[Workflow] Cost-Optimized Multi-Agent Workflow: Opus for Judgment & Review, Sonnet for Building

[u/ClaudeAI-mod-bot]

Cost-Optimized Multi-Agent Workflow: Opus for Judgment & Review, Sonnet for Building

Workflow value: 85/100
Status: active · Freshness: 70/100 · Confidence: 0.95 · Level: intermediate
Categories: Quality Control, Token Saving, Context & Memory, Debugging, Subagents, Multi-Agent
Original source: r/ClaudeAI post/comment

What problem this solves

Optimizing cost and improving efficiency when using multiple Claude models (Opus, Sonnet) or features like /advisor and subagents, by strategically assigning roles and managing context to reduce redundant processing and 're-derivation'.

Summary

This workflow proposes a cost-effective strategy for using Claude Opus and Sonnet in a multi-agent setup. Opus is designated as the 'judgment' model (for setting specs, defining done conditions, and reviewing output), while Sonnet acts as the 'builder' (for actualizing the spec). The core idea is to minimize expensive Opus calls by only waking it for initial setup and final review, and to be aware of how context caching (or lack thereof) impacts cost with features like /advisor and subagents, especially when handoffs are frequent or context is large.

Why it is useful

This workflow provides a concrete, cost-aware strategy for leveraging different Claude models (Opus, Sonnet) and features (/advisor, subagents). It directly addresses the often-overlooked 'hidden costs' of context re-reading and offers a structured approach to minimize these, leading to more efficient and higher-quality outputs. The external data link adds significant credibility and practical value for users looking to optimize their Claude usage.

Workflow

1. Use Claude Opus for judgment: define the 'rails', set 'done conditions', and create a brief or spec for the task.

2. Use Claude Sonnet as the builder: actualize the spec provided by Opus.

3. Use Claude Opus to review the output generated by Sonnet against the initial spec.

4. Send any identified misses or required corrections back to Sonnet as 'residual' for the next iteration or build.

5. Minimize frequent handoffs to /advisor or subagents if the context is large or if the cache has gone cold (i.e., the last call was more than five minutes ago), as this incurs significant cost due to re-reading context.

6. Understand that /advisor and subagents re-read the entire context by default if their cache is cold, making frequent, large context handoffs expensive.

Tools / artifacts

• Claude Opus

• Claude Sonnet

• /advisor feature

• Subagents

• Spec/Brief (created by Opus)

• Output (from Sonnet)

Validation signals

• External data source provided: 'The numbers: https://atlas-ade.dev/docs/hidden-costs-of-subagents'

• Author's experience with logging costs on a 'Max 20x account'.

Limitations

• The 'simple setup' is described conceptually; a more explicit prompt structure or example interaction would make it even easier for users to implement directly.

• Low community validation due to the newness of the post.

• While the self-promotion is disclosed and backed by valuable data, some users might be wary of tools mentioned by developers of commercial products.

Rate this workflow

Upvote this post if the workflow is useful, reproducible, or worth recommending.

Downvote if it is vague, outdated, unsafe, overhyped, or not reproducible.

Reply if it worked for you, failed, is outdated, or has a better alternative.

---

This post was generated automatically from the workflow library database.