/ashlr-lean-tools
Highest-impact token-saving habits for Claude Code tool use. Read-once, batch edits, orient-before-search, skip verification reads, grep-before-read, concise output at high spend. Reduces session token cost 30–60%.
/ashlr-lean-tools is an opt-in discipline skill that eliminates the most common token-waste patterns in long Claude Code sessions. Each rule targets one specific anti-pattern.
Quick start
Natural-language triggers also work: "use lean tool habits", "stop re-reading files".
Rules
| Rule | What it prevents |
|---|---|
| Read-once | Re-reading a file already in context — the single largest source of avoidable input-token spend |
Batch edits via ashlr__multi_edit | Sequential single-file edits; 2+ edits to the same file become one round-trip |
| Orient before searching | Running grep or glob before a task-start ashlr__orient call |
| Skip verification reads after edit/write | Reading a file just to confirm an edit that already returned a diff |
| Grep-before-read | Opening a file to find something when ashlr__grep would have returned the relevant lines directly |
| Shift to concise output at high spend | Preamble and trailing summaries when session output has exceeded ~5,000 tokens |
Prefer ashlr__bash for verbose commands | Native Bash on commands with large stdout (test runners, git log, find, npm ls) |
When to enable
ashlr-lean-tools is most valuable in:
- Multi-file refactors (read-once + batch edits compound)
- Long debugging sessions (grep-before-read + skip verification reads)
- Any session where you expect to touch the same files repeatedly
It is redundant for single-file sessions shorter than ~10 tool calls.
Persistence
The active state persists across sessions in ~/.ashlr/lean-tools.json:
Related
/ashlr-search— genome-aware search habits (subset of lean-tools, search-specific)/ashlr-cost-refactor— structured discipline for refactoring tasks specifically/ashlr-efficient— output structure reshaping (answer-first, tables, no filler)/ashlr-brief— prose volume reduction (works alongside lean-tools)