Save usage
Run on gpt-5.1-codex-mini only for safe/negligible work. Use gpt-5.3-codex when the task actually needs it. Avoid external API keys unless absolutely necessary.
CRITICAL: Classify First, Then Act
Before generating ANY response, you MUST:
- Check: does this task match ANY escalation trigger below?
- If YES → call
sessions_spawn() IMMEDIATELY. Do NOT attempt to answer yourself.
- If NO → respond directly on the current model.
When in doubt, escalate. A wrong escalation costs little. A wrong “mini” answer can waste time or cause damage.
Rule of Thumb
If anything will be executed, or the outcome matters, escalate.
When to Escalate → MUST call sessions_spawn
If the task matches ANY of the following, do NOT answer yourself.
Instead, IMMEDIATELY call:
sessions_spawn(
message: "<the full task description>",
model: "gpt-5.3-codex",
label: "<short task label>"
)
Escalation triggers (always)
- Executed output — any tool runs, code changes, patches, shell commands, infra steps
- Security / auth / secrets — threat modeling, permissions, tokens, keys, access control
- Architecture & migrations — multi-epic plans, brownfield refactors, infra+product coupling
- Integration/contract work — schema mapping, ordering, idempotency, retries, consistency
- Uncertainty remains — ambiguity after 1 pass, contradictions, missing constraints
- High-impact decisions — hard to reverse, expensive/subtle failure modes, 2+ domains affected
- Complex reasoning — long dependency chains, multi-step analysis, nontrivial trade-offs
- Structured deliverables — tables, outlines, reports/proposals, long writing, specs
Reasoning escalation (within gpt-5.3-codex)
- Default: LOW/MEDIUM
- Escalate to HIGH/EXTRA HIGH if 2+ are true:
- decision is hard to reverse
- affects 2+ domains (infra/data/security/ops/cost)
- failure modes are subtle/expensive
- requires long dependency-chain reasoning
NEVER do this on gpt-5.1-codex-mini
- NEVER output steps that will be executed (tools, code, commands) — escalate
- NEVER do security/auth/secrets — escalate
- NEVER do architecture, migrations, brownfield refactors — escalate
- NEVER do integration contracts or schema choreography — escalate
- NEVER produce structured deliverables (tables/outlines/reports/specs) — escalate
- NEVER make high-impact decisions or complex reasoning chains — escalate
If you catch yourself taking responsibility for correctness or safety, STOP and call sessions_spawn instead.
When to Stay on gpt-5.1-codex-mini
Only if safe/negligible and non-executable:
- Intent routing / triage — classify, choose agent/model/reasoning
- Summaries & extraction — key points, action items, fields, dedupe
- Reformatting — convert to markdown/YAML/JSON templates (non-executable)
- Prompt drafts — write a prompt for a stronger agent/model to run
- Simple Q&A — definitions, short explanations, short translations, unit conversions
- Casual chat — greetings, short acknowledgments
Keep mini replies concise.
Save even more: de-escalate
If a conversation was escalated to gpt-5.3-codex but the follow-up is clearly safe/negligible and non-executable, switch back to gpt-5.1-codex-mini.
Return the result directly. Do NOT mention the model switch unless the user asks.
Why the description field is so long
The Clawdbot skill system only injects the frontmatter description field
into the system prompt — the body of SKILL.md is not automatically
included. The model may optionally read the full file, but it is not
guaranteed. Because this is a behavioral skill (changing how the model
routes every message) rather than a tool skill (teaching CLI commands), the
core routing logic must live in the description so the model always sees it.
The body above serves as extended documentation: detailed trigger lists,
reasoning levels, and usage tips that the model can reference if it
reads the file.
TL;DR: description = what the model always sees. body = reference docs.
1---2name: save-usage3description: Auto-detect task complexity for OpenAI oAuth models (gpt-5.1-codex-mini + gpt-5.3-codex). Route only safe/negligible tasks to gpt-5.1-codex-mini. Use gpt-5.3-codex for anything executed, uncertain, or high-impact. RULES: Classify first. Default model: gpt-5.3-codex. Use gpt-5.1-codex-mini ONLY for safe triage/summarize/extract/reformat/dedupe/prompt-drafts/non-executable Q&A. NEVER use mini for security, auth, secrets, architecture, migrations, brownfield refactors, integration contracts, schema mapping, ordering/idempotency/retries, code changes, tool runs, or decisions that are hard to reverse. Reasoning: start LOW for mini. For 5.3-codex use LOW/MEDIUM by default; escalate to HIGH/EXTRA HIGH when 2+ are true: hard to reverse, affects 2+ domains (infra/data/security/ops/cost), subtle/expensive failure modes, long dependency-chain reasoning. ESCALATE immediately to gpt-5.3-codex if any: output will be executed (tools/code), ambiguity remains after 1 pass, contradictions found, or requirements are multi-const4---5
6# Save usage
7
8Run on **gpt-5.1-codex-mini** only for safe/negligible work. Use **gpt-5.3-codex** when the task actually needs it. Avoid external API keys unless absolutely necessary.
9
10## CRITICAL: Classify First, Then Act
11
12Before generating ANY response, you MUST:
13
141. Check: does this task match ANY escalation trigger below?
152. If YES → call `sessions_spawn()` IMMEDIATELY. Do NOT attempt to answer yourself.
163. If NO → respond directly on the current model.
17
18When in doubt, escalate. A wrong escalation costs little. A wrong “mini” answer can waste time or cause damage.
19
20## Rule of Thumb
21
22> If anything will be executed, or the outcome matters, escalate.
23
24## When to Escalate → MUST call sessions_spawn
25
26If the task matches ANY of the following, do NOT answer yourself.
27Instead, IMMEDIATELY call:
28
29
30
31```
32sessions_spawn(
33 message: "<the full task description>",
34 model: "gpt-5.3-codex",
35 label: "<short task label>"
36)
37```
38
39
40### Escalation triggers (always)
41
42- **Executed output** — any tool runs, code changes, patches, shell commands, infra steps
43- **Security / auth / secrets** — threat modeling, permissions, tokens, keys, access control
44- **Architecture & migrations** — multi-epic plans, brownfield refactors, infra+product coupling
45- **Integration/contract work** — schema mapping, ordering, idempotency, retries, consistency
46- **Uncertainty remains** — ambiguity after 1 pass, contradictions, missing constraints
47- **High-impact decisions** — hard to reverse, expensive/subtle failure modes, 2+ domains affected
48- **Complex reasoning** — long dependency chains, multi-step analysis, nontrivial trade-offs
49- **Structured deliverables** — tables, outlines, reports/proposals, long writing, specs
50
51### Reasoning escalation (within gpt-5.3-codex)
52
53- Default: **LOW/MEDIUM**
54- Escalate to **HIGH/EXTRA HIGH** if 2+ are true:
55 - decision is hard to reverse
56 - affects 2+ domains (infra/data/security/ops/cost)
57 - failure modes are subtle/expensive
58 - requires long dependency-chain reasoning
59
60## NEVER do this on gpt-5.1-codex-mini
61
62- NEVER output steps that will be executed (tools, code, commands) — escalate
63- NEVER do security/auth/secrets — escalate
64- NEVER do architecture, migrations, brownfield refactors — escalate
65- NEVER do integration contracts or schema choreography — escalate
66- NEVER produce structured deliverables (tables/outlines/reports/specs) — escalate
67- NEVER make high-impact decisions or complex reasoning chains — escalate
68
69If you catch yourself taking responsibility for correctness or safety, STOP and call `sessions_spawn` instead.
70
71## When to Stay on gpt-5.1-codex-mini
72
73Only if safe/negligible and non-executable:
74
75- **Intent routing / triage** — classify, choose agent/model/reasoning
76- **Summaries & extraction** — key points, action items, fields, dedupe
77- **Reformatting** — convert to markdown/YAML/JSON templates (non-executable)
78- **Prompt drafts** — write a prompt for a stronger agent/model to run
79- **Simple Q&A** — definitions, short explanations, short translations, unit conversions
80- **Casual chat** — greetings, short acknowledgments
81
82Keep mini replies concise.
83
84## Save even more: de-escalate
85
86If a conversation was escalated to gpt-5.3-codex but the follow-up is clearly safe/negligible and non-executable, switch back to gpt-5.1-codex-mini.
87
88Return the result directly. Do NOT mention the model switch unless the user asks.
89
90## Why the description field is so long
91
92The Clawdbot skill system only injects the frontmatter `description` field
93into the system prompt — the body of SKILL.md is **not** automatically
94included. The model may optionally `read` the full file, but it is not
95guaranteed. Because this is a **behavioral skill** (changing how the model
96routes every message) rather than a tool skill (teaching CLI commands), the
97core routing logic must live in the description so the model always sees it.
98
99The body above serves as extended documentation: detailed trigger lists,
100reasoning levels, and usage tips that the model can reference if it
101reads the file.
102
103**TL;DR:** `description` = what the model always sees. `body` = reference docs.
104
105---