What is ashlr?
Open-source Codex and Claude Code plugin that cuts token usage on file reads, greps, edits, and shell output — with opt-in telemetry.
ashlr is a Codex and Claude Code plugin that replaces high-volume Read, Grep, Edit, and Bash workflows with lower-token alternatives, tracks what it saves, and surfaces the ledger through MCP tools, CLI commands, Codex skills, and the Claude Code status line.
Mean cross-repo savings: −57% (TypeScript −62%, Python −65%, Rust −44% — measured on vercel/ai, pandas, and tokio). Large-file ashlr__read calls still see the biggest savings. MIT-licensed. Telemetry is off by default and explicit opt-in only. Works with Codex, Claude Code, Cursor, Goose, and generic MCP hosts.
See savings math for the full methodology and how to reproduce with /ashlr-benchmark.
The three-line pitch
- Large file reads are snip-compacted or LLM-summarized — you get head + tail, middle skipped.
- Grep calls route through a per-project genome index when one exists, cutting tokens ~84 % on warm queries.
- Every edit sends only the diff, not the full file.
Install
Then install from the Claude Code marketplace or use the Codex plugin/MCP manifests. See Install for the exact Codex, Claude Code, Cursor, and Goose variants and verification.
What's included
| Layer | What you get |
|---|---|
| 40 MCP tools | Token-efficient file, search, edit, bash, SQL, HTTP, diff, logs, genome, GitHub |
| 34 slash commands + Codex skills | /ashlr-status, /ashlr-savings, /ashlr-tour, plus Codex doctor/savings/genome workflow skills |
| Status surfaces | Claude Code status line, Codex MCP/CLI savings, local stats ledger |
| Genome loop | Auto-extracts architectural knowledge into .ashlrcode/genome/ |
| Savings badge | Embeddable SVG you can drop into your repo README |