#is this token usage normal?

2 messages · Page 1 of 1 (latest)

tiny stream
#

its like 32774 input for 117 output on claude sonnet 4.5 for some basic communication. is this token usage normal?

mortal apexBOT
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Short answer: yes, that can be normal in OpenClaw.

Your one-line message is not the whole input. OpenClaw also sends:

  • system prompt
  • tool schemas
  • workspace files (AGENTS.md, SOUL.md, TOOLS.md, etc.)
  • session history
  • any prior tool results

So 32774 in / 117 out is high for plain chat, but pretty normal for an agentic setup.

Best way to inspect it:

  • /context detail → shows what’s eating tokens
  • /usage full → shows input/output/cacheRead/cacheWrite
  • /compact → reduces long-thread context

Biggest usual culprits: