Agent skill

Cost Optimizer

by curiositech in curiositech/some_claude_skills

Tracks cumulative LLM costs across DAG execution and makes real-time decisions to stay within budget.

MITAuto-check passedAI & LLM Engineering

Install Cost Optimizer

skills CLI

$ npx skills add curiositech/some_claude_skills --skill cost-optimizer -a claude-code

Project install by default; add -g for ~/.claude/skills/.

GitHub CLI

$ gh skill install curiositech/some_claude_skills cost-optimizer --agent claude-code

Project scope by default; add --scope user for a personal install. Needs GitHub CLI 2.90.0 or later (public preview).

Manual copy

$ git clone --depth 1 https://github.com/curiositech/some_claude_skills.git skills-src && mkdir -p .claude/skills && cp -r skills-src/.claude/skills/cost-optimizer .claude/skills/cost-optimizer && rm -rf skills-src

Use ~/.claude/skills/ instead of .claude/skills for a personal install. The folder must contain SKILL.md.

Claude Code skills documentation · loads skills from .claude/skills/

Paste into Claude Code

Install the "cost-optimizer" agent skill from https://github.com/curiositech/some_claude_skills/tree/main/.claude/skills/cost-optimizer into .claude/skills/cost-optimizer/ in this project. Copy the whole folder (SKILL.md and every file beside it), keep the folder name "cost-optimizer", then confirm the skill loads.

Claude Code copies the folder itself, the same result as the manual copy. Check what it changed before you commit it.

$skill-installer

$skill-installer install https://github.com/curiositech/some_claude_skills/tree/main/.claude/skills/cost-optimizer

Type this inside Codex. $skill-installer <name> installs a curated skill from openai/skills. The installer writes to $CODEX_HOME/skills (default ~/.codex/skills). Restart Codex if the skill does not show up.

skills CLI

$ npx skills add curiositech/some_claude_skills --skill cost-optimizer -a codex

Project install goes to .agents/skills/; add -g for ~/.codex/skills/.

GitHub CLI

$ gh skill install curiositech/some_claude_skills cost-optimizer --agent codex

Project scope by default (.agents/skills/); add --scope user for a personal install.

Manual copy

$ git clone --depth 1 https://github.com/curiositech/some_claude_skills.git skills-src && mkdir -p .agents/skills && cp -r skills-src/.claude/skills/cost-optimizer .agents/skills/cost-optimizer && rm -rf skills-src

Use ~/.agents/skills/ instead of .agents/skills for a personal install.

Codex skills documentation · loads skills from .agents/skills/

Paste into Codex

Install the "cost-optimizer" agent skill from https://github.com/curiositech/some_claude_skills/tree/main/.claude/skills/cost-optimizer into .agents/skills/cost-optimizer/ in this project. Copy the whole folder (SKILL.md and every file beside it), keep the folder name "cost-optimizer", then confirm the skill loads.

Codex copies the folder itself, the same result as the manual copy. Check what it changed before you commit it.

skills CLI

$ npx skills add curiositech/some_claude_skills --skill cost-optimizer -a cursor

Project install goes to .agents/skills/; add -g for ~/.cursor/skills/.

GitHub CLI

$ gh skill install curiositech/some_claude_skills cost-optimizer --agent cursor

Project scope by default (.agents/skills/); add --scope user for a personal install.

Manual copy

$ git clone --depth 1 https://github.com/curiositech/some_claude_skills.git skills-src && mkdir -p .cursor/skills && cp -r skills-src/.claude/skills/cost-optimizer .cursor/skills/cost-optimizer && rm -rf skills-src

Use ~/.cursor/skills/ instead of .cursor/skills for a personal install.

Cursor skills documentation · loads skills from .cursor/skills/, .agents/skills/, .claude/skills/, .codex/skills/

Paste into Cursor

Install the "cost-optimizer" agent skill from https://github.com/curiositech/some_claude_skills/tree/main/.claude/skills/cost-optimizer into .cursor/skills/cost-optimizer/ in this project. Copy the whole folder (SKILL.md and every file beside it), keep the folder name "cost-optimizer", then confirm the skill loads.

Cursor copies the folder itself, the same result as the manual copy. Check what it changed before you commit it.

gemini skills install

$ gemini skills install https://github.com/curiositech/some_claude_skills.git --path .claude/skills/cost-optimizer

--scope user (default) or --scope workspace; --path is the subfolder of the repo that holds the skill; --consent skips the security confirmation prompt.

skills CLI

$ npx skills add curiositech/some_claude_skills --skill cost-optimizer -a gemini-cli

Project install goes to .agents/skills/; add -g for ~/.gemini/skills/.

GitHub CLI

$ gh skill install curiositech/some_claude_skills cost-optimizer --agent gemini-cli

Project scope by default (.agents/skills/); add --scope user for a personal install.

Manual copy

$ git clone --depth 1 https://github.com/curiositech/some_claude_skills.git skills-src && mkdir -p .gemini/skills && cp -r skills-src/.claude/skills/cost-optimizer .gemini/skills/cost-optimizer && rm -rf skills-src

Use ~/.gemini/skills/ instead of .gemini/skills for a personal install, then run /skills reload.

Gemini CLI skills documentation · loads skills from .gemini/skills/, .agents/skills/

Paste into Gemini CLI

Install the "cost-optimizer" agent skill from https://github.com/curiositech/some_claude_skills/tree/main/.claude/skills/cost-optimizer into .gemini/skills/cost-optimizer/ in this project. Copy the whole folder (SKILL.md and every file beside it), keep the folder name "cost-optimizer", then confirm the skill loads.

Gemini CLI copies the folder itself, the same result as the manual copy. Check what it changed before you commit it.

GitHub CLI

$ gh skill install curiositech/some_claude_skills cost-optimizer

Installs for Copilot at project scope by default; add --scope user for a personal install. Preview a skill first with gh skill preview. Needs GitHub CLI 2.90.0 or later (public preview).

skills CLI

$ npx skills add curiositech/some_claude_skills --skill cost-optimizer -a github-copilot

Project install goes to .agents/skills/; add -g for ~/.copilot/skills/.

Manual copy

$ git clone --depth 1 https://github.com/curiositech/some_claude_skills.git skills-src && mkdir -p .github/skills && cp -r skills-src/.claude/skills/cost-optimizer .github/skills/cost-optimizer && rm -rf skills-src

Use ~/.copilot/skills/ instead of .github/skills for a personal install. Commit .github/skills so cloud agent and code review can use it.

GitHub Copilot skills documentation · loads skills from .github/skills/, .claude/skills/, .agents/skills/

Paste into GitHub Copilot

Install the "cost-optimizer" agent skill from https://github.com/curiositech/some_claude_skills/tree/main/.claude/skills/cost-optimizer into .github/skills/cost-optimizer/ in this project. Copy the whole folder (SKILL.md and every file beside it), keep the folder name "cost-optimizer", then confirm the skill loads.

GitHub Copilot copies the folder itself, the same result as the manual copy. Check what it changed before you commit it.

skills CLI

$ npx skills add curiositech/some_claude_skills --skill cost-optimizer -a opencode

OpenCode documents no install command of its own. Project install goes to .agents/skills/; add -g for ~/.config/opencode/skills/.

GitHub CLI

$ gh skill install curiositech/some_claude_skills cost-optimizer --agent opencode

Project scope by default (.agents/skills/); add --scope user for a personal install.

Manual copy

$ git clone --depth 1 https://github.com/curiositech/some_claude_skills.git skills-src && mkdir -p .opencode/skills && cp -r skills-src/.claude/skills/cost-optimizer .opencode/skills/cost-optimizer && rm -rf skills-src

Use ~/.config/opencode/skills/ instead of .opencode/skills for a personal install.

OpenCode skills documentation · loads skills from .opencode/skills/, .claude/skills/, .agents/skills/

Paste into OpenCode

Install the "cost-optimizer" agent skill from https://github.com/curiositech/some_claude_skills/tree/main/.claude/skills/cost-optimizer into .opencode/skills/cost-optimizer/ in this project. Copy the whole folder (SKILL.md and every file beside it), keep the folder name "cost-optimizer", then confirm the skill loads.

OpenCode copies the folder itself, the same result as the manual copy. Check what it changed before you commit it.

Facts

Skill name: cost-optimizer
GitHub stars: 243
Token cost: ~1.1k tokens
SKILL.md length: 290 words
Files: 2
Skills in repo: 109
Repo updated: Sep 6, 2026
First seen: Oct 7, 2026
Licence: MIT

At a glance

Tracks cumulative LLM costs across DAG execution and makes real-time decisions to stay within budget.

Managing execution budgets
SKILL.md covers When to Use, Budget Enforcement Process and Anti-Patterns
Instructions only: no scripts, shell commands, URLs or credentials in SKILL.md
Analyzing cost breakdowns

What it does

Cost Optimizer is an agent skill from curiositech/some_claude_skills. Tracks cumulative LLM costs across DAG execution and makes real-time decisions to stay within budget. Downgrades models, skips optional nodes, or stops early when cost exceeds thresholds. Use when managing execution budgets, analyzing cost breakdowns, or optimizing model routing for cost. Activate on "cost budget", "too expensive", "reduce cost", "cost optimization", "model downgrade", "budget exceeded". NOT for LLM model selection logic (use llm-router), pricing comparisons across providers, or billing/invoicing.

Its SKILL.md is about 1.1k tokens, which your agent loads only when the skill is triggered. The skill folder holds 2 other files (for example `.claude-plugin/plugin.json`).

It sits in AI & LLM Engineering, covering Model routing and gateways and LLM cost and token optimization. The repository describes itself as: Claude skills that make my life easier. The licence is MIT.

When your agent uses it

Managing execution budgets
Analyzing cost breakdowns
Optimizing model routing for cost

Example prompts

“cost budget”
“too expensive”
“reduce cost”
“/cost-optimizer”

Requirements

Pre-approved tools (allowed-tools): Read, Grep

What it can do on your machine

Read from SKILL.md and the folder at commit 6713fc7. It shows what the files ask for, not the result of running them.

Tool permissions
Pre-approves these tools, so the agent can use them without asking each time:
- Read
- Grep
From allowed-tools in the SKILL.md frontmatter.
Runs code
No scripts in the folder and no shell commands in SKILL.md (its code samples are mermaid and yaml).
From the folder's file list and the shell code blocks in SKILL.md.
Network
No URLs in SKILL.md.
From URLs in SKILL.md, links to its own repository left out.
Credentials
Names no API keys, tokens, secrets or passwords.
From names ending in _API_KEY, _TOKEN, _SECRET, _KEY or _PASSWORD in SKILL.md.

Context cost

Cost Optimizer loads about 1.1k tokens when it runs. Until then it costs about 134 tokens; SKILL.md has 290 words of instructions outside code blocks.

Always · name and description, kept in context so the agent knows when to use it: ~134
When it runs · the whole SKILL.md, loaded when a task matches: ~1.1k

Estimates: characters ÷ 4, the usual rule of thumb; real counts depend on the model's tokenizer. Scripts and assets cost tokens only if the agent reads them.

Safety

Auto-check passed

The automated check found no risky patterns in SKILL.md.

Automated static check — not a guarantee. Review scripts before installing. It scans the text of SKILL.md for risky patterns (piping downloads into a shell, reading credential files, hidden Unicode, destructive commands); files beside SKILL.md are not scanned.

SKILL.md

The full file from curiositech/some_claude_skills at commit 6713fc7, republished under its MIT licence (© curiositech). 290 words, ~1,096 tokens.

Download SKILL.mdSave it as .claude/skills/cost-optimizer/SKILL.md (or your agent's skills folder). This skill also uses 1 other file; get the full folder from GitHub.

name: cost-optimizer
description: Tracks cumulative LLM costs across DAG execution and makes real-time decisions to stay within budget. Downgrades models, skips optional nodes, or stops early when cost exceeds thresholds. Use when managing execution budgets, analyzing cost breakdowns, or optimizing model routing for cost. Activate on "cost budget", "too expensive", "reduce cost", "cost optimization", "model downgrade", "budget exceeded". NOT for LLM model selection logic (use llm-router), pricing comparisons across providers, or billing/invoicing.
allowed-tools: Read, Grep
argument-hint: [dag-id] [budget-usd]
metadata.tags: cost, optimizer, cost-budget, too-expensive, reduce-cost

Cost Optimizer

Tracks cumulative LLM costs across DAG execution and makes real-time decisions to stay within budget: downgrade models, skip optional nodes, or stop early.

When to Use

✅ Use for:

Setting and enforcing cost budgets for DAG executions
Real-time cost monitoring during execution
Deciding when to downgrade model tiers mid-execution
Identifying which nodes are most expensive and why
Post-execution cost analysis and optimization recommendations

❌ NOT for:

Choosing which model to use per node (use llm-router)
Provider pricing comparisons (static data, not a skill)
Billing or invoicing features

Budget Enforcement Process

mermaid

flowchart TD
  N[Node about to execute] --> C[Check: spent + estimated_node_cost vs budget]
  C --> S{Within budget?}
  S -->|Yes, &gt;20% remaining| E[Execute at planned model tier]
  S -->|Yes, &lt;20% remaining| W[Execute but downgrade to Tier 1 if possible]
  S -->|No| D{Node optional?}
  D -->|Yes| SK[Skip node]
  D -->|No| H{Human gate available?}
  H -->|Yes| A[Ask human: continue over budget?]
  H -->|No| ST[Stop execution, return partial results]

Budget Tiers

Budget Remaining	Action
>50%	Execute at planned model tier
20-50%	Log warning. Continue at planned tier.
10-20%	Downgrade remaining Tier 2 nodes to Tier 1 (Haiku)
5-10%	Downgrade ALL remaining nodes to Tier 1. Skip optional nodes.
<5%	Stop execution unless next node is critical path
0%	Stop. Return partial results with cost breakdown.

Cost Estimation Per Node

Before each node executes, estimate its cost:

estimated_cost = (avg_input_tokens × input_price + avg_output_tokens × output_price)

Use historical averages for this skill + model combination. If no history, use defaults:

Tier 1 (Haiku): ~800 input + 400 output = ~$0.001
Tier 2 (Sonnet): ~2000 input + 1000 output = ~$0.012
Tier 3 (Opus): ~3000 input + 1500 output = ~$0.16

Post-Execution Report

yaml

cost_report:
  total_budget: 0.50
  total_spent: 0.37
  budget_remaining: 0.13
  nodes_executed: 8
  nodes_skipped: 1
  nodes_downgraded: 2
  model_breakdown:
    haiku: { calls: 4, cost: 0.004 }
    sonnet: { calls: 3, cost: 0.036 }
    opus: { calls: 1, cost: 0.33 }
  savings_recommendations:
    - "Node 'deep-analysis' used Opus ($0.33) but downstream accepted on first try. Try Sonnet next time — potential saving: $0.32"
    - "Nodes 'validate-a' and 'validate-b' are sequential but independent. Parallelize to reduce wall-clock time."

Anti-Patterns

No Budget at All

Wrong: Running DAGs without any cost tracking until the API bill arrives. Right: Every DAG execution has a budget, even if generous. Track spend per node.

Aggressive Downgrading

Wrong: Downgrading Opus nodes to Haiku at 50% budget remaining, causing quality failures that trigger expensive retries. Right: Only downgrade when the alternative is stopping execution. Retries cost more than the original model tier.

Ignoring Retries in Cost

Wrong: Budgeting for one attempt per node. Right: Budget for avg_retries × cost_per_attempt. A node with 3 retries on Sonnet costs $0.036, not $0.012.

Files

SKILL.md and 1 other file in .claude/skills/cost-optimizer of curiositech/some_claude_skills.

SKILL.md
.claude-plugin/plugin.json

Open the folder on GitHubat commit 6713fc7

Compare with similar skills

Cost Optimizer next to the 5 skills that share the most tags, products or categories with it. Stars are the repository's; “used in” counts other GitHub owners with a copy.

Cost Optimizer compared with similar skills
Skill	Stars	Used in	Tokens	Auto-check	Licence	Repo updated
Cost Optimizer this skillcuriositech/some_claude_skills	243	—	~1.1k	Automated safety check: Pass	MIT	1 mo ago
Cost TrackingHabitat-Thinking/ai-literacy-superpowers	114	—	~1.7k	Automated safety check: Pass	Custom licence	18 days ago
Cost Aware LLM Pipelinemajiayu000/claude-skill-registry	666	6 repos	~1.4k	Automated safety check: Pass	MIT	yesterday
Token OptimizerLeoYeAI/openclaw-master-skills	2.2k	—	~4.2k	Automated safety check: Pass	MIT	2 mo ago
Token OptimizerLeoYeAI/openclaw-master-skills	2.2k	—	~5.2k	Automated safety check: Pass	MIT	2 mo ago
Openrouter Context Optimizationjeremylongshore/tons-of-skills-marketplace	2.8k	—	~2.4k	Automated safety check: Pass	MIT	today

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Questions about Cost Optimizer

What does Cost Optimizer do?

Tracks cumulative LLM costs across DAG execution and makes real-time decisions to stay within budget. Cost Optimizer is an agent skill from curiositech/some_claude_skills. Tracks cumulative LLM costs across DAG execution and makes real-time decisions to stay within budget.

When should I use Cost Optimizer?

Cost Optimizer fits situations like: managing execution budgets; analyzing cost breakdowns; optimizing model routing for cost.

How do I install Cost Optimizer in Claude Code?

Run `npx skills add curiositech/some_claude_skills --skill cost-optimizer -a claude-code`. Or copy the skill folder (.claude/skills/cost-optimizer in curiositech/some_claude_skills) into .claude/skills/cost-optimizer in your project. Claude Code loads it when a task matches its description.

How do I install Cost Optimizer in Codex?

Run `npx skills add curiositech/some_claude_skills --skill cost-optimizer -a codex`. Or copy the skill folder (.claude/skills/cost-optimizer in curiositech/some_claude_skills) into .agents/skills/cost-optimizer in your project. Codex loads it when a task matches its description.

Can I use Cost Optimizer in Cursor, Gemini CLI or GitHub Copilot?

Cursor, Gemini CLI, GitHub Copilot and OpenCode also load SKILL.md folders. With the skills CLI, run `npx skills add curiositech/some_claude_skills --skill cost-optimizer -a cursor` (or -a gemini-cli, github-copilot or opencode for the others). To copy it by hand, put the folder in .cursor/skills/cost-optimizer, .gemini/skills/cost-optimizer, .github/skills/cost-optimizer and .opencode/skills/cost-optimizer in your project.

What does Cost Optimizer need to run?

SKILL.md names no scripts, command-line tools or credentials: Cost Optimizer is instructions for the agent only. Its frontmatter pre-approves these tools: Read, Grep.

Does Cost Optimizer access the network?

SKILL.md contains no URLs. Any network use would come from the scripts or tools the agent runs. This is read from the text; nothing was executed.

Is Cost Optimizer safe to install?

Our automated static check of SKILL.md found no risky patterns, such as piping downloads into a shell, reading credential files or hidden Unicode. It is not a guarantee. Review the folder before installing.

What licence does Cost Optimizer use?

Cost Optimizer is published under the MIT licence (the repository's licence). It allows redistribution, so the full SKILL.md is shown on this page.

How many tokens does Cost Optimizer use?

About 1.1k tokens (SKILL.md is roughly 4.4k characters). Agents keep only the skill's name and description in context until a task matches; then they load SKILL.md in full.

What are the alternatives to Cost Optimizer?

Skills that share tags, products or a category with Cost Optimizer: Cost Tracking (Habitat-Thinking/ai-literacy-superpowers, 114 stars), Cost Aware LLM Pipeline (majiayu000/claude-skill-registry, 666 stars), Token Optimizer (LeoYeAI/openclaw-master-skills, 2.2k stars) and Token Optimizer (LeoYeAI/openclaw-master-skills, 2.2k stars). The comparison table on this page puts their stars, adoption, token cost, safety result and licence side by side.

Who maintains Cost Optimizer?

curiositech (a GitHub organization) maintains it in curiositech/some_claude_skills, which has 243 GitHub stars. The repository holds 109 skills in this directory. The repository was last updated on September 6, 2026.

Source: curiositech/some_claude_skills on GitHub. Facts on this page come from the repository at the commit we read; the author's words are quoted as theirs.

Install Cost Optimizer

Facts

At a glance

What it does

When your agent uses it

Example prompts

Requirements

What it can do on your machine

Tool permissions

Runs code

Network

Credentials

Context cost

Safety

SKILL.md

Cost Optimizer

When to Use

Budget Enforcement Process

Budget Tiers

Cost Estimation Per Node

Post-Execution Report

Anti-Patterns

No Budget at All

Aggressive Downgrading

Ignoring Retries in Cost

Files

Compare with similar skills

Similar skills

More from curiositech/some_claude_skills

Related

Questions about Cost Optimizer