{"version":"2.1.236","anchor":"anthropic-default-model-sets-the-model-when-nothing-else-doe","canonical_anchor":"anthropic-default-model-sets-the-model-when-nothing-else-doe","heading":"ANTHROPIC_DEFAULT_MODEL sets the model when nothing else does","tier":"use","area":"Models","scope":null,"heads_up":null,"url":"https:\/\/changelogs.core-directive.com\/v\/2.1.236\/e\/anthropic-default-model-sets-the-model-when-nothing-else-doe","release_url":"https:\/\/changelogs.core-directive.com\/v\/2.1.236","markdown":"### `ANTHROPIC_DEFAULT_MODEL` sets the model when nothing else does\n\nSet ANTHROPIC_DEFAULT_MODEL and it becomes your model whenever no flag or ANTHROPIC_MODEL applies.\n\n**What**\n\nThe model for a session now resolves from the `--model` flag, then the `ANTHROPIC_MODEL` environment variable, then `ANTHROPIC_DEFAULT_MODEL`, and only then the model Claude Code ships with. An organisation or a shell profile that exports the variable will see it take effect in sessions that previously fell through to the built-in default, and the model list marks the choice so you can tell where it came from.\n\n**Details**\n\n- The model list shows the footnote \"Set by ANTHROPIC_DEFAULT_MODEL\" against the model the variable selected.\n- The literal values `default` and `inherit` are treated as unset, so resolution continues past them to the shipped default.\n- Startup telemetry records `ANTHROPIC_DEFAULT_MODEL` in its own field, separate from the existing `ANTHROPIC_MODEL` field.\n- On Amazon Bedrock and Google Vertex, the check for whether Opus is available to the account is skipped whenever the variable is set.\n- Sandboxed child processes spawned for bring-your-own-cloud setups have `ANTHROPIC_DEFAULT_MODEL` stripped from their environment, matching the existing handling of `ANTHROPIC_MODEL`.\n- Invoke it inline for a single session, for example `ANTHROPIC_DEFAULT_MODEL=claude-sonnet-4-5 claude`.\n\n**Evidence**\n\n`Set by ANTHROPIC_DEFAULT_MODEL`, `t.model || process.env.ANTHROPIC_MODEL || V.ANTHROPIC_DEFAULT_MODEL`\n\n- Area: Models\n- Names: `ANTHROPIC_DEFAULT_MODEL`, `ANTHROPIC_MODEL`, `--model`\n- Tier: Use it now\n- Useful: 5\/5\n- Signal: 3\/5"}