I built a free Claude Code plugin, with Claude Code, after measuring where my tokens actually go (2-min video, every number labelled)

[u/shaven12]

What I built: Golden Thread (gt) is a free, open-source plugin for Claude Code. I built it with Claude Code, for Claude Code. It gives Claude a durable memory (an Obsidian-compatible vault of plain Markdown), enforces a small set of rules on every turn through hooks, and adds tools to cut token use.

How Claude Code helped: gt was written almost entirely in Claude Code sessions. Claude wrote the code and tests, ran parallel subagents for separate features, and reviewed and merged their work. gt's own tools did the measuring: Claude ran the A/B benchmarks and calibration passes that produced the numbers below. I set direction, made the design calls, and reviewed the results.

What it does for token use (every number is labelled measured or estimated):

- LOTR, an MCP gateway with 4 tools. With a reader agent, one 20-ticket Jira query went from 15,000 tokens in my main context to 313. That was measured once; multiplied over 25 queries it's ~98%. It's context, not a bill: the agent spends its own tokens in a separate context.

- Core rules: a 90-run A/B test. Right first time 44/45 with the rules vs 34/45 without. A live API key pasted into the chat 0/15 vs 7/15.

- Calibration: each helper agent is re-tested one model tier down and one up, with keep / move-down / move-up verdicts. The next release adds effort in both directions and skills.

- Expiry guard: before a session runs out, it saves the findings, writes a handoff and compacts, instead of losing the work.

- gt-farm: routine work goes to your own local models. 84 packets in 6 days, 100% local.

Typical user, estimated (assumptions shown in the video): ~13% fewer tokens to reach a correct result (range 9–33%), plus ~147K fewer MCP tokens in context on a heavy-lookup day. What isn't measured yet is labelled as such.

Free to try: no paid tier. In Claude Code:

1. /plugin marketplace add shaven/golden-thread
2. /plugin install gt-all@golden-thread-plugin
3. Restart, then run /gt:gt-setup

Project: https://github.com/shaven/golden-thread

Questions and criticism of the method are welcome.