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.
