ubiquitous-invention/docs/model-routing-policy.md

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# Model routing policy
Cost-aware defaults for the agent pipeline. Complements per-role `model:` frontmatter in `.cursor/agents/role-*.md` and the always-on `.cursor/rules/model-routing.mdc`.
## Goals
1. **Preserve quality** on planning and decomposition (conductor, architect).
2. **Cut token spend** on build, audit, and docs (fast/auto tiers).
3. **Make spend measurable** via convoy metrics (`model`, `model_tier`).
Validated on Trimble usage (JanJun 2026): ~72% of spend was Opus-tier; ~37% came from 346 sessions at 10M+ tokens. This policy targets both levers.
## What Cursor enforces vs recommends
| Mechanism | Enforced? | Notes |
| --- | --- | --- |
| `model:` in `.cursor/agents/role-*.md` | **Partial** | Applies when the role is invoked from the Agents UI |
| `model_policy:` in convoy frontmatter | Recommend | Conductor writes it; humans and roles should follow |
| `model-routing.mdc` | Recommend | Always-on nudge; ~45 lines |
| Parent chat model picker | User | Set `auto` or `composer-2.5-fast` for routine work |
| Settings → Agents → Subagents | Partial | Sets default for built-in explore-style subagents |
**Known limitation (Jun 2026):** parent agents spawning Task subagents can pass an explicit `model` that overrides role frontmatter. Mitigation: invoke audit/implementer roles directly; avoid "do everything in one Opus chat."
## Tier table
| Tier | `model_tier` value | Default model ID | Roles |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Premium | `premium` | `claude-4.6-opus-high-thinking` | conductor, architect |
| Fast | `fast` | `composer-2.5-fast` | ia-architect, ux-reviewer, implementer, reviewer, design-system-auditor, a11y-auditor |
| Auto | `auto` | `auto` | doc-writer |
### Escalation (premium)
Escalate from fast → premium when:
- Running conductor or architect (always).
- Implementer failed lint/tests twice on the same brief.
- Security-sensitive change (auth, RLS, admin routes) and architect explicitly flags `recommended_model: claude-4.6-opus-high-thinking` on the brief.
Do **not** escalate for: docs-only, audit fan-out, changelog, or single-file hotfixes.
## Convoy `model_policy` block
The conductor writes this into `.convoys/<slug>.md` frontmatter:
```yaml
model_policy:
default_session: auto
roles:
role-conductor: claude-4.6-opus-high-thinking
role-architect: claude-4.6-opus-high-thinking
role-ia-architect: composer-2.5-fast
role-ux-reviewer: composer-2.5-fast
role-implementer: composer-2.5-fast
role-reviewer: composer-2.5-fast
role-design-system-auditor: composer-2.5-fast
role-a11y-auditor: composer-2.5-fast
role-doc-writer: auto
escalate_to: claude-4.6-opus-high-thinking
never_premium:
- role-reviewer
- role-design-system-auditor
- role-a11y-auditor
- role-doc-writer
```
Briefs may override with `recommended_model:` and `model_tier:` in frontmatter (set by architect).
## Multitask + cost
Audit fan-out saves **wall-clock**, not tokens, when all three auditors run on Opus. Run the cohort on **fast** models:
```
/multitask role-reviewer + role-design-system-auditor + role-a11y-auditor
```
Invoke each role from the Agents dropdown (or ensure subagent model is `composer-2.5-fast`). See [`multitask-playbook.md`](multitask-playbook.md).
## Metrics contract
Each role appends to `.convoys/.metrics.jsonl`:
```bash
bash scripts/log-convoy-event.sh \
role=role-implementer \
convoy=<slug> \
brief=<N> \
model=composer-2.5-fast \
model_tier=fast \
duration_s=<seconds>
```
Optional: `estimated_cost_usd=<from Cursor usage export>` for monthly rollups.
Aggregate:
```bash
cd ~/code/agent-pipeline/analytics
npx tsx analyze-convoys.ts <repo-paths...>
npx tsx render-dashboard.ts
```
Dashboard surfaces `events_by_model`, `events_by_model_tier`, and a warning when premium-tier events dominate fast-tier roles.
## Team checklist
- [ ] Parent chat default: `auto` or `composer-2.5-fast`
- [ ] L2 roles installed with `model:` frontmatter (re-bootstrap or sync)
- [ ] `model-routing.mdc` present (always-apply)
- [ ] Settings → Agents → Subagents → fast model for explore
- [ ] Monthly: export team usage CSV + run analytics dashboard