Skill: djc00p/claude-api-cost-optimizer (version 1.0.4)

--- name: claude-api-cost-optimizer description: "Minimize Anthropic Claude API costs through model selection, prompt caching, batching, and cost tracking. ⚠️ Enables local caching and cost logging — review file permissions and exclude secrets. Trigger phrases: reduce API costs, optimize Claude spending, save on API calls, Claude cost optimization, cheaper Claude models." metadata: {"clawdbot":{"emoji":"💰","requires":{"bins":[]},"env":["ANTHROPIC_API_KEY"],"os":["linux","darwin","win32"],"homepage":"https://clawhub.com/djc00p/claude-api-cost-optimizer"}} --- # Claude API Cost Optimizer > ⚠️ **Local Data Warning:** This skill creates `~/.claude_cache/`, `costs.log`, and `batch_results.jsonl` which may contain source code, API responses, and prompts. Set `chmod 600` on these files, never cache secrets/PII, and add cache directories to `.gitignore`. Cut Claude API costs by 70–90% using intelligent model selection, caching, and batching. ## Quick Start 1. **Audit your current API calls** — identify which tasks use Opus or Sonnet that could use Haiku. Model selection alone saves 10–18x on simple tasks. Ensure `ANTHROPIC_API_KEY` is set in your environment (required). 2. Pick the cheapest model tier for each task: Haiku (cheapest) → Sonnet (mid) → Opus (most expensive, use sparingly). See `references/pricing.md` for current rates. 3. Enable prompt caching for repeated context (system prompts, codebases) by adding `"cache_control": {"type": "ephemeral"}` to message blocks 4. Implement cost reporting — track `input_tokens`, `output_tokens`, and cache metrics from API responses ## Key Concepts - **Model selection** — Haiku for simple tasks (formatting, comments) — cheapest tier. Sonnet for medium (refactoring, debugging) — mid tier. Opus for complex only (architecture, security) — most expensive, use sparingly. See `references/pricing.md` for current rates. - **Prompt caching** — Cache large static content (system prompts, codebase context). Cache reads cost 90% less; writes pay off after 1–2 reuses. - **Batching** — Combine multiple requests into one API call to eliminate per-request overhead. 80% fewer calls ≈ 80% lower cost. - **Local caching** — Cache identical responses locally to skip redundant API calls entirely. - **Context extraction** — Send only relevant snippets, not whole files. Smaller inputs = lower costs. - **max_tokens discipline** — Set realistic limits; unused token budget is wasted money. ## Common Usage > Code examples are in Python but concepts apply to any language or SDK. **Model selection pattern:** ```python def select_model(task_type: str) -> str: simple_tasks = ["formatting", "comments", "explanation", "rename"] complex_tasks = ["architecture", "algorithm", "security_audit"] return ("claude-haiku-4-5-20251001" if task_type in simple_tasks else "claude-opus-4-6" if task_type in complex_tasks else "claude-sonnet-4-6") ``` **Prompt caching:** ```python response = client.messages.create( model="claude-sonnet-4-6", max_tokens=1024, system=[{ "type": "text", "text": system_prompt, "cache_control": {"type": "ephemeral"} }], messages=[{ "role": "user", "content": [ {"type": "text", "text": f"Code:\n{source_code}", "cache_control": {"type": "ephemeral"}}, {"type": "text", "text": query} ] }] ) ``` **Cost tracking:** ```python usage = response.usage cost = (usage.input_tokens * INPUT_RATE + usage.cache_creation_input_tokens * CACHE_WRITE_RATE + usage.cache_read_input_tokens * CACHE_READ_RATE + usage.output_tokens * OUTPUT_RATE) ``` ## Security Checklist Before using cost tracking and local caching: - [ ] Set `chmod 600 ~/.claude_cache/` and all log files - [ ] Never cache content containing secrets, credentials, or PII - [ ] Set a short TTL (`max_age_hours`) and clear cache regularly - [ ] Add cache directories to `.gitignore` - [ ] Use encrypted volumes or ephemeral storage in CI environments - [ ] Audit cached content periodically for sensitive data leaks ## References - `references/implementation.md` — Full implementation patterns, model routing, caching setup, batching, retry logic, and anti-patterns - `references/pricing.md` — Current pricing, cache cost math, savings calculations, and batch API details


Security scan verdicts — ClawScan: clean | static analysis: clean | VirusTotal: clean | SkillSpector: clean (LOW)