Total Tokens = N × Prompt + ∑(Output_i × (N - i)). Unbounded 15 KB tool outputs compound to 5.4 Million tokens over 60 steps. Bounded head piping saves 77% ($12.54 per session).
| Agent Task / Tool Type | Raw Output Size | Compounded Input Cost (60 Steps) | With Bounded Pipe (cap-tool) | Total Savings |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Git Log / Commit History Dumps | 150 KB (38k tokens) | 1,824,000 tokens ($5.47) | 9,600 tokens ($0.03) | 99.4% Saved |
| Database SQL Select Queries | 40 KB (10.5k tokens) | 504,000 tokens ($1.51) | 12,000 tokens ($0.04) | 97.6% Saved |
| Raw HTML DOM Extraction | 80 KB (21k tokens) | 1,008,000 tokens ($3.02) | 14,400 tokens ($0.04) | 98.5% Saved |
| Test Suite Pytest Verbose Output | 25 KB (6.5k tokens) | 312,000 tokens ($0.94) | 7,200 tokens ($0.02) | 97.7% Saved |
| File Tree Searches (find / grep) | 30 KB (7.8k tokens) | 374,400 tokens ($1.12) | 6,000 tokens ($0.02) | 98.4% Saved |
| 60-Step Full Autonomous Engineering Run | 341.8 KB (88k tokens) | 5,420,000 tokens ($16.26) | 1,240,000 tokens ($3.72) | 77.1% Total Run Savings |