Token Counter (Grade A) logo

Token Counter (Grade A)Security-tested development skill for Claude AI. Grade A. Estimate LLM token counts for files or directories using a word-based heuristic. Use when the user asks how many tokens a file uses, wants to

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Daniel NikulshynReviewed by Daniel Nikulshyn·Updated July 2026

Overview

Token Counter is a development skill for Claude AI that estimates LLM token counts for files or directories using a word-based heuristic. It's used to help manage LLM context budgets by estimating token consumption for files and directories. The skill uses a simple heuristic of word_count * 1.3 ≈ token_count, which works well for English text and code. It's suitable for quick estimates and budget planning, but not for exact billing. The tool supports .md, .mdc, .ts, .tsx, .py file types and provides optimization suggestions if token counts exceed recommended budgets.

Key features

  • Estimates token counts for files and directories
  • Uses a word-based heuristic for estimation
  • Supports .md, .mdc, .ts, .tsx, .py file types
  • Provides optimization suggestions for high token counts
  • Flags files that exceed context layer budgets

Pricing

Model
Free
Category
Skills
Rating
No reviews yet

Use cases

Estimating Token Counts for a File

Use Token Counter to estimate the token count for a single file, such as a markdown file, to check its context size and potential token cost.

Optimizing Token Usage for a Directory

Use Token Counter to estimate the token count for an entire directory, identify files that exceed recommended budgets, and receive suggestions for optimization, such as splitting files or selective inclusion.

Pros & Cons

Pros

  • Provides quick estimates of token counts for files and directories
  • Helps manage LLM context budgets
  • Supports multiple file types (.md, .mdc, .ts, .tsx, .py)
  • Offers optimization suggestions for high token counts

Cons

  • Uses an approximation heuristic, which may not be precise
  • Not suitable for exact billing
  • May not work accurately for non-English text or unsupported file types

Reviews

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Q&A

What does the tool do if a file or directory exceeds recommended token budgets?

It flags the file(s) and offers suggestions such as splitting the file, trimming comments, or using progressive loading to stay within context limits (e.g., ~2,000 tokens for immediate context).

Asked by Hosanna Marte · Aug 23, 2025

Can Token Counter give exact billing‑grade token numbers?

No; it provides quick approximations for budgeting and suggests optimizations, but precise counts require a true tokenizer like tiktoken.

Asked by Tomáš Novák · Jul 25, 2025

Which file types can be processed by Token Counter?

The skill supports .md, .mdc, .ts, .tsx, and .py files.

Asked by Willa Thompson · Jun 22, 2025

How does Token Counter estimate the number of tokens in a file?

It multiplies the file’s word count by 1.3 (word_count × 1.3 ≈ token_count), a heuristic that works well for English text and code.

Asked by Thandiwe Dlamini · Jun 15, 2025

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