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Claude Code's initial token usage measured with specific flags

By PulseAugur Editorial · [1 sources] ·

This article details experiments with Claude Code 2.1.285 to understand its token usage in initial requests. When run in an empty directory, the default request consumes 23,207 tokens, but this can be reduced to 2,664 tokens by using specific flags like --strict-mcp-config and --tools "". The study found that user settings, including memory plugins and synced tools from a claude.ai account, significantly contribute to the initial token count, even when not directly present in the lab directory. AI

IMPACT Understanding token usage and configuration flags for tools like Claude Code is crucial for optimizing AI application development and cost management.

RANK_REASON The article details the technical performance and configuration of a specific software tool (Claude Code), rather than a new release or significant industry event.

Read on dev.to — Claude Code tag →

AI-generated summary · Google Gemini · from 1 sources. How we write summaries →

Claude Code's initial token usage measured with specific flags

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2 / 100
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Tool
The article details the technical performance and configuration of a specific software tool (Claude Code), rather than a new release or significant industry event.
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High
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Same-day
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COVERAGE [1]

  1. dev.to — Claude Code tag TIER_1 English(EN) · Rulestack ·

    What fills Claude Code's first request: 23,207 tokens in an empty folder, 2,664 after two flags

    <blockquote> <p>18,962 characters of skill listing left Claude Code's first request when we passed <code>--disallowedTools "Skill"</code>, and the request shrank by only 913 tokens, because the Workflow tool's description inlined the reference it normally loads from a skill and g…

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