token-budget-advisor

Estimates prompt token counts and offers selectable response depth levels before answering.

1|Updated Oct 11, 2025
One-click install
npx skills add https://github.com/ibytechaos/claude --skill token-budget-advisor-ibytechaos
Or copy as Structured Prompt for Agent
Please help me install this Agent Skill.
Skill: token-budget-advisor
Source: https://github.com/ibytechaos/claude/tree/main/plugins/everything-claude-code/skills/token-budget-advisor
Command: npx skills add https://github.com/ibytechaos/claude --skill token-budget-advisor-ibytechaos

SYSTEM DOCUMENTATION & REQUIREMENTS

What problem does it solve? Users often receive answers that are too long or too short for their needs, wasting tokens and time. This Skill intercepts the response flow to let users choose exactly how much depth and length they want before the answer is generated. ## Core Features & Use Cases - Heuristic Token Estimation: Estimates input tokens using word-count and character-count heuristics, then projects a response window based on prompt complexity. - Four Depth Levels: Offers Essential (25%), Moderate (50%), Detailed (75%), and Exhaustive (100%) response tiers with estimated token counts for each. - Shortcut Commands: Recognizes direct signals like "short version", "tldr", "50% depth", or "exhaustive answer" to skip the selection prompt, and maintains the chosen level for the rest of the session. - Use Case: A developer asks a complex architecture question but only wants a quick summary first; they say "give me the 25% version" and receive a concise direct answer, then request the full breakdown later. ## Quick Start Ask Claude to give you the short version of its answer or specify a depth level like 50% before it responds to your question.

Frequently Asked Questions about token-budget-advisor

High-intent search queries and answers about installing and using this skill.

FAQPage Schema
How do I control the length of an AI response?

State your desired depth upfront using phrases like "short version", "50% depth", or "exhaustive answer". The skill maps these signals to four tiers from 25% Essential to 100% Exhaustive and responds at that level immediately.

How are token counts estimated without a tokenizer?

Token estimation uses heuristics: prose is estimated at words multiplied by 1.3, while code-heavy content uses characters divided by 4. Accuracy is approximately 85-90% with a variance of plus or minus 15%.

Does the chosen depth level persist across a conversation?

Yes, once you select a depth level it is maintained silently for all subsequent responses in the session. You only need to state a new level when you want to change it.

When does the token budget advisor not trigger?

It does not trigger when you already set a level in the current session, when the answer is trivially one line, or when "token" refers to authentication or payment tokens rather than response size.

How accurate is the token estimation?

The estimation is heuristic-only with roughly 85-90% accuracy and ±15% variance, since no real tokenizer is used. A precision disclaimer is always shown alongside the depth selection menu.