#0001
A cache miss in `Claude Code` costs 12.5x more than a hit—here are the common triggers
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Claude CodeAnthropic's code-centric AI assistant — for terminals/IDEs
Changing settings like /model or editing CLAUDE.md mid-session in Claude Code busts the cache, making the next turn 12.5x more expensive. Make major changes only at the start of a new session to manage costs effectively.
- A cache miss costs 12.5 times more than a cache hit (1.25x base price vs. 0.1x). This quickly adds up in long sessions.
- Adding or removing tools (
mcpservers) mid-session is the worst offense, invalidating the entire cache from the tool definitions down. - Editing the
CLAUDE.mdfile invalidates the system prompt cache and the entire conversation that follows, forcing an expensive rewrite. - Switching models with
/modeldoesn't migrate the cache; it starts a fresh one. Use separate sessions for different models like Sonnet and Opus.
Source: www.reddit.com/r/ClaudeAI/comments/1tlzqpl/cache_miss_inRead original →