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:
// 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:
- Automatically escalate to sonnet
- If still failing, escalate to opus
- Log escalation for learning
haiku (attempt) → fail → sonnet (retry) → fail → opus (final)
Model Routing v1.0 - Implementing claude-flow's intelligent routing pattern