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
code
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
code
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:
javascript
// 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
code
haiku (attempt) → fail → sonnet (retry) → fail → opus (final)
Model Routing v1.0 - Implementing claude-flow's intelligent routing pattern