What is MCP Tool Search Auto Mode?

Introduced in version 2.1.7, it automatically defers loading MCP tool descriptions if they take up more than 10% of the context, saving significant space and cost.

How does selective file reading reduce costs?

By using specific @ file mentions or line ranges instead of reading entire directories, you significantly reduce the input tokens Claude must process, lowering the session cost.

When should I use /compact versus /clear?

Use /compact when context is over 70% full but you want to continue the same task. Use /clear when switching to an unrelated task or when you want to reset costs to zero.

How can I check my current session costs in Claude Code?

You can use the /cost command to view your current session's input and output token counts, the estimated cost, and the percentage of context window used.

Which Claude model is best for cost-effective coding?

Claude Haiku is approximately 15x cheaper than Opus and is ideal for simple tasks, file exploration, and basic edits. Sonnet is the balanced default for general development.

Claude Cost Optimization

Name: Claude Cost Optimization
Author: hgeldenhuys

byhgeldenhuys

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Productivity & Workflow

Minimizes Claude Code API expenditures through strategic token management, model selection, and usage monitoring.

The Cost Optimization skill provides a comprehensive framework for managing and reducing API spend while using Claude Code. It empowers developers to monitor real-time token usage via the /cost command, analyze historical spending with /stats, and implement high-impact reduction strategies like context compacting and selective file reading. By matching tasks to the most cost-effective models—Haiku, Sonnet, or Opus—and leveraging automatic MCP tool optimization, this skill ensures that development workflows remain efficient and budget-friendly without sacrificing output quality.

Key Features

011 GitHub stars

02Real-time session cost and token monitoring via the /cost command

03Historical usage analysis and model distribution tracking with /stats

04Strategic context management using /compact and /clear operations

05Model selection guidance to balance performance and price for specific tasks

06Automated MCP tool deferral to preserve context window space

Use Cases

01Prototyping and file exploration using low-cost models like Claude Haiku

02Managing large-scale refactors where context window growth can lead to high costs

03Auditing and controlling developer API budgets through session tracking

What are Skills?·How to Install

Install with 🐟 Skill.Fish

npx skillfish add hgeldenhuys/claude-code-sdk cost-optimization

For use in Claude.ai and ChatGPT

Download Skill