Characteristics of the process of self-propagating high-temperature synthesis (SHS) to foil with multilayer structure based on elements, capable of formation of intermetallic compounds, are determined by many thermodynamic and structural parameters. This significantly complicates the possibility of prediction of the features of SHS reaction running in them at the change of the foil structure and chemical composition. In the study, analysis of effectiveness of these parameters influence on SHS reaction front temperature and velocity in multilayer foil was performed within the framework of a phenomenological model. It is shown that the velocity of SHS front propagation and heat generation intensity nonmonotonically depend on structural parameters. In the case of Ni/Al multilayer foil, structural parameters were established, for which maximum values of heat generation intensity are reached in the foil in SHS process, and the method for their determination was proposed. 8 Ref., 1 Table, 11 Figures.