MCP Optimizer Skill

Purpose

Optimize MCP server usage to reduce token overhead. Each MCP server consumes tokens for tool definitions - this skill helps select only the servers needed for the current task.

Token Impact Reference

Task-Based Server Recommendations

Backend Development

Recommended servers: memory, sequential-thinking Token savings: ~8K (60%)

Tasks: CQRS commands, entity development, data migrations

Frontend Development

Recommended servers: memory, playwright, sequential-thinking Token savings: ~5K (38%)

Tasks: Component development, UI testing, form validation

PR/Issue Workflow

Recommended servers: memory, github Token savings: ~8K (60%)

Tasks: Create PRs, fix issues, code review

Debugging

Recommended servers: memory, sequential-thinking, playwright Token savings: ~5K (38%)

Tasks: Bug diagnosis, root cause analysis, behavior verification

Code Review

Recommended servers: memory, github Token savings: ~8K (60%)

Tasks: Review changes, check patterns, verify compliance

Architecture/Planning

Recommended servers: memory, sequential-thinking Token savings: ~8K (60%)

Tasks: Design decisions, impact analysis, dependency mapping

Optimization Strategies

1. Session Cleanup

Use /clear command after completing major tasks to reset context:

/clear

This removes accumulated tool outputs and conversation history while preserving essential context.

2. MAX_MCP_OUTPUT_TOKENS

Set environment variable to limit MCP tool output size:

export MAX_MCP_OUTPUT_TOKENS=25000

This prevents large tool outputs from consuming excessive context.

3. Selective Tool Usage

When a task doesn't need specific MCP capabilities:

• Skip Playwright for backend-only work
• Skip GitHub when not doing PR/issue work
• Keep Memory for session continuity (always recommended)
• Keep Sequential-Thinking for complex reasoning

4. Deferred Tool Discovery

For large result sets, use filtering before full retrieval:

# Instead of getting all, filter first
mcp__memory__search_nodes({ query: "specific-term" })

# Then open only relevant nodes
mcp__memory__open_nodes({ names: ["specific-entity"] })

Server Configuration Guide

The MCP server configuration is in .mcp.json:

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "server-name": {
      "command": "cmd",
      "args": ["/c", "npx", "-y", "@package/name"],
      "description": "Purpose description"
    }
  }
}

To Temporarily Disable a Server

Comment out or remove from .mcp.json, then restart Claude Code.

Task-Specific Configurations

Consider creating task-specific MCP configurations:

.mcp.json              # Full configuration (default)
.mcp.backend.json      # Backend-focused (memory, sequential-thinking)
.mcp.frontend.json     # Frontend-focused (memory, playwright)
.mcp.pr-workflow.json  # PR workflow (memory, github)

Token Budget Planning

For 200K context window:

With optimization (backend-only):

Net gain: 10K tokens (5% improvement)

Best Practices

1. Start minimal - Enable only needed servers at session start
2. Add as needed - Enable additional servers when task requires
3. Clear regularly - Use /clear after major task completion
4. Monitor usage - Watch token indicator during complex sessions
5. Store context - Use Memory MCP before clearing to preserve learnings

Verification Checklist

Before starting a session, consider:

[ ] What type of task am I doing?
[ ] Which MCP servers are needed?
[ ] Can I disable unused servers?
[ ] Should I clear previous context?
[ ] Is Memory MCP preserving important context?