Short answerSlowness comes from a large or slow model, very long prompts, big retrieved passages, tool calls and rate limits. Shorten the prompt, retrieve less, try a faster model and test again.
Likely causes
| Cause | Fix |
|---|---|
| Large, slow model | Try a smaller model for simple questions and retest quality |
| Long instructions | Shorten them |
| Too many retrieved passages | Retrieve fewer, tighter passages |
| Tool calls or web search | Only enable what you need |
| Rate limits | Check limits |
| Free preview models | A short free preview may be slower or busier than your own key |
Caching can also help: prompt caching. Speed and cost often improve together: reduce cost.
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