What is Ruflo?

Ruflo is an open-source meta-harness for Claude Code that automatically routes your requests to the most appropriate AI model.

Instead of sending every prompt to the same expensive model, Ruflo analyzes the task and selects the best model automatically.

That means:

Lower token costs
Longer Claude Code sessions
Better performance
Less manual model switching

GitHub Repository:

https://github.com/ruvnet/ruflo

Why Use Ruflo?

By default, Claude Code treats every request the same.

Something as simple as:

Rename a variable
Fix a typo
Format code

can end up consuming the same expensive model that you’d want for:

Architecture planning
Debugging
Refactoring
Complex reasoning

Over time this burns through your Claude Code usage much faster.

Ruflo fixes this automatically.

Step 1 — Install Ruflo

Open your terminal and run:

npx ruflo@latest init

This installs Ruflo and prepares your Claude Code environment.

Step 2 — Verify Installation

Inside your project you’ll notice Ruflo creates the required configuration automatically.

After installation simply continue using Claude Code normally.

No workflow changes required.

Step 3 — How Routing Works

Instead of manually choosing models, Ruflo decides for you.

Typical routing looks like:

Simple tasks
→ Fast & inexpensive models

Medium tasks
→ Balanced reasoning models

Complex architecture, debugging and planning
→ Powerful reasoning models

The routing happens automatically.

Claude Code Configuration

These settings dramatically improve Claude Code performance.

Keep your project focused

Split large applications into multiple repositories whenever possible.

Smaller context = lower token usage.

Create reusable instructions

Instead of repeating prompts, store common instructions inside project documentation.

For example:

Coding style
Folder structure
Naming conventions
Preferred libraries
Architecture rules

Claude won’t need to relearn these every session.

Keep sessions short

Once a task is finished:

Start a fresh Claude Code session.

Huge conversations become expensive because Claude keeps reading previous context.

Break work into milestones

Instead of saying:

Build my SaaS.

Break it into:

Authentication
Database
Dashboard
Billing
Landing Page
Admin Panel

Smaller tasks mean lower token usage and better output.

Let Claude plan first

A surprisingly effective workflow is:

“Analyze the project first.
Don’t write code yet.
Create an implementation plan.”

Then ask Claude to execute one step at a time.

This prevents expensive rewrites later.

Token-Saving Tricks

1. Use planning mode first

Spend a few hundred tokens planning.

Save tens of thousands during implementation.

2. Don’t regenerate entire files

Instead ask:

“Only modify the functions required.”

3. Reference files

Instead of pasting hundreds of lines into chat.

Point Claude to the file.

4. Finish one feature before starting another

Context switching increases token usage.

Stay focused on one milestone.

5. Restart when context gets noisy

If Claude begins repeating itself or losing focus:

Start a new session.

This usually improves quality immediately.

6. Use Ruflo for automatic routing

The biggest savings usually come from allowing Ruflo to decide which model should handle each request.

You keep writing code exactly as before while Ruflo optimizes costs behind the scenes.

Recommended Workflow

Install Ruflo.
Ask Claude to create an implementation plan.
Build one feature at a time.
Start fresh sessions often.
Keep repositories focused.
Let Ruflo automatically route every request.

This workflow reduces unnecessary token usage while keeping Claude Code responsive throughout large projects.

Resources

Ruflo GitHub