Reduce Cline, Roo Code and Kilo Code Token Usage

Where Cline tokens go

• Task history. Every earlier message and tool result in the task goes back with the next request.
• File reads. Whole files, often several per step.
• Terminal output. Full logs from tests, builds and installs.
• MCP servers and custom instructions. Added to every request.

Habits that cut Cline token usage for free

1. Small tasks. Start a new task when the work changes.
2. Ignore generated code. Use the ignore file (for example .clineignore) for build output and vendored code.
3. Watch the context bar. When it fills up, start a new task with a short handoff note.
4. Switch off unused MCP servers.

These habits shrink what goes in. They don't help when the agent genuinely needs to run a test suite or read a large file and only a few lines of the output matter. That is the part SuperCompress handles.

How SuperCompress works

SuperCompress is hosted, extractive and query-aware. Your agent sends a large block of context (a log, a diff, a file read, an MCP result) together with the question it is working on. Our Neural Keep model scores the lines against that question, keeps the original lines that answer it, and drops the rest. It never rewrites or summarizes, so file paths, error messages, IDs and code come back exactly as they were. The question itself is never compressed.

Every compress call reports original_tokens and kept_tokens, so you can see what was dropped on your own work instead of trusting a headline number. The usage_summary MCP tool shows totals per agent for your account.

What the SuperCompress MCP entry adds to Cline

Ask the agent to run large logs, diffs and files through compress_context with the task as the query, or add that line to your custom instructions.

Install

npm install -g supercompress-proxy && supercompress setup

Setup links your SuperCompress account in the browser and installs the supercompress-mcp server command. Current Cline builds read their MCP configuration from ~/.cline/data/settings/cline_mcp_settings.json, so you add the entry there yourself in the next step.

Add the MCP entry

In Cline, open MCP Servers > Configure > Configure MCP Servers to open ~/.cline/data/settings/cline_mcp_settings.json, then merge this into the existing mcpServers object (keep the servers already there):

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "supercompress": {
      "command": "supercompress-mcp",
      "args": []
    }
  }
}

No API key goes in this entry; supercompress setup already linked your account. Save the file, then restart Cline or refresh its MCP server list, and confirm the server answers:

supercompress doctor

doctor prints a per-agent health check, and supercompress mcp-check confirms the MCP server answers. supercompress uninstall removes only the entries SuperCompress added, and the supercompress entry you added by hand comes out by deleting it from the same MCP settings file. Setup backs up each config file before it edits it.

When to skip it

• Short sessions with small tool results. There is little to drop.
• Files the agent is about to edit line by line. It needs those in full.
• Work where every byte must be passed through unchanged for compliance reasons.

FAQ

Does SuperCompress change how I sign in to Cline?

No. You keep your normal Cline login and models. SuperCompress adds an MCP server and instructions to Cline; your model traffic does not pass through SuperCompress.

Does SuperCompress summarize what Cline reads?

No. It is extractive. The lines it keeps are copied from the original output, so file paths, error messages and code stay exactly as they were.

How do I undo the Cline setup?

Run supercompress uninstall for what setup added. It removes only the entries SuperCompress added, so your other MCP servers, hooks and instructions stay as they were. The supercompress entry you added by hand is removed by deleting it from ~/.cline/data/settings/cline_mcp_settings.json.

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