---
title: Choosing an Effort Level | Tabstack
description: Every extract and generate request accepts an optional effort parameter that controls the tradeoff between speed and capability.
---

Every `/extract` and `/generate` request accepts an optional `effort` parameter. It controls the tradeoff between speed and capability; specifically, how hard Tabstack works to render and process the target page before extracting data.

---

## The three levels

| Level      | Speed  | What it does                                                                             |
| ---------- | ------ | ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
| `min`      | 1–5s   | Fetches raw HTML. No JavaScript execution. Use for static, server-rendered pages.        |
| `standard` | 3–15s  | Fetches with enhanced reliability and light JS handling. Default for all requests.       |
| `max`      | 15–60s | Full headless browser rendering. Executes JavaScript, waits for dynamic content to load. |

Default is `standard` when the parameter is omitted.

---

## When to use each level

### `min`: Fastest, static pages only

Use when:

- The page is server-rendered HTML (blogs, news sites, documentation)
- Speed matters and the content doesn’t require JavaScript to appear
- You’re running high-volume extractions and want lowest latency

Don’t use when:

- The page uses a JavaScript framework (React, Vue, Next.js, Angular)
- Content is loaded asynchronously after the initial HTML response
- You see empty fields or missing data with `standard`

* [TypeScript](#tab-panel-26)

```
const result = await client.extract.json({
  url: 'https://news.ycombinator.com', // Static HTML — min works fine
  effort: 'min',
  json_schema: { /* ... */ }
})
```

### `standard`: The default, works for most pages

Use when:

- You’re not sure what the page renders like
- You want reliable results without committing to full browser rendering time
- The page may have some JavaScript but its primary content is in the initial HTML

This is the right starting point. If results feel incomplete, move to `max`.

- [TypeScript](#tab-panel-27)

```
const result = await client.extract.json({
  url: 'https://example.com/products',
  // effort: 'standard' is the default — can be omitted
  json_schema: { /* ... */ }
})
```

### `max`: Full rendering, JS-heavy sites

Use when:

- The page is a Single Page Application (React, Vue, Angular, Next.js client-side)
- Content loads lazily or after user interaction
- Pricing tables, product listings, or data grids are rendered by JavaScript
- You’re getting empty fields with `standard`
- The page is behind a login with JS-rendered content after auth

* [TypeScript](#tab-panel-28)
* [Python](#tab-panel-29)

```
const result = await client.extract.json({
  url: 'https://app.example.com/dashboard',
  effort: 'max', // Wait for JS to fully render
  json_schema: { /* ... */ }
})
```

```
result = client.extract.json(
    url='https://example.com',
    json_schema={...},
    effort='max'
)
```

---

## Decision flow

```
Is the page server-rendered HTML with no JavaScript?
  └─ Yes → try 'min'
  └─ No or unsure → use 'standard' (default)


Are you getting empty fields or incomplete data?
  └─ Yes → upgrade to 'max'


Is the page a React/Vue/Angular SPA or loads content dynamically?
  └─ Yes → use 'max' from the start
```

---

## Cost and timeout notes

`max` uses full headless browser rendering. It consumes more compute than `min` or `standard`. If your target page consistently needs `max`, factor this into your per-request cost expectations.

Default request timeout is 60 seconds. `max` requests on complex SPAs can approach this limit on very slow pages. If you’re hitting timeouts, consider whether the page can be targeted more specifically with a starting URL or `nocache`.