# Rescue Tokens

> Use when user hits rate limits, quota exceeded errors, context exceeds 40%, or exhibits token waste symptoms (long conversations, wrong model, verbose output, MCP bloat, cache invalidation, expensive files, too many requests)

- **Type:** Skill
- **Install:** `agentstack add skill-valorisa-claude-skills-rescue-tokens`
- **Verified:** Yes — security-reviewed for prompt injection and unsafe behavior
- **Seller:** [valorisa](https://agentstack.voostack.com/s/valorisa)
- **Installs:** 0
- **Category:** [AI & ML](https://agentstack.voostack.com/c/ai-and-ml)
- **Latest version:** 0.1.0
- **License:** MIT
- **Upstream author:** [valorisa](https://github.com/valorisa)
- **Source:** https://github.com/valorisa/Claude-Skills/tree/main/skills/rescue-tokens
- **Website:** https://resources.anthropic.com/hubfs/The-Complete-Guide-to-Building-Skill-for-Claude.pdf

## Install

```sh
agentstack add skill-valorisa-claude-skills-rescue-tokens
```

Requires the [AgentStack CLI](https://agentstack.voostack.com/docs/cli). Works with Claude Code, Cursor, and any MCP-compatible agent.

## About

# Rescue Tokens

## Overview

**Core principle:** Token exhaustion masquerades as "rate limit" errors. Nine patterns waste tokens silently. Detect symptoms, act immediately with zero explanation overhead.

## Emergency Red Flags

**STOP and act if ONE OR MORE present (OR logic):**

- Rate limit warnings ⚠️
- Context ≥40% full ⚠️
- $20-$100/month plan after 2pm ⚠️
- Conversation >90 minutes old ⚠️
- 5+ MCP plugins loaded ⚠️
- User says "don't lose context" ⚠️
- Opus 4.7 for simple tasks ⚠️

**Each flag ALONE triggers emergency mode. These are emergencies, not optimizations.**

**Examples:**

- Context 15% + rate limit warning → EMERGENCY (1 flag)
- Context 45% + no rate limit → EMERGENCY (1 flag)
- Context 9% + no rate limit + Sonnet → NOT emergency (0 flags)

## Action Matrix (No User Confirmation)

| Symptom | Action | Rationalization to Counter |
|---------|--------|---------------------------|
| Context 40-70% | `/compact` key facts, continue | "User wants to keep context" → most context is waste |
| Context >70% | New conversation, 3-sentence handoff | "I'll lose important details" → fresh perspective > bloated history |
| Rate limit + urgent task | Sub-agent in Sonnet immediately | "Let me ask which approach" → no time, just act |
| Opus 4.7 for CRUD/refactor | Switch to Sonnet now | "Opus is higher quality" → Sonnet excels at implementation |
| PDF/image attached | Ask for text/key excerpts | "User wants me to read it all" → 10-50x token cost |
| 5+ MCPs loaded | `/mcp` disable unused | "They might be needed" → check usage, disable proactively |
| Sub-agent requested for shared context | Refuse, explain in  "Sequential in main thread" [label="yes"];
    "Task needs shared context?" -> "Sub-agent for isolation" [label="no"];
}
```

### 9. Message vs Token Confusion

**Reality:** Plans count messages, but tokens are the real cost. Long Opus conversation = 50+ short Sonnet messages.

## Common Rationalizations

| Excuse | Reality |
|--------|---------|
| "Let me ask which approach they prefer" | Under rate limit, asking costs tokens. Decide and act. |
| "I'll explain why this saves tokens" | Explanations burn the tokens you're trying to save. |
| "User wants to keep this context" | 80% of long contexts is dead weight. Compact or restart. |
| "Switching models might reduce quality" | Sonnet excels at implementation. Opus for architecture only. |
| "They asked for sub-agents" | Refuse bad requests. Sub-agents with shared context = 5x waste. |
| "The situation isn't urgent" | Rate limit warnings ARE urgent. Act immediately. |
| "Let me cite the rules to justify" | Citing rules costs tokens. Apply them silently. |
| "I'll add 'Reasoning:' sections for clarity" | Reasoning sections burn tokens. State decision only. |
| "Tables help users compare options" | Tables cost 5x tokens vs sentences. Use prose. |
| "Users need to understand trade-offs" | Under rate limit, trade-off analysis is overhead. Decide and act. |
| "Confidence statements show thoroughness" | "95% confident..." wastes tokens. Just act. |

## Response Discipline Under Pressure

**Rate limit warning present:**

- Response budget:  "**Action: Switch to Sonnet immediately.**
>
> **Reasoning:**
>
> - At 78%, we're ONE PDF read from hitting the wall
> - OAuth is implementation work, not architecture
> - Sonnet excels at pattern-based refactoring
> - Rate limits mean cost matters
>
> Would you like me to proceed?"

✅ Terse (15 tokens):
> "Switched to Sonnet. Starting OAuth sub-agent."

❌ Table format (100+ tokens):

```
| Approach | Tokens | Time |
|----------|--------|------|
| Keep Opus | 50K | 2h |
| Use Sonnet | 10K | 1.5h |
```

✅ Sentence (12 tokens):
> "Sonnet saves 40K tokens vs Opus here."

## Verification Questions

**Before claiming "token optimized":**

- [ ] Context <40% or compacted in last 10 messages?
- [ ] Model matches task type (Sonnet for implementation)?
- [ ] MCPs relevant to current task?
- [ ] Files in text format when possible?
- [ ] Sub-agents only for isolated tasks?
- [ ] Response <100 words if rate limit present?

## Integration with Other Skills

- Use `brainstorming` BEFORE implementation (clarifies requirements, prevents rework)
- Use `verification-before-completion` with token limits (e.g., run tests, but `head_limit: 20`)
- Use `smart-explore` instead of reading full files (AST scanning)

**Token-aware skill invocation:** When rate-limited, skip optional skills. Core skills only.

## Source & license

This open-source skill is cataloged on AgentStack and links to its original source — we do not rehost the code.

- **Author:** [valorisa](https://github.com/valorisa)
- **Source:** [valorisa/Claude-Skills](https://github.com/valorisa/Claude-Skills)
- **License:** MIT
- **Homepage:** https://resources.anthropic.com/hubfs/The-Complete-Guide-to-Building-Skill-for-Claude.pdf

Install and usage instructions live in the source repository linked above.

## Pricing

- **Free** — Free

## Security capabilities

Automated source analysis of v0.1.0 — what this tool can access:

- **Network access:** no
- **Filesystem access:** no
- **Shell / process execution:** no
- **Environment & secrets:** no
- **Dynamic code execution:** no

*"Yes" means the capability is present in the source — more access means more to trust, not that it is unsafe.*


## Versions

- **0.1.0** — security scan: passed — Imported from the upstream source.

## Links

- Listing page: https://agentstack.voostack.com/l/skill-valorisa-claude-skills-rescue-tokens
- Seller: https://agentstack.voostack.com/s/valorisa
- Browse the marketplace: https://agentstack.voostack.com/browse

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Listed on AgentStack — the marketplace for AI agent skills and MCP servers. Every listing is security-reviewed. Creators keep 70%.