Test and Compare Models Using the Model Playground
Validated on 7 Nov 2025 • Last edited on 14 Nov 2025
DigitalOcean Gradient™ AI Platform lets you build fully-managed AI agents with knowledge bases for retrieval-augmented generation, multi-agent routing, guardrails, and more, or use serverless inference to make direct requests to popular foundation models.
The Model Playground provides an interface where you can test various foundation models, tweak model settings, and compare models. You can evaluate different models in the playground to see the types of jobs you can use them for. You can optionally use a suitable model to create an AI agent.
To open the playground from the control panel, select Agent Platform in the left-hand menu. In the Get Started tab of the Gradient AI Platform page, click Explore the Model Playground.
Test Models
To test a foundation model, on the Model Playground page, select a model from the dropdown list and ask some questions to the model. Enter your question in the Type your message text box. To learn the best practices for how to write questions for the model, see Best Practices for Prompt Writing. Once the model responds, review the answer’s length, style, and speed.
If the model responds with too much text or you want more variability in the responses, you can change the model settings. Click the settings icon to change the following model settings:
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Max Tokens: Defines the maximum output tokens a model processes. For model-specific details, see the models page.
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Temperature: Controls the model’s creativity, specified as a number between 0 and 1. Lower values produce more predictable and conservative responses, while higher values encourage creativity and variation. Values are rounded to the nearest hundredth. For example, if you enter a value of
0.255, the value is rounded to0.26. -
Top P: Defines the cumulative probability threshold for word selection, specified as a number between 0 and 1. Higher values allow for more diverse outputs, while lower values ensure focused and coherent responses. Values are rounded to the nearest hundredth. For example, if you enter a value of
0.255, the value is rounded to0.26.
Next, evaluate the model responses and if needed, continue to iteratively change the model settings.
Compare Models
To compare different foundation models, on the Model Playground page, click Compare Another Model to open the comparison view. Select a model from the dropdown list and toggle the Sync Inputs option. In the text box, enter your question and press Enter. Compare the model responses and metrics, and if needed, iteratively change the model settings.