> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://docs.laozhang.ai/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# Claude Fable 5.2 API: pricing, examples, and Fable 5.1 comparison

> Claude Fable 5.2 (claude-fable-5-2) on LaoZhang API costs 8 US dollars input and 40 output per 1M tokens, Anthropic's list price. Model ID, examples, and a Fable 5.1 comparison.

Claude Fable 5.2 is the model Anthropic released on November 9, 2026 for demanding reasoning and long-running agent work. LaoZhang API has offered `claude-fable-5-2` since November 10 at \$8 input and \$40 output per 1M tokens, the same as Anthropic's list price and 20% below Fable 5.1.

* **Published:** November 10, 2026
* **Last verified:** November 10, 2026
* **Status:** active; call it with a `Claude Code` or `default` group token

## Key details

| Item | Details |
| - | - |
| Model ID | `claude-fable-5-2` |
| Anthropic release | November 9, 2026 |
| Available on LaoZhang API | November 10, 2026 |
| Anthropic Messages endpoint | `POST https://api.laozhang.ai/v1/messages`, `Claude Code` token group |
| OpenAI-compatible endpoint | `POST https://api.laozhang.ai/v1/chat/completions`, `default` token group |
| Billing | Usage-based (per token), at Anthropic's list price |
| Context window | 1M tokens at one rate, with no long-context surcharge |
| Thinking | Always on; set the depth with `output_config.effort`, which defaults to `high` |

## Pricing

Prices from LaoZhang API's public pricing as of November 10, 2026, in US dollars per 1M tokens. They match [Anthropic's pricing page](https://platform.claude.com/docs/en/about-claude/pricing).

| Item | `claude-fable-5-2` |
| - | -: |
| Input | \$8 |
| Output, including thinking | \$40 |
| Cache read | \$0.2 |
| Cache write | \$10 |

* Thinking tokens are billed as output, so a higher `effort` usually means more output tokens.
* Check token usage and the charge for each request in [call logs](https://api.laozhang.ai/log).
* Current prices are in the [model catalog](https://docs.laozhang.ai/en/models.md#vendor-anthropic).

## Price comparison with Fable 5.1 and Opus 5.5

| Model | Input | Output | Cache read |
| - | -: | -: | -: |
| `claude-fable-5-2` | \$8 | \$40 | \$0.2 |
| `claude-fable-5-1` | \$10 | \$50 | \$0.25 |
| `claude-opus-5-5` | \$4 | \$20 | \$0.2 |

* Moving from Fable 5.1 to Fable 5.2 cuts input, output, and cache-read prices by 20%. The endpoints and token stay the same; only `model` changes.
* Against Opus 5.5, Fable 5.2 costs twice as much for input and output, with the same cache-read price. Keep Opus 5.5 for work it already handles, and compare both on your own samples for multistep reasoning and long agent runs.
* All three models have a 1M-token context window and are called the same way.

## Make a request

Create an API key in [Token management](https://api.laozhang.ai/token) with the Usage first (recommended) or Usage-based billing mode:

* For the Anthropic Messages format, including Claude Code and the Anthropic SDKs, choose the `Claude Code` token group.
* For the OpenAI-compatible format, choose the `default` token group.

```bash theme={null}
export LAOZHANG_CLAUDE_API_KEY="YOUR_CLAUDE_CODE_GROUP_KEY"
export LAOZHANG_API_KEY="YOUR_DEFAULT_GROUP_KEY"
```

For the Python example, run `python -m pip install anthropic` first.

> [tab] Anthropic Messages
>
> ```bash theme={null}
> curl https://api.laozhang.ai/v1/messages \
>   -H "Authorization: Bearer $LAOZHANG_CLAUDE_API_KEY" \
>   -H "anthropic-version: 2023-06-01" \
>   -H "content-type: application/json" \
>   -d '{
>     "model": "claude-fable-5-2",
>     "max_tokens": 2048,
>     "messages": [
>       {"role": "user", "content": "Explain a database index in three sentences."}
>     ]
>   }'
> ```

> [tab] Python (Anthropic SDK)
>
> ```python theme={null}
> import os
> from anthropic import Anthropic
>
> client = Anthropic(
>     api_key=os.environ["LAOZHANG_CLAUDE_API_KEY"],
>     base_url="https://api.laozhang.ai",
>     timeout=300.0,
>     max_retries=0,
> )
> message = client.messages.create(
>     model="claude-fable-5-2",
>     max_tokens=2048,
>     messages=[{"role": "user", "content": "Explain a database index in three sentences."}],
> )
> for block in message.content:
>     if block.type == "text":
>         print(block.text)
> ```

> [tab] OpenAI-compatible
>
> ```bash theme={null}
> curl https://api.laozhang.ai/v1/chat/completions \
>   -H "Authorization: Bearer $LAOZHANG_API_KEY" \
>   -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
>   -d '{
>     "model": "claude-fable-5-2",
>     "max_tokens": 2048,
>     "messages": [
>       {"role": "user", "content": "Explain a database index in three sentences."}
>     ]
>   }'
> ```

* In the Anthropic Messages format, the answer is in the `content[]` blocks of type `text`. The first block can be a thinking block, so loop over the blocks by type instead of reading `content[0].text`.
* In the OpenAI-compatible format, the answer is in `choices[0].message.content`.
* `max_tokens` covers thinking tokens too. If it is too small the reply is cut off with `stop_reason` `max_tokens`; the examples use 2048.

### Set the thinking depth

Thinking is always on for Fable 5.2. For faster, cheaper replies, add `output_config.effort` to a Messages request:

```bash theme={null}
curl https://api.laozhang.ai/v1/messages \
  -H "Authorization: Bearer $LAOZHANG_CLAUDE_API_KEY" \
  -H "anthropic-version: 2023-06-01" \
  -H "content-type: application/json" \
  -d '{
    "model": "claude-fable-5-2",
    "max_tokens": 2048,
    "output_config": {"effort": "low"},
    "messages": [
      {"role": "user", "content": "What is 17 times 23?"}
    ]
  }'
```

`effort` has five levels and defaults to `high`:

| Level | What it does |
| - | - |
| `low`, `medium` | Less thinking and fewer output tokens |
| `high` | The default |
| `xhigh`, `max` | More thinking for the hardest tasks, more output tokens |

## Request differences

Anthropic sets three request rules for Fable 5.2. Check each one when you move from another Claude model:

| Parameter | What to send |
| - | - |
| `thinking` | Omit it or send `{"type": "adaptive"}`; don't send `disabled` or `budget_tokens` |
| `temperature`, `top_p`, `top_k` | Leave them out |
| `tool_choice` | Use `auto`; forcing a named tool returns 400 |

Streaming, tool use, prompt caching, and image input work as they do for other Claude models; see the [Claude protocol](https://docs.laozhang.ai/en/api-reference/claude.md) reference. For how Claude models on LaoZhang API differ from Anthropic's own API, see [Claude model limits](https://docs.laozhang.ai/en/api-reference/claude.md#claude-model-limits).

## Who this affects

* **Applies to:** projects that call Claude models through LaoZhang API, and anyone using Claude Code or the Anthropic SDKs.
* **Unchanged:** no existing model changed. `claude-fable-5-1`, `claude-fable-5`, `claude-opus-5-5`, and the other Claude models keep working, and existing integrations need no changes.

## FAQ

### How much does the Claude Fable 5.2 API cost?

On LaoZhang API, `claude-fable-5-2` costs \$8 input, \$40 output, \$0.2 for cache reads, and \$10 for cache writes per 1M tokens, the same as Anthropic's list price (verified November 10, 2026). The rate is the same across the 1M-token context window.

### Should I switch from Fable 5.1 to Fable 5.2?

Fable 5.2 costs 20% less for input, output, and cache reads, and switching only means changing `model`. First check the three parameters in [Request differences](#request-differences), then compare quality and token usage on requests that represent your workload.

### What is the Claude Fable 5.2 model ID?

The model ID is `claude-fable-5-2` in both the Messages and the OpenAI-compatible format. There is no dated suffix.

### Why does a request that forces a tool with tool\_choice return 400?

Fable 5.2 can't be forced to call a named tool. Change `tool_choice` to `{"type": "auto"}` (`"auto"` in the OpenAI-compatible format) and name the tool you want in the prompt.

### How do I use Fable 5.2 in Claude Code?

Use a `Claude Code` group token and set the model ID in your configuration to `claude-fable-5-2`. The full setup is in [Claude Code setup with LaoZhang API](https://docs.laozhang.ai/en/scenarios/programming/claude-code.md).

## Sources and related links

* [Anthropic pricing](https://platform.claude.com/docs/en/about-claude/pricing): list prices and cache multipliers for Fable 5.2.
* [Claude Fable 5.2 model page](https://platform.claude.com/docs/en/models/fable-5-2/overview): release date, context window, thinking, and `effort` levels.
* [Claude API models and pricing](https://docs.laozhang.ai/en/announcements/claude-models-2026-10.md): every Claude model on LaoZhang API.
* [Claude protocol: Anthropic Messages API](https://docs.laozhang.ai/en/api-reference/claude.md)
* [Model catalog](https://docs.laozhang.ai/en/models.md#vendor-anthropic)
* [Latest announcements](https://docs.laozhang.ai/en/changelog.md)


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