| name | time-estimate |
| description | estimate CC active time for a task using the time rule, with dynamic effort resolution |
| argument-hint | <task description> |
| user-invocable | false |
/time-estimate
produce a realistic CC active-time estimate for the given task, grounded in plugins/cc/rules/time.md. never guesses effort level.
what to do when invoked
-
resolve active effort, highest-precedence first. stop at the first rung that returns a value:
echo "${CLAUDE_CODE_EFFORT_LEVEL:-}" (env var)
--effort flag, if visible via process context
/effort session state, if already set this session
effortLevel key in ~/.claude/settings.json, then any project-scoped .claude/settings.json under the repo root
- otherwise, model default
cite the rung that supplied the answer. if ambiguous, ask the user rather than guess.
-
resolve active model from the session's model id (e.g. claude-opus-4-7).
-
classify session mode using the table in the rule:
- quick fix: single-file edit, typo, config tweak
- standard: feature work, refactor, small module
- marathon: migration, infra build, multi-file refactor
-
apply the multiplier from the model × effort matrix in the rule. quote the baseline at low, then scale.
-
return the estimate in the rule's format:
CC: <range> (always a range, never a single number)
- effort rung cited (e.g. "rung 4, settings.json")
- session mode named
- your-time estimate for review
- confidence (high / medium / low)
- risks that could 2× the number
-
if the task breaks into sub-phases, estimate each and sum. flag which phases parallelize via subagents (1.8-2.2×) and which stay serial.
rules to respect
- never quote a single number. always a range.
- never assume
xhigh or low without checking.
- always distinguish CC time from your time.
- if on opus 4.7 with heavy work, offer the effort trade:
xhigh is ~30% slower than high for throughput-bound work.
- never suggest fast mode on opus 4.7 or sonnet 4.6.
example output shape
task: add logout button with tests
effort: low (rung 4, ~/.claude/settings.json)
model: claude-opus-4-7 (0.87× baseline)
mode: standard
CC: 12-18 min active
your time: ~10 min review
confidence: medium
phases:
P1 find auth module (serial): 2-3 min
P2 write button + route (serial): 4-6 min
P3 tests (parallel via subagent): 3-5 min wall, ~6-9 min work
P4 verify (serial): 3-4 min
risks that 2×: auth module structure unclear, test framework unfamiliar
notes
the rule's matrix is a generic baseline. for personal calibration, run /time-calibrate.