# Smart Router > The first OpenClaw skill that automatically routes requests to optimal models based on complexity analysis and budget constraints. Stops you from wasting money on expensive models for simple tasks.... - Skill: `modbender/smart-router-2` (Agent Skill, multi-file: 21 files) - Install (CLI): `npx skillmds@latest add modbender/smart-router-2` - Raw SKILL.md: https://api.skillmd.com/api/skills/modbender/smart-router-2/raw - Safety review: pending - Works with: Claude Code, Claude.ai, OpenAI Codex - Category: Finance & Business - Author: modbender (https://skillmd.com/u/modbender) - Updated: 2026-09-21 - Page: https://skillmd.com/skills/modbender/smart-router-2 --- # OpenClaw Smart Router **Save 30-50% on model costs through intelligent, automatic model selection.** ## What is it? The first OpenClaw skill that **automatically routes requests to optimal models** based on complexity analysis and budget constraints. Stops you from wasting money on expensive models for simple tasks. Learns from your usage patterns and gets smarter over time. ## Key Features - 🎯 **30-50% Cost Savings** - Automatic model selection based on task complexity - 🧠 **Complexity Analysis** - Scores tasks 0.0-1.0 and selects appropriate model - 💰 **Budget Awareness** - Respects spending limits and cost targets - 📊 **Pattern Learning** - Learns which models work best for your tasks - 🔄 **Multi-Provider** - Works with Anthropic, OpenAI, Google, and more - 💸 **x402 Payments** - Agents can pay for unlimited routing (0.5 USDT/month) ## Free vs Pro Tier **Free Tier:** - 100 routing decisions per day - Automatic complexity analysis - Basic model selection - Cost tracking **Pro Tier (0.5 USDT/month):** - Unlimited routing decisions - Advanced pattern learning - Custom routing rules - Detailed analytics and ROI tracking - Budget optimization ## Installation ```bash claw skill install openclaw-smart-router ``` ## Commands ```bash # View routing stats claw router stats # Analyze complexity claw router analyze "Your task description..." # View routing history claw router history --limit=10 # Show cost savings claw router savings # Open dashboard claw router dashboard # Subscribe to Pro claw router subscribe ``` ## How It Works 1. **Intercepts requests** - Hooks before each API call 2. **Analyzes complexity** - Scores task from 0.0 (simple) to 1.0 (expert) 3. **Checks budget** - Considers spending limits 4. **Selects model** - Chooses optimal model: - Simple (0.0-0.3) → Haiku/GPT-3.5 - Medium (0.3-0.6) → Sonnet/GPT-4-Turbo - Complex (0.6-0.8) → Opus/GPT-4 - Expert (0.8-1.0) → Opus/GPT-4 5. **Routes request** - Sends to selected model 6. **Learns from result** - Tracks success and adapts ## Complexity Scoring **What makes a task complex?** - Context length (more context = higher complexity) - Code presence (code analysis scores higher) - Error messages (debugging is complex) - Task type (writing < coding < reasoning < research) - Question complexity (multiple parts, nested logic) - Specificity (vague requests need stronger models) **Examples:** Simple (0.0-0.3) → Haiku: - "What's the current time?" - "Format this JSON" - "Fix typo in variable name" Medium (0.3-0.6) → Sonnet: - "Refactor this class to use interfaces" - "Write unit tests for this function" - "Explain how React hooks work" Complex (0.6-0.8) → Opus: - "Debug this multi-threaded race condition" - "Design a scalable caching strategy" - "Optimize this algorithm for performance" Expert (0.8-1.0) → Opus: - "Design a distributed system architecture" - "Solve this novel algorithmic problem" - "Research and synthesize from multiple sources" ## Use Cases - Reduce model costs by 30-50% automatically - Stop manually switching between models - Budget-aware routing for cost control - Learn optimal model selection from patterns - Track spending and ROI over time ## Cost Savings Examples ### Example 1: Development Work ``` Without Smart Router: - 100 requests/day to Opus - $0.015 per request - Monthly: $45 With Smart Router: - 30 requests to Haiku ($0.90) - 50 requests to Sonnet ($7.50) - 20 requests to Opus ($9.00) - Monthly: $17.40 Savings: $27.60/month (61%) ``` ### Example 2: Customer Support ``` Without Smart Router: - 500 requests/day to GPT-4 - Monthly: $300 With Smart Router: - 400 to GPT-3.5 ($24) - 80 to GPT-4-Turbo ($24) - 20 to GPT-4 ($12) - Monthly: $60 Savings: $240/month (80%) ``` ## Agent Economy Agents can autonomously evaluate if Pro tier is worth it: - **Cost:** 0.5 USDT/month - **Value:** Saves 30-50% on model costs - **ROI:** If saves >0.5 USDT/month, it pays for itself **Example ROI:** ``` Agent making 100 requests/day: - Without router: $45/month - With router: $17.40/month - Savings: $27.60/month - Pro cost: $0.50/month - Net profit: $27.10/month - ROI: 5,420% ``` **Economic rationale:** If routing decisions save more than 0.5 USDT/month in model costs, Pro tier pays for itself. Agent can autonomously pay via x402 without human approval. See [AGENT-PAYMENTS.md](AGENT-PAYMENTS.md) for x402 integration details. ## Pattern Learning Smart Router learns from your usage: **Example Learning:** ``` Pattern detected: "Debug Python errors" History: Haiku failed 3 times, Sonnet succeeded 5 times Learning: Always use Sonnet+ for Python debugging Next time: "Debug this Python error..." → Automatically routes to Sonnet instead of Haiku ``` **What it learns:** - Task-based patterns (debugging, refactoring, writing) - Complexity patterns (what works at different levels) - Budget patterns (when to downgrade, when quality matters) - Provider patterns (which providers work best for your tasks) ## Integration with Other Tools ### Memory System - Stores routing patterns as persistent memories - Recalls successful model selections across sessions - Maximum learning efficiency ### Context Optimizer - Combine for 60-80% total cost reduction - Compress context (40-60% token savings) - Route to cheaper model (30-50% cost savings) - Together = maximum efficiency ### Cost Governor - Smart Router optimizes model selection - Cost Governor enforces hard spending limits - Together = maximum cost control ```bash # Install full efficiency suite claw skill install openclaw-memory claw skill install openclaw-context-optimizer claw skill install openclaw-smart-router ``` ## Privacy - All data stored locally in `~/.openclaw/openclaw-smart-router/` - No external servers or telemetry - Routing happens locally (no API calls) - Open source - audit the code yourself ## Dashboard Access web UI at `http://localhost:9093`: - Real-time routing decisions - Complexity distribution chart - Model selection breakdown - Cost savings over time - ROI calculation - Pattern learning insights - Budget tracking - License status ## ROI Tracking Smart Router automatically calculates return on investment: ```bash $ claw router savings Cost Analysis (Last 30 Days) ──────────────────────────────── Routing decisions: 2,847 Average complexity: 0.45 Model distribution: - Haiku: 42% ($3.60) - Sonnet: 49% ($21.00) - Opus: 9% ($11.12) Total actual cost: $35.72 Without Smart Router: $128.12 Savings: $92.40 (72%) Pro cost: $0.50/month Net profit: $91.90/month ROI: 18,380% 🎉 ``` ## Requirements - Node.js 18+ - OpenClaw v2026.1.30+ - OS: Windows, macOS, Linux - Optional: OpenClaw Memory System (recommended) - Optional: OpenClaw Context Optimizer (highly recommended) ## API Reference ```bash # Analyze complexity POST /api/analyze { "agent_wallet": "0x...", "query": "Task description...", "context_length": 1500 } # Response: { "complexity": 0.65, "recommended_model": "claude-sonnet-4-5", "recommended_provider": "anthropic", "estimated_cost": 0.008, "reasoning": "Medium complexity code task" } # Get routing stats GET /api/stats?agent_wallet=0x... # Get savings analysis GET /api/savings?agent_wallet=0x... # Get learned patterns GET /api/patterns?agent_wallet=0x... # x402 payment endpoints POST /api/x402/subscribe POST /api/x402/verify GET /api/x402/license/:wallet ``` ## Budget Awareness Smart Router respects your spending limits: **Budget levels:** - Per-request max ($0.50 default) - Daily limit ($5.00 default) - Monthly limit ($100.00 default) **Budget strategies:** - Conservative: Prefer cheaper models when viable - Balanced: Use recommended model, respect hard limits - Quality-First: Prioritize best model, soft budget constraints **Budget constraint handling:** ``` IF daily_limit_reached: → Downgrade to cheapest viable model → Warn user about constraint → Log budget event ``` ## Supported Models **Anthropic:** - claude-haiku-4-5 (simple) - claude-sonnet-4-5 (medium) - claude-opus-4-5 (complex) **OpenAI:** - gpt-3.5-turbo (simple) - gpt-4-turbo (medium) - gpt-4 (complex) **Google:** - gemini-1.5-flash (simple) - gemini-1.5-pro (medium/complex) **Custom providers:** - Easily configure your own models and costs ## Statistics Example ``` Smart Router Stats (30 Days) ──────────────────────────────── Total decisions: 2,847 Avg complexity: 0.45 Complexity breakdown: - Simple (0.0-0.3): 42% - Medium (0.3-0.6): 37% - Complex (0.6-0.8): 15% - Expert (0.8-1.0): 6% Model distribution: - Haiku: 1,200 (42%) - Sonnet: 1,400 (49%) - Opus: 247 (9%) Cost: $35.72 (vs $128.12 without) Savings: 72% ($92.40/month) Pattern learning: - 23 patterns identified - 94% success rate - 342 pattern applications ``` ## Economic Rationale **Should you upgrade to Pro?** Calculate your potential savings: ``` Current requests/day × Avg cost per request = Monthly cost Apply 30-50% savings = Amount saved If saved amount > 0.5 USDT/month → Pro pays for itself ``` **Typical savings:** - Light usage (10-20 req/day): $3-8/month → $2.50-7.50 profit - Medium usage (50-100 req/day): $20-45/month → $19.50-44.50 profit - Heavy usage (200+ req/day): $100+/month → $99.50+ profit **ROI gets better with scale.** ## Links - [Full Documentation](README.md) - [Routing Guide](ROUTING-GUIDE.md) - [Agent Payments Guide](AGENT-PAYMENTS.md) - [GitHub Repository](https://github.com/AtlasPA/openclaw-smart-router) - [ClawHub Page](https://clawhub.ai/skills/smart-router) --- **Built by the OpenClaw community** | First smart model router with x402 payments