothershipChatEffortChoiceSchema,
       createdAt: z.union([z.string(), z.date()]).nullable().optional(),
       updatedAt: z.union([z.string(), z.date()]).nullable().optional(),
       streamSnapshot: mothershipChatStreamSnapshotSchema.optional(),