api-cost-optimizer

# API Cost Optimizer Diagnose, estimate, and optimize LLM API costs for OpenClaw agents running 24/7. ## What This Skill Does - **Estimates API spend** from agent configuration (model, heartbeat interval, task complexity) - **Diagnoses heartbeat waste** — the #1 cause of runaway API bills - **Counts and categorizes tools** the agent has access to - **Produces a cost report** with prioritized recommendations - **Estimates time-to-payback** for any recommended changes ## The Problem This Solves Documented cases show agents burning **$8–$250 per week** in API costs due to misconfigured heartbeats and inefficient task patterns. A properly tuned heartbeat alone can reduce costs by 60–90%. ## Environment Variables | Variable | Required | Default | Description | |----------|----------|---------|-------------| | `API_COST_MODEL` | No | `openai` | Provider: `openai`, `anthropic`, `minimax`, `lmstudio` | | `API_COST_INTERVAL` | No | `weekly` | Report interval: `daily`, `weekly`, `monthly` | | `HEARTBEAT_INTERVAL` | No | `auto` | Override heartbeat interval in seconds (auto-detect if not set) | | `MODEL_PRICE_INPUT` | No | auto | Price per 1M input tokens (auto-selected by provider) | | `MODEL_PRICE_OUTPUT` | No | auto | Price per 1M output tokens (auto-selected by provider) | ## Provider Default Pricing (per 1M tokens) | Provider | Model | Input | Output | |----------|-------|-------|--------| | OpenAI | GPT-4o | $2.50 | $10.00 | | OpenAI | GPT-4o-mini | $0.15 | $0.60 | | OpenAI | GPT-4-turbo | $10.00 | $30.00 | | Anthropic | Claude 3.5 Sonnet | $3.00 | $15.00 | | Anthropic | Claude 3 Opus | $15.00 | $75.00 | | MiniMax | MiniMax-M2 | $0.10 | $0.10 | | MiniMax | MiniMax-M2.1 | $0.20 | $0.40 | ## Scripts ### analyze.sh — Full Cost Analysis Runs a complete cost diagnostic on the current OpenClaw configuration. ```bash ./scripts/analyze.sh ``` **Output:** Detailed markdown report with: - Estimated API spend (daily / weekly / monthly) - Heartbeat cost analysis - Tool count risk factor - Top 3 cost reduction recommendations - Estimated savings after optimization ### heartbeat_diagnosis.sh — Find Heartbeat Waste Checks OpenClaw heartbeat configuration and calculates wasted API calls. ```bash ./scripts/heartbeat_diagnosis.sh ``` **Output:** Heartbeat efficiency score (0–100%), wasted calls per day, estimated annual waste. ### estimate.sh — Quick Cost Estimate One-shot estimate with optional custom parameters. ```bash ./scripts/estimate.sh <heartbeat_seconds> <tasks_per_day> <avg_input_tokens> <avg_output_tokens> ``` **Output:** Daily, weekly, and monthly cost estimates for the given parameters. ## Cost Reduction Recommendations Priority order: 1. **Increase heartbeat interval** — If heartbeat is under 5 minutes, increase to 10–30 min for idle agents 2. **Switch to cheaper model** — MiniMax M2 at $0.10/1M is 25x cheaper than GPT-4o for most tasks 3. **Batch tasks** — Run 5–10 tasks per session instead of 1 task per heartbeat cycle 4. **Cache responses** — Use memory skills to avoid repeated context 5. **Disable verbose logging** — Reduces token churn in long conversations ## Usage Example ```bash # Full analysis with MiniMax pricing export API_COST_MODEL=minimax ./scripts/analyze.sh # Quick estimate ./scripts/estimate.sh 300 20 8000 2000 # Heartbeat-only diagnosis ./scripts/heartbeat_diagnosis.sh ``` ## Notes - Estimates are based on configuration analysis, not live API metering - For actual spend tracking, enable provider cost logs and compare - MiniMax models offer best price/performance for volume workloads - Heartbeat waste is typically the single largest cost lever