# OPTIMIZATION.md - Cost & Efficiency Rules

## RATE LIMITS

**API Call Throttling:**
- **5 seconds minimum** between API calls
- **10 seconds minimum** between web searches
- **Batch similar work** whenever possible
- **If you hit 429 error:** STOP and wait 5 minutes

**Monthly Budget:**
- **$20 total**
- **Warn at 75%** ($15 spent)

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## MODEL SELECTION RULE
Default: Haiku
 
Switch to Sonnet ONLY when:
- Architecture decisions
- Complex code review
- Security Analysis
- Complex debugging/reasoning

When in doubt: Try Haiku first

### Heartbeat: Ollama Only
Heartbeats ALWAYS use Ollama. No escalation. If it fails, it fails.