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Official agent skill

Prompt Token Efficiency

by github in github/gh-aw

Rewrite prompts for minimal tokens, maximal clarity, and low ambiguity for LLM consumption.

OfficialMITAuto-check passed

Install Prompt Token Efficiency

skills CLI
$ npx skills add github/gh-aw --skill prompt-token-efficiency -a claude-code

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

GitHub CLI
$ gh skill install github/gh-aw prompt-token-efficiency --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/github/gh-aw.git skills-src && mkdir -p .claude/skills && cp -r skills-src/.github/skills/prompt-token-efficiency .claude/skills/prompt-token-efficiency && 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/

Facts

Skill name
prompt-token-efficiency
GitHub stars
5.3k
Token cost
~494 tokens
SKILL.md length
247 words
Files
1
Skills in repo
52
Repo updated
First seen
Licence
MIT

At a glance

Rewrite prompts for minimal tokens, maximal clarity, and low ambiguity for LLM consumption.

  • Works in 4 steps: Minimize token count → Maximize clarity → Minimize ambiguity → …
  • SKILL.md covers Goals, Core Rules, Prose Compression Pattern and LLM-Optimized Writing Style, plus 2 more sections
  • Instructions only: no scripts, shell commands, URLs or credentials in SKILL.md

What it does

Prompt Token Efficiency is an agent skill from github/gh-aw, published by the product's own GitHub organization. Rewrite prompts for minimal tokens, maximal clarity, and low ambiguity for LLM consumption.

Its SKILL.md is about 490 tokens, which your agent loads only when the skill is triggered. It is a single SKILL.md file with no bundled scripts.

The repository describes itself as: GitHub Agentic Workflows. The licence is MIT.

Example prompts

  • “/prompt-token-efficiency”

Workflow steps

4 steps, taken from the first numbered list in SKILL.md.

  1. Minimize token count
  2. Maximize clarity
  3. Minimize ambiguity
  4. Optimize for LLM execution, not human prose style

What it can do on your machine

Read from SKILL.md and the folder at commit eb63040. It shows what the files ask for, not the result of running them.

  • Tool permissions

    Pre-approves nothing: there is no allowed-tools line, so your agent's usual permission prompts apply.

    From allowed-tools in the SKILL.md frontmatter.

  • Runs code

    No scripts in the folder and no shell commands in SKILL.md.

    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

Prompt Token Efficiency loads about 494 tokens when it runs. Until then it costs about 29 tokens; SKILL.md has 247 words of instructions outside code blocks.

Always · name and description, kept in context so the agent knows when to use it
~29
When it runs · the whole SKILL.md, loaded when a task matches
~494

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 github/gh-aw at commit eb63040, republished under its MIT licence (© github). 247 words, ~494 tokens.

Download SKILL.mdSave it as .claude/skills/prompt-token-efficiency/SKILL.md (or your agent's skills folder).
name
prompt-token-efficiency
description
Rewrite prompts for minimal tokens, maximal clarity, and low ambiguity for LLM consumption.

Prompt Token Efficiency

Use this skill to compress prompts while preserving intent and output quality.

Goals

  1. Minimize token count
  2. Maximize clarity
  3. Minimize ambiguity
  4. Optimize for LLM execution, not human prose style

Core Rules

  • Keep only task-critical information.
  • Remove pleasantries, repetition, and narrative framing.
  • Prefer short, concrete instructions over descriptive paragraphs.
  • Use explicit constraints and output format requirements.
  • Use stable terminology (one term per concept).
  • Replace vague words (appropriate, some, better) with measurable criteria.
  • Put required context before optional context.
  • Avoid conflicting instructions.

Prose Compression Pattern

Rewrite prose to be direct and compact:

  1. Start with the objective in one short sentence.
  2. Keep only facts needed to complete the task.
  3. Replace long qualifiers with concrete limits.
  4. Remove filler words that do not change behavior.
  5. End with explicit success criteria.

LLM-Optimized Writing Style

  • Use imperative statements.
  • Prefer bullets over long prose.
  • Keep each instruction atomic.
  • Avoid examples unless needed to prevent failure.
  • If examples are required, include one minimal example.

Ambiguity Checks

Before finalizing a prompt, verify:

  • Any undefined noun is resolved.
  • Any pronoun has a clear antecedent.
  • Scope limits are explicit (time range, file range, quantity limits).
  • Success criteria are testable.
  • Output format is unambiguous.

Prose Rewrite Checks

When rewriting, ensure the final prompt:

  • Uses fewer words than the original.
  • Preserves all required constraints.
  • Uses concrete nouns instead of pronouns where possible.
  • Avoids optional wording unless options are actually allowed.
  • States required output and any length bound in plain language.

© github, MIT. Rendered from Markdown: HTML in the file is shown as text, images as links, and headings moved down two levels. Raw file

Files

Just SKILL.md in .github/skills/prompt-token-efficiency of github/gh-aw.

Open the folder on GitHubat commit eb63040

Compare with similar skills

Prompt Token Efficiency 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.

Prompt Token Efficiency compared with similar skills
SkillStarsUsed inTokensAuto-checkLicenceRepo updated
Prompt Token Efficiency this skillgithub/gh-aw5.3k—~494Automated safety check: PassMIT
Minimalismsickn33/agentic-awesome-skills47k1 repos~2.2kAutomated safety check: PassMIT
Maximalismsickn33/agentic-awesome-skills47k1 repos~2.4kAutomated safety check: PassMIT
Rewrite Plannexu-io/open-design100k—~511Automated safety check: PassApache-2.0
Vibrant Maximalismsickn33/agentic-awesome-skills47k1 repos~2.8kAutomated safety check: PassMIT
RewriteNxcoreAI/EverRoom3k—~124Automated safety check: PassCustom licence

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Questions about Prompt Token Efficiency

What does Prompt Token Efficiency do?

Rewrite prompts for minimal tokens, maximal clarity, and low ambiguity for LLM consumption. Prompt Token Efficiency is an agent skill from github/gh-aw, published by the product's own GitHub organization. Rewrite prompts for minimal tokens, maximal clarity, and low ambiguity for LLM consumption.

How do I install Prompt Token Efficiency in Claude Code?

Run `npx skills add github/gh-aw --skill prompt-token-efficiency -a claude-code`. Or copy the skill folder (.github/skills/prompt-token-efficiency in github/gh-aw) into .claude/skills/prompt-token-efficiency in your project. Claude Code loads it when a task matches its description.

How do I install Prompt Token Efficiency in Codex?

Run `npx skills add github/gh-aw --skill prompt-token-efficiency -a codex`. Or copy the skill folder (.github/skills/prompt-token-efficiency in github/gh-aw) into .agents/skills/prompt-token-efficiency in your project. Codex loads it when a task matches its description.

Can I use Prompt Token Efficiency 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 github/gh-aw --skill prompt-token-efficiency -a cursor` (or -a gemini-cli, github-copilot or opencode for the others). To copy it by hand, put the folder in .cursor/skills/prompt-token-efficiency, .gemini/skills/prompt-token-efficiency, .github/skills/prompt-token-efficiency and .opencode/skills/prompt-token-efficiency in your project.

What does Prompt Token Efficiency need to run?

SKILL.md names no scripts, command-line tools or credentials: Prompt Token Efficiency is instructions for the agent only.

Does Prompt Token Efficiency 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 Prompt Token Efficiency 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 Prompt Token Efficiency use?

Prompt Token Efficiency 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 Prompt Token Efficiency use?

About 494 tokens (SKILL.md is roughly 2k 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 Prompt Token Efficiency?

Skills that share tags, products or a category with Prompt Token Efficiency: Minimalism (sickn33/agentic-awesome-skills, 47k stars), Maximalism (sickn33/agentic-awesome-skills, 47k stars), Rewrite Plan (nexu-io/open-design, 100k stars) and Vibrant Maximalism (sickn33/agentic-awesome-skills, 47k stars). The comparison table on this page puts their stars, adoption, token cost, safety result and licence side by side.

Who maintains Prompt Token Efficiency?

github (a GitHub organization, an official publisher) maintains it in github/gh-aw, which has 5,350 GitHub stars. The repository holds 52 skills in this directory. The repository was last updated on October 7, 2026.

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