token-efficiency

Token Efficiency

Name

han-core:token-efficiency

Description

Minimize token consumption without sacrificing quality. Every token spent on overhead is a token not available for thinking.

File Operations

• Use Edit for modifications — sends only the diff (~50-100 tokens), not the whole file
• Use Write only for new files — full file content costs ~500-5000 tokens
• Never re-read a file you just wrote — you already know its contents
• Batch related edits to the same file in one Edit call

Search Operations

• Use Glob for file finding — faster and cheaper than Bash find
• Use Grep for content search — cheaper than Bash grep
• Set head_limit on Grep — avoid returning thousands of matches

Context Management

• Don't repeat what the user said — they can see their own message
• Lead with the answer — skip preamble and filler
• Use structured output — tables and lists over prose for data

Anti-Patterns

Wasteful	Efficient
Read file → Write entire file with 1 line changed	Edit the specific line
cat file.txt via Bash	Read tool
find . -name "*.ts" via Bash	Glob **/*.ts
"Let me start by reading the file to understand..."	Just read it

When to Apply

Always. Token efficiency is not premature optimization — it directly extends how much work fits in a session.