Token Optimization & Cost Management Ideas · OpenClawBuilders/AI Automation

Jeffrey Thompson

Mar 1 • General discussion

Token Optimization & Cost Management Ideas

Too good not to share. Post ideas or corrections in comments:

So we can build on this as a group.

Quick Summary

OpenClaw can get expensive fast. Learn to optimize token usage without losing quality.

Why This Matters

Token costs add up:

- GPT-4: ~$15-30 per million tokens

- Claude: ~$15 per million tokens

- MiniMax: ~$1 per million tokens

At 100 conversations/day, that’s $100+/month quickly.

With optimization: Same quality, 80% less cost.

The Framework

Token = Money

Every message costs money. Treat tokens like: - Time: Don’t waste - Money: Don’t overspend - Space: Use only what fits

The 3 Principles

1. Be Concise - Say more with less

2. Load Only What’s Needed - Context matters, not everything

3. Cache Frequently - Don’t regenerate what’s cached

Step 1: Model Selection

Step 2: Prompt Optimization

Bad Prompt (500 tokens)

Can you please, if you have time, look at my emails and tell me what they say about my meeting tomorrow and also check if there's anything important I should know about?

Optimized Prompt (50 tokens)

Summarize my emails for tomorrow's meeting.

Same result, 10x less cost.

Prompt Rules

1. Remove filler - No “please”, “if you have time”

2. Be specific - Clear asks, not vague requests

3. One task - Don’t combine multiple tasks

4. Use limits - “Summarize in 3 bullet points”

Step 3: Context Management

Load Only What’s Needed

Bad: Copy entire document

Good: “From section 3 of document.md, what’s the key point?”

Summarize Instead of Full Context

“Summarize the last 50 messages about Project X”

Use File References

{ "context": { "file": "memory/projects/deployclaw.md", "load": "status only" }}

Step 4: Caching

Enable Caching

{ "caching": { "enabled": true, "ttl": "24h", "strategies": ["summaries", "search_results"] }}

What to Cache

· Summaries (don’t regenerate)

· Search results

· Common lookups

· Frequently used info

Step 5: Session Optimization

Concise Responses

Don’t: - Repeat context - Add unnecessary explanations - Use verbose language

Do: - Get to the point - Use bullets - Reference files, don’t copy

Session Reset

Set automatic reset:

{ "session": { "reset": { "mode": "daily", "atHour": 4 } }}

This clears expensive context daily.

Step 6: Budget Alerts

Set Limits

{ "budget": { "daily": "2.00", "alertAt": "1.50", "action": "reduce_quality" }}

Monitor Usage

openclaw usage today

openclaw usage this-week

The Token Optimization Checklist

☐ Use cheapest model for simple tasks

☐ Write concise prompts

☐ Load only needed context

☐ Enable caching

☐ Set session reset

☐ Set budget alerts

Common Mistakes

❌ Using GPT-4 for everything ✅ Use MiniMax for 90% of tasks

❌ Long prompts with filler ✅ Get to the point

❌ Full context always loaded ✅ Load only relevant sections

❌ No caching ✅ Cache summaries and lookups

Exercise

This week: 1. Check your token usage: openclaw usage

2. Identify most expensive tasks

3. Switch to cheaper models where possible

4. Optimize top 3 prompts

Summary

· ✅ Select right model

· ✅ Write concise prompts

· ✅ Manage context

· ✅ Enable caching

· ✅ Optimize sessions

· ✅ Set budget alerts

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