| name | token-estimator |
| description | Gives a consistent rough token-size estimate for a file or folder of text using fixed integer rules. Use when you need repeatable ballpark token counts for Markdown or plain text without calling a provider API. |
Token Estimator
Disclaimer
Rough estimate only — not billing-grade. Same file on disk → same numbers every run. Real token counts depend on the model’s tokenizer; this skill uses a fixed heuristic (⌈chars ÷ 4⌉, English-oriented). Use for ballparks and comparisons, not hard limits.
What It Does
- One file — report
chars and est_tokens.
- Folder — recursively count every
.md, .txt, .mdx file; report per file plus total.
- Read-only — never modify targets.
Workflow
- Confirm path (file or directory).
- Run scripts/estimate_tokens.py when possible; otherwise apply references/estimation-method.md.
- Reply with totals first, then per-file lines only if there is more than one file.
Rules
- Deterministic — fixed extensions, alphabetical order, integer formula
(chars + 3) // 4.
- Recursive — walk subdirectories; skip
.git, node_modules, __pycache__, .venv, binaries.
- Label — always say
est_tokens or ~tokens, never imply exact provider counts.
Output (Minimal)
total: 5376 chars, ~1344 est_tokens
references/foo.md: 1112 chars, ~278 est_tokens
One path in the reply is enough unless the user asked for several.
Reference
When To Use
- Ballpark size of a doc, skill folder, or prompt file.
- Same metric applied twice should match (sanity check, before/after edits).
