How to Pin a Specific Model for One Project

Set a model per project so everyone on the repo gets consistent behavior without passing a flag each session.

6 minIntermediate

Visit Claude Code

Different models behave differently, so a repo where one person uses a fast model and another uses a heavier one gets inconsistent results. Pinning a model in project settings makes the choice part of the codebase, so every contributor and their agent run the same one.

What you need

A project with a settings file your tool reads
Agreement on which model the repo should use
About 5 minutes

Step 1: Decide where the setting lives

A personal setting follows you across every project; a project setting is committed and shared. To pin one repo for the whole team, use the project file.

File	Scope	Commit it?
User settings	All your projects	No
Project settings	This repo, shared	Yes
Local settings	This repo, just you	No

Step 2: Set the model in project settings

Add a model key to the committed project settings file. Now anyone who opens the repo inherits it automatically.

.claude/settings.json

{
  "model": "claude-opus-4-1"
}

Step 3: Confirm the effective value

Settings merge across layers, so check which value actually wins after the merge. The effective model should be the one you pinned.

Session - effective config

> /config

model: claude-opus-4-1 (from .claude/settings.json)

source order: user < project < local

The merged result confirms the pinned model is active.

Let individuals override locally

If someone needs a different model for a quick experiment, they can set it in their local settings, which beats the project file without changing what others get.

Result: the repo carries its own model choice, so results stay consistent no matter who is driving the agent.