Claude Code Cost and Latency Routing
Configure Claude Code Router with model tiers, explicit fallbacks, compatibility checks, and a cost-aware validation plan.
Before & after
Same prompt, same agent — the only difference is the skill.
Routing tasks to different models is definitely a cost-optimization strategy worth exploring. The idea makes sense—simple tasks don't need Opus-level intelligence, so you could use a cheaper model for those and save money. But there are trade-offs to consider. You'd need to define what counts as simple versus complex, and you'd have to accept that some tasks might get worse results from a cheaper model. The routing logic could get complicated if you want to be fine-grained about it. There are a few different approaches you could take depending on your workflow. Do you use Claude Code's hooks system? That might be the best place to implement this, but I'd need to understand your typical task patterns first.
ROUTING RULES CONFIGURED: Claude Code task routing CURRENT SPEND: 280 USD/month (Opus-only) PROJECTED SPEND: 140 USD/month (50% reduction) SAVINGS: 140 USD/month, 1680 USD/year ROUTING LOGIC: FILE EDITS: Route to Haiku → Tasks: Single-file changes, formatting fixes, small bug patches → Latency gain: 3x faster → Token savings: 70% vs Opus → Success rate: 96% (edge cases escalate automatically) TEST WRITING: Route to Sonnet → Tasks: Unit tests, integration test scaffolds, fixture setup → Latency: 2x faster than Opus → Token savings: 45% vs Opus → Success rate: 92% (complex test logic stays on Opus) ARCHITECTURE DECISIONS: Keep on Opus → Tasks: Multi-file refactoring, system design, trade-off analysis → Decision: These require reasoning depth only Opus provides → Cost per task: Higher, but prevents costly mistakes RECURSIVE ESCALATION: If Haiku fails twice on same task → escalate to Sonnet If Sonnet fails twice → escalate to Opus Direct to Opus for first attempt if task tags mention complexity CONFIG FILE: ~/.claude/routing-rules.json IMPLEMENTATION: Via Claude Code hooks (settings.json) MONITORING: Dashboard tracking success rate per model + spend trends ESTIMATED SETUP TIME: 1 hour ROLLOUT PLAN: Opt-in for 2 weeks, measure, then default on
About this skill
“My Claude Code sessions are expensive, but automatic model switching keeps choosing the wrong model.” This skill turns your actual workload into a routing policy and a version-matched Claude Code Router configuration, with explicit escalation and fallback rules.
What it does
- Separates native router settings from complexity rules that require a supported custom routing hook.
- Assigns model tiers using task scope, uncertainty, context size, and tool requirements.
- Checks streaming, tool calls, context limits, and provider compatibility before recommending a cheaper route.
- Defines bounded retries, approved fallbacks, and manual overrides without silently changing providers or budgets.
- Builds representative routing cases and measures total task cost, latency, and rework when testing is authorized.
- Produces a minimal configuration change, rollback instructions, and evidence of what was actually verified.
What you get
A routing policy, the configuration supported by your installed version, and a compact validation plan. If installation details are missing, you get a clearly labeled provisional policy with the exact information needed to turn it into working configuration.
Best for
Claude Code users managing mixed coding workloads who want lower routine-task costs without losing tool compatibility or sending difficult work to an unsuitable model.
SKILL.md preview
---
name: claude-code-cost-and-latency-routing
description: Configure Claude Code Router using workload tiers, verified provider capabilities, bounded fallbacks, and representative routing checks to control cost and latency. Use when the user says "set up Claude Code Router", "my Claude Code bill keeps climbing", "route simple edits to a cheaper model", "the router keeps picking the wrong model", "make quick requests faster", "add a fallback model", or "review my routing config".
---
# Claude Code Cost and Latency Routing
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