Rtk

RTK — Token-Optimized CLI

RTK is a CLI proxy that filters and compresses command outputs before they reach the LLM context, saving 60-90% tokens. Its use is NOT optional — it must be used for ALL applicable shell commands.

Usage

Always prefix shell commands with rtk:

# Instead of:              Use:
git status                 rtk git status
git log -10                rtk git log -10
ls -la                     rtk ls
find . -name "*.py"        rtk find . -name "*.py"
grep -r "pattern" .         rtk grep -r "pattern" .
docker ps                  rtk docker ps
docker logs <ctr>          rtk docker logs <ctr>
npm test                   rtk test npm test
pytest                     rtk test pytest
cat file.json              rtk json file.json
diff a.txt b.txt           rtk diff a.txt b.txt

When NOT to use RTK

• Installing packages (brew install, pip install, npm install)
• Interactive TTY commands
• rtk meta commands themselves
• ICM commands (icm store, icm recall, etc.)
• specify commands

Commands that bypass RTK

The PreToolUse hook (rtk-rewrite.json) automatically enforces RTK prefixing. Some commands are whitelisted:

• icm, specify, rtk, cd, corepack, pnpm, chmod, mkdir, echo, true

Token Savings Dashboard

rtk gain              # Show token savings
rtk gain --history    # Per-command savings history
rtk discover          # Find missed RTK opportunities