Clay makes auto-mode the default model setting for Claygent

Clay introduced auto-mode for Claygent, the AI research agent that searches the web to answer plain-language prompts inside Clay tables and workflows. Auto-mode is now the default for new Claygent columns, new workflow nodes and testing in Claygent Builder. Instead of running every row on one user-selected model, a router picks a model per task, weighing predicted answer quality against cost. Clay says the router was post-trained with Applied Compute and runs on that company's AC2 platform, and that auto-mode cost 47% less than using the most capable model for every task on production traffic.

The details

• Auto-mode is the default for new Claygent columns, new workflow nodes and Claygent Builder testing.
• Existing Claygents and their duplicates keep the model they use today; users can switch any column or node to a specific model.
• There is no extra charge for auto-mode; customers pay for the model that runs each task.
• Clay says each routing decision takes under a second and the router handles hundreds of millions of queries a month.
• The router enforces a quality floor for each task category, according to the company.
• Clay recommends testing auto-mode on a sample of 5 to 10 rows to estimate cost for large tables.

Context

The release follows a run of Clay announcements in the fall of 2026. Clay raised a $115M Series D at a $7.1B valuation on September 9, 2026, made its Sequencer cold email product generally available on September 1, and previewed agent-led building, Workflows and an Inbound SDR Agent at its Sculpt event on October 8. Auto-mode applies to Claygent inside both tables and the Workflows product.

Not disclosed

• Which specific models auto-mode can route to.
• Per-task credit pricing for the models in the routing pool.
• How the 47% cost comparison was measured beyond production traffic, and over what period.
• Whether customers can restrict the set of models auto-mode may choose.