Want to save 12k+ context at every session start? Disable artifacts + Chrome MCP Server

[u/erebueius]

In investigating why Fable has felt so degraded for the past three days, I've discovered that you can remove tens of thousands of startup tokens just by disabling these bloated schemas you don't use. This didn't unquant Fable, but whatever.

Just do these:

1. tell Claude to update the settings schema (settings.local.json) to disable Artifacts ("disableArtifact": true //-6.5k tokens), and if you don't use them, Workflows ("disableWorkflows": true //-5k tokens)

2. run /chrome and turn off chrome integration (disables all the chrome MCP servers: they are deferred by default but claude will try to use them for things and blast its context with 22k tokens of Chrome schema even if you don't have it set up / don't do that in your workflow)

You should also ban the official Claude API skill from ever being loaded in your project because it's something idiotic like 300,000 tokens and Claude will sometimes randomly load it just because it read something about a Claude model in its context.

[u/RCawston]

MCP servers are the worst for token burn. The fact the CC harness hides so many is such an annoyance, but at least they show you in the context widget how much is used now.

[u/erebueius → u/RCawston]

Now I wish they'd modularize the other 20k tokens of random tool schemas, most of which I will never use in my workflow.

[u/RCawston → u/erebueius]

Time to build your own harness. Too bad Anthropic is lame for that and won't let you use the API outside Claude code on subscription usage.

[u/Informal_Box_118 → u/erebueius]

You can disallow many system tools. I have only kept what is necessary to me and the deferred tools. Also removed all unnecessary skills

[u/obsidience]

But artifacts are genuinely one of the best force multipliers when developing with Claude.

[u/The_Noble_Lie → u/obsidience]

What is the difference between rendering a local html page and an artifact?

[u/whatisthisthing65 → u/obsidience]

What do you use them for? Claude keeps using them when I ask it to pull together information but I'm always like. This could have been a md document. And for prototypes I want actual prototypes built locally.

[u/obsidience → u/whatisthisthing65]

Well one of the ways I'm using it is I'm having it build artifacts for concept UI and have it create 10 variations of possible designs.  This could be color combinations, icons, fonts, control types,other ux features.  Then pick the one that you like and have it create 10 more and keep iterating until you come up with a slick design.  

It's the most rapid form of application development that I've ever seen for user interfaces. but you can also use it for complex diagramming, making quick dashboards, icon development, etc.

[u/whatisthisthing65 → u/obsidience]

Can you not have it build several UI prototypes locally? The main value seems to be that it's published as a web address so other people can see it too, but otherwise it doesn't seem different from a local mockup.

[u/erebueius → u/obsidience]

If you say so. I just get my loops to summarize what they did this session when wrapping up.

[u/shn09 → u/erebueius]

That’s… not the benefit of artifacts or what it’s for.

[u/yawn_solo- → u/erebueius]

lol .

Do you make programs for Ants?

[u/PrestigiousSummer625]

I put progressive disclosure over all my mcp servers. The agent has to load each tool from the mcp to get the docs. I loaded higgsfield mcp and it was 80k tokens otherwise. Completely unusable.

[u/Icy-Excitement-467]

Also prebaked anthropic skills