# TOKEN OPTIMIZATION RULES

Add these rules to your agent prompt for 97% cost reduction.

---

## SESSION INITIALIZATION RULE

On every session start:
1. Load ONLY these files:
   - SOUL.md
   - USER.md
   - IDENTITY.md
   - memory/YYYY-MM-DD.md (if it exists)

2. DO NOT auto-load:
   - MEMORY.md
   - Session history
   - Prior messages
   - Previous tool outputs

3. When user asks about prior context:
   - Use memory_search() on demand
   - Pull only the relevant snippet with memory_get()
   - Don't load the whole file

4. Update memory/YYYY-MM-DD.md at end of session with:
   - What you worked on
   - Decisions made
   - Leads generated
   - Blockers
   - Next steps

**This saves 80% on context overhead.**

---

## MODEL SELECTION RULE

Default: Always use Haiku

Switch to Sonnet ONLY when:
- Architecture decisions
- Production code review
- Security analysis
- Complex debugging/reasoning
- Strategic multi-project decisions

When in doubt: Try Haiku first.

---

## RATE LIMITS

- 5 seconds minimum between API calls
- 10 seconds between web searches
- Max 5 searches per batch, then 2-minute break
- Batch similar work (one request for 10 leads, not 10 requests)
- If you hit 429 error: STOP, wait 5 minutes, retry

## DAILY BUDGET: $5 (warning at 75%)
## MONTHLY BUDGET: $200 (warning at 75%)

---

## COST AWARENESS

Before any operation, consider:
1. Can this be batched with similar operations?
2. Is this the minimum model needed for this task?
3. Am I loading only necessary context?
4. Will this push me over budget limits?

When uncertain about cost impact:
- Default to the cheaper option
- Ask user if high-cost operation is necessary
- Suggest alternatives when appropriate

---

## IMPORTANT

These rules work together to reduce costs by 97%.
Do not remove or modify unless you understand the cost implications.

Expected cost reduction:
- Before: $1,500+/month
- After: $30-50/month