# AI use cases for Effortless (HeyCubit/effortless)

Repo: [HeyCubit/effortless](https://github.com/HeyCubit/effortless) | Use cases: 4 | Page: https://dedupedai.com/use-cases/heycubit-effortless/

effortless is a Claude Code plugin that picks the reasoning effort for each prompt and shows the prompt cache countdown, and textless is a desktop app that shows pixel art while Claude works.

This file holds every use case of this repo. Each one starts with a "## " heading and ends with its URL.

- Cut Opus coding costs with automatic effort picking: https://dedupedai.com/use-cases/heycubit-effortless/cut-claude-code-cost-with-auto-effort/
- Compact or hand off a heavy chat before the cache goes cold: https://dedupedai.com/use-cases/heycubit-effortless/time-compaction-and-handoff-on-long-chats/
- Show pixel art instead of the step log while Claude works: https://dedupedai.com/use-cases/heycubit-effortless/replace-the-wall-of-steps-with-pixel-art/
- Test how often the effort judge picks the right level: https://dedupedai.com/use-cases/heycubit-effortless/benchmark-the-judge-on-your-own-setup/

## How to cut Opus coding costs with automatic effort picking with Effortless

Repo: [HeyCubit/effortless](https://github.com/HeyCubit/effortless) | Difficulty: Intermediate | Time: 15 minutes | Basis: From the README

Install Effortless so each prompt gets Low, Medium or High effort without touching the Effort control.

**Who it is for:** A developer running long coding sessions in Claude Code on Opus who wants a lower bill without giving up answer quality.

**The problem:** Reasoning effort is set by hand, so easy questions run at high effort and cost more than needed.

**The outcome:** Each prompt gets an effort picked by the Haiku judge, and the bar shows the chosen effort and model.

### Steps

1. Run `claude plugin marketplace add HeyCubit/effortless` and then `claude plugin install effortless@effortless` in a terminal, or type the same two lines as /plugin commands in Claude Code's chat box.
2. Run `/reload-plugins` (or restart Claude Code).
3. Keep Haiku alone in the short setup that opens above the prompt, or pick Lean cheaper.
4. Send a few prompts and read the bar: the effort label shows what Auto picked for each prompt.

### Prompt to paste into your agent

```text
In the HeyCubit/effortless repo, install the effortless plugin into Claude Code with `claude plugin marketplace add HeyCubit/effortless` and `claude plugin install effortless@effortless`, then run `/reload-plugins`. Confirm the bar above the prompt shows an effort label such as High or Low with a model name after a few prompts.
```

### Caveat

The README's 21% saving was measured on four coding tasks, three runs each, through the API, so your own savings will vary.

Disclaimer: Third-party repos we don't own or vouch for. AI-generated use cases can be wrong: review everything and run at your own risk. Full text: https://dedupedai.com/disclaimer/

URL: https://dedupedai.com/use-cases/heycubit-effortless/cut-claude-code-cost-with-auto-effort/

## How to compact or hand off a heavy chat before the cache goes cold with Effortless

Repo: [HeyCubit/effortless](https://github.com/HeyCubit/effortless) | Difficulty: Intermediate | Time: 30 minutes | Basis: From the README

Use the cache countdown on the bar to decide when to compact or start a fresh chat.

**Who it is for:** A Claude Code user in a large, long-running chat who wants to avoid paying full price to re-read the whole conversation.

**The problem:** After the prompt cache expires, the next message pays full price to re-read the chat, and it is hard to tell when that will happen.

**The outcome:** The user sees the time left on the cache, and when the bar turns to ice, runs Handoff or Compact to keep the next messages cheaper.

### Steps

1. Install Effortless as described in the first use case, then start or continue a long chat.
2. Watch the cache countdown on the bar (for example cache 59:00).
3. When the cache has gone cold on a big chat, choose Handoff to write a summary and carry on in a clean chat, or Compact to shorten the current one.
4. Open Settings, then Handoff, then Compact with, to choose which model writes compactions; the README sets Haiku 5.5 by default.

### Prompt to paste into your agent

```text
In the HeyCubit/effortless repo, after installing the plugin, check the bar's cache countdown in a chat at <path-to-project> and report the minutes left. Once the bar shows the cache as cold on a large chat, confirm that Compact or Handoff is offered and that a summary is written.
```

### Caveat

The README notes that Haiku 5.5 makes the handoff call and that Compact falls back to normal Claude Code compaction if Haiku fails.

Disclaimer: Third-party repos we don't own or vouch for. AI-generated use cases can be wrong: review everything and run at your own risk. Full text: https://dedupedai.com/disclaimer/

URL: https://dedupedai.com/use-cases/heycubit-effortless/time-compaction-and-handoff-on-long-chats/

## How to show pixel art instead of the step log while Claude works with Effortless

Repo: [HeyCubit/effortless](https://github.com/HeyCubit/effortless) | Difficulty: Beginner | Time: 15 minutes | Basis: From the README

Use the textless desktop app to show one picture, a quote or a chess game during long Claude tasks.

**Who it is for:** A user who finds the scrolling step output of Claude Code distracting or hard to read while a task runs.

**The problem:** Claude Code prints a long list of steps while it works, which is noisy to watch.

**The outcome:** While Claude works, one pixel-art picture stands in for the wall of steps, and the user can pick a set, use their own art or find one in the Marketplace.

### Steps

1. Open the Install link for textless from the README at https://github.com/HeyCubit/effortless.
2. Install the textless desktop app by following the steps on that page.
3. Pick a pixel-art set, add your own art, or open the Marketplace to find one.
4. Start a task in Claude Code and check that the picture replaces the steps while Claude works.

### Prompt to paste into your agent

```text
Using the HeyCubit/effortless repo, install the textless desktop app from its Install link and choose a pixel-art set. Start a Claude Code task and report whether a single picture replaces the step output while Claude works.
```

### Caveat

The README gives no install commands for textless, so its setup has to be followed on its own Install link.

Disclaimer: Third-party repos we don't own or vouch for. AI-generated use cases can be wrong: review everything and run at your own risk. Full text: https://dedupedai.com/disclaimer/

URL: https://dedupedai.com/use-cases/heycubit-effortless/replace-the-wall-of-steps-with-pixel-art/

## How to test how often the effort judge picks the right level with Effortless

Repo: [HeyCubit/effortless](https://github.com/HeyCubit/effortless) | Difficulty: Advanced | Time: 45 minutes | Basis: From the README

Run the bundled judge benchmark on your own Claude Code setup before trusting Auto.

**Who it is for:** A team lead or careful developer who wants evidence that the automatic effort judge picks sensible levels for their kind of work.

**The problem:** The automatic judge's accuracy is only shown in the README on a fixed set of 73 cases, which may not match your work.

**The outcome:** The user gets scores for each judge they have set up, measured against labelled prompts, and can compare them with fixed effort levels.

### Steps

1. Install Effortless as described in the first use case.
2. In Claude Code, run `/effortless bench` to score each judge you have set up on the labelled cases.
3. Read the table of right answers, too low and too high counts, and median time.
4. To rerun the cost benchmark, run `bash bench/agentic/run.sh` from a clone of the repo, knowing it makes real API calls and costs money.

### Prompt to paste into your agent

```text
Clone HeyCubit/effortless, run `bash bench/agentic/run.sh` and report the cost per task for each effort setting it prints. Confirm the output matches the table in bench/RESULTS.md within a reasonable margin before drawing conclusions.
```

### Caveat

The README says the judge results come from 73 cases and that runs differ by a few points, and the cost benchmark makes paid API calls.

Disclaimer: Third-party repos we don't own or vouch for. AI-generated use cases can be wrong: review everything and run at your own risk. Full text: https://dedupedai.com/disclaimer/

URL: https://dedupedai.com/use-cases/heycubit-effortless/benchmark-the-judge-on-your-own-setup/