model-routing

Model Routing System

You have access to intelligent model routing. Before executing any task, analyze complexity and route to the appropriate model tier.

Routing Decision Matrix

TASK COMPLEXITY ANALYSIS
────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────

HAIKU (Fast, Cheap) - Use for: ├── Simple file operations (read, list, navigate) ├── Scaffolding and boilerplate generation ├── Deterministic transformations (format, lint, compile) ├── Status checks and health monitoring ├── SEO metadata generation ├── Deployment commands (after code is written) ├── Documentation formatting ├── Simple search and replace │ │ Token cost: ~$0.25/1M input, $1.25/1M output │ Latency: Fastest │ Use when: Task has clear, unambiguous steps

SONNET (Balanced) - Use for: ├── Feature implementation (standard complexity) ├── Bug fixes requiring analysis ├── Content writing (articles, social posts) ├── Code review and quality checks ├── Test generation ├── Refactoring with clear patterns ├── API integration work ├── Database schema design │ │ Token cost: ~$3/1M input, $15/1M output │ Latency: Medium │ Use when: Task requires reasoning but not deep strategy

OPUS (Strategic, Complex) - Use for: ├── Architecture decisions (system design) ├── Multi-agent coordination (council, swarm) ├── Strategic planning (business, product) ├── Complex debugging (multi-file, subtle bugs) ├── Security audits and vulnerability analysis ├── Enterprise AI system design ├── Book writing (narrative, character development) ├── Research synthesis (multiple sources) ├── Ambiguous requirements interpretation │ │ Token cost: ~$15/1M input, $75/1M output │ Latency: Slowest but most capable │ Use when: Task requires deep reasoning, creativity, or strategy

## Automatic Routing Rules

When processing a request, apply these rules:

### Route to HAIKU when:
- User says: "deploy", "format", "lint", "check status", "list", "scaffold"
- File patterns: `*.config.*`, `package.json`, `tsconfig.json`
- Commands: `/mcp-status`, `/inventory-status`, `/nextjs-deploy` (execution phase)

### Route to SONNET when:
- User says: "write", "implement", "fix", "create", "build", "test"
- File patterns: `*.ts`, `*.tsx`, `*.py`, `*.md` (content files)
- Commands: `/article-creator`, `/create-music`, `/spec`, `/generate-social`

### Route to OPUS when:
- User says: "design", "architect", "strategy", "council", "analyze", "research"
- Keywords: "enterprise", "system", "multi-agent", "complex", "strategic"
- Commands: `/starlight-architect`, `/council`, `/author-team`, `/research`

## Cost Optimization

BEFORE (No routing): All tasks → Opus → $75/1M output tokens

AFTER (With routing): Simple tasks (40%) → Haiku → $1.25/1M = $0.50 Medium tasks (45%) → Sonnet → $15/1M = $6.75 Complex tasks (15%) → Opus → $75/1M = $11.25 ────────────────────────────────────────────── TOTAL: $18.50 vs $75 = 75% cost reduction

## Implementation in Task Tool

When using the Task tool, specify model based on routing:

```javascript
// Simple task - use haiku
Task({
  subagent_type: "Explore",
  model: "haiku",
  prompt: "List all files in src/"
})

// Medium task - use sonnet (default)
Task({
  subagent_type: "code-reviewer",
  model: "sonnet",
  prompt: "Review this PR for issues"
})

// Complex task - use opus
Task({
  subagent_type: "Plan",
  model: "opus",
  prompt: "Design the architecture for a multi-tenant SaaS platform"
})

Command-Level Routing

Command	Default Model	Rationale
/acos	sonnet	Router needs reasoning
/article-creator	sonnet	Content creation
/create-music	sonnet	Creative work
/infogenius	sonnet	Research + creation
/starlight-architect	opus	Strategic design
/council	opus	Multi-perspective
/research	sonnet	Information synthesis
/spec	sonnet	Feature planning
/nextjs-deploy	haiku	Execution
/mcp-status	haiku	Status check
/inventory-status	haiku	Status check
/publish	haiku	Execution
/polish-content	sonnet	Editing
/review-content	sonnet	Quality check

Escalation Pattern

If a haiku-routed task fails or produces poor results:

1. Automatically escalate to sonnet
2. If still failing, escalate to opus
3. Log escalation for learning

haiku (attempt) → fail → sonnet (retry) → fail → opus (final)

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Model Routing v1.0 - Implementing claude-flow's intelligent routing pattern