name: mcp-optimizer description: Use when optimizing MCP server usage to reduce token overhead. Helps select appropriate servers based on task type.

MCP Optimizer Skill

Purpose

Optimize MCP server usage to reduce token overhead. Each MCP server consumes tokens for tool definitions - this skill helps select only the servers needed for the current task.

Token Impact Reference

Server	Approximate Tokens	Use Cases
playwright	~5K	UI testing, screenshots, browser automation
memory	~2K	Context persistence, session continuity
sequential-thinking	~1K	Complex reasoning, multi-step problems
github	~3K	PR management, issue tracking
filesystem	~2K	Enhanced file operations
Total	~13K	All servers loaded

Task-Based Server Recommendations

Backend Development

Recommended servers: memory, sequential-thinking Token savings: ~8K (60%)

Tasks: CQRS commands, entity development, data migrations

Frontend Development

Recommended servers: memory, playwright, sequential-thinking Token savings: ~5K (38%)

Tasks: Component development, UI testing, form validation

PR/Issue Workflow

Recommended servers: memory, github Token savings: ~8K (60%)

Tasks: Create PRs, fix issues, code review

Debugging

Recommended servers: memory, sequential-thinking, playwright Token savings: ~5K (38%)

Tasks: Bug diagnosis, root cause analysis, behavior verification

Code Review

Recommended servers: memory, github Token savings: ~8K (60%)

Tasks: Review changes, check patterns, verify compliance

Architecture/Planning

Recommended servers: memory, sequential-thinking Token savings: ~8K (60%)

Tasks: Design decisions, impact analysis, dependency mapping

Optimization Strategies

1. Session Cleanup

Use /clear command after completing major tasks to reset context:

/clear

This removes accumulated tool outputs and conversation history while preserving essential context.

2. MAX_MCP_OUTPUT_TOKENS

Set environment variable to limit MCP tool output size:

export MAX_MCP_OUTPUT_TOKENS=25000

This prevents large tool outputs from consuming excessive context.

3. Selective Tool Usage

When a task doesn't need specific MCP capabilities:

Skip Playwright for backend-only work
Skip GitHub when not doing PR/issue work
Keep Memory for session continuity (always recommended)
Keep Sequential-Thinking for complex reasoning

4. Deferred Tool Discovery

For large result sets, use filtering before full retrieval:

# Instead of getting all, filter first
mcp__memory__search_nodes({ query: "specific-term" })

# Then open only relevant nodes
mcp__memory__open_nodes({ names: ["specific-entity"] })

Server Configuration Guide

The MCP server configuration is in .mcp.json:

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "server-name": {
      "command": "cmd",
      "args": ["/c", "npx", "-y", "@package/name"],
      "description": "Purpose description"
    }
  }
}

To Temporarily Disable a Server

Comment out or remove from .mcp.json, then restart Claude Code.

Task-Specific Configurations

Consider creating task-specific MCP configurations:

.mcp.json              # Full configuration (default)
.mcp.backend.json      # Backend-focused (memory, sequential-thinking)
.mcp.frontend.json     # Frontend-focused (memory, playwright)
.mcp.pr-workflow.json  # PR workflow (memory, github)

Token Budget Planning

For 200K context window:

Usage	Tokens	Percentage
MCP Tools (all)	~13K	6.5%
CLAUDE.md	~15K	7.5%
Skills (loaded)	~5K	2.5%
Instructions	~3K	1.5%
Available for work	~164K	82%

With optimization (backend-only):

Usage	Tokens	Percentage
MCP Tools (optimized)	~3K	1.5%
CLAUDE.md	~15K	7.5%
Skills (loaded)	~5K	2.5%
Instructions	~3K	1.5%
Available for work	~174K	87%

Net gain: 10K tokens (5% improvement)

Best Practices

Start minimal - Enable only needed servers at session start
Add as needed - Enable additional servers when task requires
Clear regularly - Use /clear after major task completion
Monitor usage - Watch token indicator during complex sessions
Store context - Use Memory MCP before clearing to preserve learnings

Verification Checklist

Before starting a session, consider:

[ ] What type of task am I doing?
[ ] Which MCP servers are needed?
[ ] Can I disable unused servers?
[ ] Should I clear previous context?
[ ] Is Memory MCP preserving important context?

mcp-optimizer

$ Installieren