---
id: CUST-WP-0029
type: workplan
title: "Token Consumption Tracking"
domain: custodian
repo: the-custodian
status: done
owner: custodian
topic_slug: custodian
created: "2026-03-29"
updated: "2026-03-29"
state_hub_workstream_id: "6f459d9f-b4d4-46d7-a5d7-d5f10721b29e"
---

# Token Consumption Tracking

## Goal

Record AI token consumption at task granularity and aggregate it up to
workstream, repo, commit, and release level. Makes agent work visible as a
cost/effort metric — reviewable alongside tasks, workplans, and releases.

## Background

Sessions produce no durable token signal today. Without it, there is no way to
ask "how expensive was WP-0003?" or "which repo consumes the most tokens per
release?". Token counts are the closest proxy for AI effort and cost that can
be captured without external instrumentation.

**Reporting model:** agents self-report tokens when completing a task (alongside
`update_task_status`). The `ralph-workplan` skill is updated to pass token data
per iteration. Commit/release tagging is optional and manual.

## Schema

```
token_events
  id            UUID PK
  task_id       UUID FK tasks (nullable)
  workstream_id UUID FK workstreams (nullable)
  repo_id       UUID FK managed_repos (nullable)
  session_id    TEXT          -- agent session identifier
  model         TEXT          -- e.g. "claude-sonnet-4-6"
  tokens_in     INT NOT NULL
  tokens_out    INT NOT NULL
  agent         TEXT          -- "custodian", "ralph", etc.
  ref_type      TEXT          -- 'task'|'workstream'|'commit'|'release'|'session'
  ref_id        TEXT          -- commit SHA, release tag, etc.
  note          TEXT
  created_at    TIMESTAMPTZ   server_default=now()
```

Derived field `tokens_total = tokens_in + tokens_out` computed at query time.
Aggregation endpoint rolls up by any FK axis.

## Exit Criteria

- Token events can be recorded via MCP tool
- Aggregation queries work for task / workstream / repo / commit / release
- Dashboard page shows token spend by repo, workplan, model
- `ralph-workplan` logs a token event per completed task iteration
- All tests passing; consistency check clean

---

## Tasks

### T01 — Migration: token_events table

```task
id: CUST-WP-0029-T01
status: done
priority: high
state_hub_task_id: "5a758a61-4021-44e8-8f99-60a63cba6e50"
```

Write Alembic migration for `token_events`. Table as per schema above.
Indexes: `ix_token_events_task_id`, `ix_token_events_workstream_id`,
`ix_token_events_repo_id`, `ix_token_events_created_at`.

`down_revision` = current Alembic head (check with `alembic heads`).

**Exit criteria:** `make migrate` succeeds; table visible in psql.

---

### T02 — Model and schema

```task
id: CUST-WP-0029-T02
status: done
priority: high
state_hub_task_id: "57d71132-001a-4c85-bc39-2d20155c4971"
```

Add `api/models/token_event.py` (SQLAlchemy ORM, relationships to Task,
Workstream, ManagedRepo). Add `api/schemas/token_event.py`:

- `TokenEventCreate` — input (task_id, workstream_id, repo_id all nullable;
  tokens_in, tokens_out required; model, agent, ref_type, ref_id, note optional)
- `TokenEventRead` — full row + `tokens_total: int` computed field
- `TokenSummary` — aggregated view:
  `{ scope, scope_id, tokens_in, tokens_out, tokens_total, event_count,
     by_model: dict[str, int], by_agent: dict[str, int] }`

Register model in `api/models/__init__.py`.

**Exit criteria:** models import cleanly; `tokens_total` computed correctly.

---

### T03 — Router: CRUD + aggregation

```task
id: CUST-WP-0029-T03
status: done
priority: high
state_hub_task_id: "14604f26-5aa6-455d-b65d-0e7a4ba42509"
```

Add `api/routers/token_events.py`:

- `POST /token-events/` — create event; auto-populate `workstream_id` from
  task if not provided (look up `task.workstream_id`)
- `GET /token-events/` — list with filters: `task_id`, `workstream_id`,
  `repo_id`, `ref_type`, `ref_id`, `model`, `agent`; default limit 100
- `GET /token-events/summary/` — aggregation; required query param `scope`
  (`task`|`workstream`|`repo`|`commit`|`release`) + `id` (the FK value or
  ref_id). Returns `TokenSummary`.

Register router in `api/main.py`.

**Exit criteria:** all three endpoints return correct data; summary rolls up
`tokens_in`/`tokens_out` and breaks down by model and agent.

---

### T04 — MCP tools: record_token_event and get_token_summary

```task
id: CUST-WP-0029-T04
status: done
priority: high
state_hub_task_id: "e032aa47-2bf9-4cd7-982c-4d21c9d5e286"
```

Add two tools to `mcp_server/server.py`:

**`record_token_event(tokens_in, tokens_out, task_id?, workstream_id?,
repo_id?, model?, agent?, ref_type?, ref_id?, note?, session_id?)`**
- POSTs to `/token-events/`
- Returns the created event id and running total for the task/workstream

**`get_token_summary(scope, id)`**
- GETs `/token-events/summary/?scope=X&id=Y`
- Returns `TokenSummary` formatted as a readable table string

Update `TOOLS.md` with both tools.

**Exit criteria:** both tools callable from Claude Code MCP; record → read
round-trip works.

---

### T05 — Enrich update_task_status with optional token passthrough

```task
id: CUST-WP-0029-T05
status: done
priority: medium
state_hub_task_id: "0c95c442-0b03-4acc-aba7-a986fd006416"
```

Extend the existing `update_task_status` MCP tool signature to accept optional
`tokens_in: int` and `tokens_out: int` parameters. When provided, automatically
call `record_token_event` internally (with the task's workstream_id and repo_id
auto-populated). This lets agents report tokens in one call instead of two.

Keep the parameters optional — existing callers are unaffected.

**Exit criteria:** `update_task_status(task_id, status='done', tokens_in=1200,
tokens_out=800)` creates both a status update and a token event.

---

### T06 — Dashboard: token cost page

```task
id: CUST-WP-0029-T06
status: done
priority: medium
state_hub_task_id: "02cc5d8e-a9da-4fb3-9c39-fdc05812d8d0"
```

Add `dashboard/src/token-cost.md` Observable page:

- **By repo bar chart** — total tokens per repo (stacked in/out)
- **By workplan table** — workstream slug, title, tokens_total, event_count,
  dominant model
- **By model breakdown** — pie or bar; shows model mix across all events
- **Top 10 tasks by tokens** — useful for identifying expensive tasks

Data loader: `dashboard/src/data/token-summary.json.py` — calls
`GET /token-events/summary/` for each repo and workstream.

Add page to `observablehq.config.js` nav under "Analytics".

**Exit criteria:** page renders with real data; updates on refresh.

---

### T07 — ralph-workplan: log token event per completed task

```task
id: CUST-WP-0029-T07
status: done
priority: medium
state_hub_task_id: "676f2a94-b5a5-467d-8dd4-889817acb159"
```

Update `~/.claude/plugins/ralph-workplan/ralph-workplan.md` and
`~/.claude/commands/ralph-workplan.md`:

Add a note in **Step 5** (loop active) instructing the agent that each time a
task is marked done, it should report tokens via `update_task_status` (with
`tokens_in`/`tokens_out`) or a standalone `record_token_event` call.

Guidance: estimate tokens from the Claude Code status bar (input/output shown
at session end) or use a rough per-task heuristic (1000 in / 500 out) when
exact counts are unavailable. Log `model` from the known session model
(`claude-sonnet-4-6` by default).

**Exit criteria:** both skill files updated; guidance is clear and actionable
for an agent running a loop.

---

### T08 — Tests and consistency gate

```task
id: CUST-WP-0029-T08
status: done
priority: high
state_hub_task_id: "a3627144-9d98-4a3b-aa64-3079fd087448"
```

Add tests to `state-hub/tests/`:

- `test_token_events.py`: create event, list with filter, summary aggregation
  (single task, cross-workstream rollup, by-model breakdown)
- `test_token_passthrough.py`: `update_task_status` with tokens creates event

Run `make test`. Run `make fix-consistency REPO=the-custodian`.

**Exit criteria:** all new tests pass; consistency check clean; Alembic head
matches DB.