--- id: bc4661be-3813-476c-8d76-7f89fe272407 blueprint: agent title: 'Agent Modes' updated_by: ac74a6d2-0226-45a6-aaa4-c33675b8ca76 updated_at: 1770672098 --- Global Agent offers three modes that balance speed and depth of analysis: Fast, Default, and Investigate. Choose the mode based on your question's complexity and how quickly you need an answer. ## Fast mode Fast mode delivers quick answers to straightforward questions in 2-10 seconds. ### When to use Fast mode Use Fast mode for: - Quick lookups and simple questions. - Reading data from existing charts without modifications. - Basic context queries (event names, properties, definitions). - Checking current metric values. - Simple comparisons on existing data. ### How Fast mode works Fast mode uses direct data queries with minimal exploration. It's limited to 2-4 tool calls and focuses on answering your immediate question. This mode performs minimal taxonomy exploration, which keeps responses fast but less comprehensive. ### Limitations Fast mode has several limitations: - It doesn't create new charts or complex analyses. - It's less thorough in exploring alternative interpretations. - It may not discover related insights. - It works best for straightforward, well-defined questions. ### Example questions for Fast mode - "What's the current DAU?" - "How many users are in this cohort?" - "What does this metric measure?" ## Default mode (recommended) Default mode is the recommended choice for most use cases. It balances speed with analytical depth, typically responding in 30-60 seconds. ### When to use Default mode Use Default mode for: - Most analytical questions. - Creating new charts and analyses. - Modifying existing charts (filters, segments, time ranges). - Multi-chart comparisons. - Questions requiring data exploration. - Understanding trends and patterns. ### How Default mode works Default mode balances speed with analytical depth. It uses 4-6 tool calls on average and searches for existing relevant work before creating new content. This mode can create charts, run queries, and explore your taxonomy while providing context-aware insights. ### Capabilities Default mode can: - Create new visualizations from natural language. - Modify chart parameters (metrics, intervals, segments). - Compare data across dimensions. - Discover and use relevant events and properties. - Suggest logical follow-up questions. ### Example questions for Default mode - "Show me weekly active users for the last quarter." - "Compare conversion rates between mobile and web." - "Why did retention drop last month?" - "Create a funnel from signup to first purchase." ## Investigate mode Investigate mode performs deep research on complex questions. It takes 4-5 minutes to deliver comprehensive analysis. ### When to use Investigate mode Use Investigate mode for: - Complex analytical investigations. - Root cause analysis. - Multi-dimensional trend analysis. - Anomaly investigation requiring extensive exploration. - Questions needing thorough, comprehensive research. - Strategic decision support. ### How Investigate mode works Investigate mode performs comprehensive, multi-step analysis using up to 10 or more tool calls. It conducts extensive taxonomy exploration, tests multiple hypotheses, explores data from multiple angles, and synthesizes findings into detailed insights. ### Capabilities Investigate mode can: - Deep-dive into complex patterns. - Explore multiple potential explanations. - Perform comprehensive segmentation analysis. - Identify non-obvious correlations. - Provide strategic recommendations. ### Trade-offs Investigate mode requires a longer response time (4-5 minutes). Use it sparingly for truly complex questions. Simple queries don’t require the same level of analysis that Investigation mode provides. ### Example questions for Investigate mode - "Conduct a deep analysis of why our conversion rate dropped 15% in Q3." - "Investigate what's driving the spike in churn among enterprise customers." - "Thoroughly analyze user engagement patterns across all platforms and segments." - "What are all the factors contributing to our retention improvement?" ### Mode comparison | Feature | Fast | Default | Investigate | | ---------------------- | -------- | --------- | ----------- | | Response time | 2-10 sec | 30-60 sec | 4-5 min | | Tool calls | 2-4 | 4-6 | 10+ | | Creates charts | No | Yes | Yes | | Searches existing work | Limited | Yes | Yes | | Taxonomy exploration | Minimal | Standard | Extensive | | Multi-step reasoning | No | Limited | Yes | | Hypothesis testing | No | Limited | Yes | ## Choosing the right mode Start with Default mode if you're unsure. It handles most questions and provides a good balance of speed and depth. ### Use Investigate mode when - Default mode's answer prompts deeper questions. - You need comprehensive analysis for important decisions. - The question involves "why" with multiple potential factors. - You're investigating unexpected changes or anomalies. ### Use Fast mode when - You just need a quick number or fact. - You're already looking at the right chart. - Time is critical and you need immediate answers. - The question is purely informational (no analysis needed). ### Decision guide Follow this decision process to choose the right mode: 1. **Is your question simple and factual?** - If yes, use Fast mode - If no, continue to step 2 2. **Does it require creating charts or moderate analysis?** - If yes, use Default mode - If no, continue to step 3 3. **Does it require deep investigation across multiple dimensions?** - If yes, use Investigate mode - If no, use Default mode (safest choice) ## How modes behave All modes share these characteristics: - They respect your current context (chart, dashboard, page). - They provide evidence-based answers with links to supporting data. - They follow your organization's AI context settings. You can switch modes mid-conversation if you need different depth. To improve efficiency, Amplitude recommends being intentional about using Investigate mode. Not every question requires the depth it provides.