Anthropic Token Optimizer

Minimize Anthropic API costs without sacrificing quality. Focus on cache read reduction — the #1 cost driver for long sessions with Opus.

Anthropic Pricing Reference

(per MTok — multiply by millions of tokens)

Key insight: Cache read = context_size × num_turns. 200k context × 50 turns on Opus = ~$15 just cache reads.

Part 1: Config Optimizations (openclaw.json)

1. Compaction model — use cheaper model (highest ROI ✅)

"compaction": {
  "mode": "safeguard",
  "model": "anthropic/claude-sonnet-4-20250514"
}

Sonnet summarizes at 5x less cost than Opus. Quality comparable for summaries.

2. Context pruning — trim old tool results

"contextPruning": { "mode": "cache-ttl", "ttl": "1h" }

3. Cache retention — keep "long"

"params": { "cacheRetention": "long", "context1m": true }

"long" = fewer cache writes ($18.75/MTok on Opus!). Don't switch to "default".

4. Cache TTL heartbeat alignment

Anthropic cache expires after ~1h idle. Heartbeat at 55min keeps it warm:

"heartbeat": { "every": "55m" }

Prevents expensive cache re-writes when agent resumes after idle.

5. Bootstrap size limits — cap workspace injection

"bootstrapMaxChars": 8000,
"bootstrapTotalMaxChars": 30000

Check current injection: /context list. Prevents oversized files from inflating every turn.

Part 2: Workspace Hygiene (biggest long-term win)

File budgets

Reduction tactics

• Merge redundant files (IDENTITY.md + USER.md → SOUL.md)
• Move non-essential docs to subfolders (docs/, notes/) — not auto-injected
• Collapse exploration into decisions: keep "what we decided", delete "how we got here"
• Prune ghost context: references to old paths, removed tools, fixed bugs
• Deduplicate: info in SOUL.md shouldn't repeat in MEMORY.md or AGENTS.md

Daily memory rules

Write: decisions + why (1 line), new tools/config, lessons, user preferences.

Skip: exploration steps, command outputs, things already in MEMORY.md, delivered content.

Format: Bullets, not paragraphs. One fact per line.

Part 3: Behavioral Patterns

6. /compact after each topic (most effective manual action)

/compact Focus on [topic summary]

7. /new when switching topics entirely

Context resets to 0. Don't carry 200k into unrelated work.

8. Subagents for tool-heavy work

Spawn subagents (cheaper model) for: codebase grep, reading 5+ files, research/web fetch. Tool results stay isolated.

9. Tool output discipline

• Truncate: | head -20, | jq '.key'
• Request only needed fields from APIs
• Never paste full JSON when you need one value
• Output >50 lines → summarize, don't quote

10. File loading discipline

• Startup: only today + yesterday memory files
• Read SKILL.md only when task needs that skill
• Don't re-read files already in context

Part 4: Context Budgeting

Information partitioning

Compaction survival

Before compaction hits, critical state must be captured:

1. WAL Protocol: On corrections, decisions, specific values → write to SESSION-STATE.md before responding
2. Working buffer: At 60%+ context → append exchange summaries to memory/working-buffer.md
3. Recovery: After compaction, read buffer + session state first. Never ask "where were we?"

Session lifespan

After 85% context or 3+ compactions → start fresh with /new. Good MEMORY.md means minimal context loss.

Part 5: Codebase Map Caching (Atris Pattern)

Problem: Every code review or exploration session re-reads the same files, burning tokens on repeated grep/read calls. A 500-file project can cost 50k+ tokens just for navigation.

Solution: Generate a persistent codebase map (atris/MAP.md) once, reuse across sessions.

Setup (one-time per project)

# Install atris skill
npx clawhub@latest install atris

# Or manually: create atris/ folder in project root, then scan
rg "^(export|function|class|const|def |async def |router\.|app\.)" \
  --line-number -g "!node_modules" -g "!.git" -g "!dist" -g "!.env*"

MAP.md structure

# MAP.md — [Project] Navigation Guide
> Last updated: YYYY-MM-DD

## Quick Reference
- `src/index.ts:1` — App entry point
- `src/routes/auth.ts:15` — POST /login handler
- `src/models/user.ts:8` — User schema

### Feature: Authentication
- **Entry:** `src/auth/login.ts:45-89` (handleLogin)
- **Validation:** `src/auth/validate.ts:12` (validateToken)
- **Routes:** `src/routes/auth.ts:5-28`

### Feature: Billing
- **Controller:** `src/controllers/billing.ts:20`
- **Service:** `src/services/stripe.ts:1-45`

MAP-first rule

Before searching codebase:

1. Read atris/MAP.md — found? Go directly to file:line
2. Not found? Search with rg, then add result to MAP.md

Map gets smarter every session. Never let a discovery go unrecorded.

Keeping fresh

• New file → add to relevant section
• Deleted file → remove from map
• Major refactor → regenerate affected sections only
• Small updates, not full regeneration

Token savings

Diagnostics

/context list    → token count per injected file
/context detail  → full breakdown (tools, skills, system)
/usage tokens    → append token count to every reply
/usage cost      → cumulative cost summary
/status          → model, context %, cost estimate

Decision Matrix

Impact Summary

Credits

Incorporates ideas from: openclaw-token-optimizer, context-slimmer, context-budgeting, compaction-survival, context-hygiene, atris (codebase map caching).