Claude-skill-registry agent-model-selection

Guidelines for selecting appropriate AI model (Sonnet vs Haiku) based on task complexity, ensuring cost efficiency while maintaining quality. Use when assigning work.

install

source · Clone the upstream repo

git clone https://github.com/majiayu000/claude-skill-registry

Claude Code · Install into ~/.claude/skills/

T=$(mktemp -d) && git clone --depth=1 https://github.com/majiayu000/claude-skill-registry "$T" && mkdir -p ~/.claude/skills && cp -r "$T/skills/data/agent-model-selection" ~/.claude/skills/majiayu000-claude-skill-registry-agent-model-selection && rm -rf "$T"

manifest: skills/data/agent-model-selection/SKILL.md

Agent Model Selection

Instructions

Core decision

Sonnet: Complex reasoning, architecture, security (2+ criteria) Haiku: Defined rules, repetitive tasks, simple commands (~95% cheaper)

Selection criteria

Use Sonnet if 2+ apply:

Logical reasoning and trade-off analysis
Architecture/design decisions
Semantic/intent analysis
Problem diagnosis and strategy
Multi-component interaction
Security/performance analysis

Use Haiku if dominant:

Following defined rules/templates
Repetitive mechanical tasks
Command execution and collection
Simple CRUD operations
Format validation

Decision flowchart

Architecture/design? → YES → Sonnet
Multiple options? → YES → Sonnet
Security/performance? → YES → Sonnet
Defined rules only? → YES → Haiku
Detailed guide? → YES → Haiku
Large delegated? → YES → Sonnet
Simple commands? → YES → Haiku
Default: Sonnet (quality first)

Example

Task: Add validation logic
→ Analysis: Complex rules + security + error handling
→ Decision: Sonnet (3 criteria met)

Task: Add tags to files
→ Analysis: Template exists, repetitive
→ Decision: Haiku (rule-following)

For detailed criteria, see reference.md For more examples, see examples.md