Reduce Goose Token Usage: Compress Tool Output

Goose is Block's open-source coding agent. Sessions grow with shell output from the developer extension, file reads, test runs and large MCP tool results that stay in the session. Here is where Goose tokens go and how SuperCompress lets the agent keep the original lines that answer your question.

October 25, 2026 · Guide

In short: one task per session, only enable the extensions you use, keep AGENTS.md and .goosehints short. Then run npm install -g supercompress-proxy && supercompress setup to add the SuperCompress MCP extension and instructions to Goose.

Where Goose tokens go

Developer-extension shell output. Commands return their full output, including test runs and builds.
File reads. Whole files come back even when a few lines matter.
MCP tool results. Large results from other extensions stay in the session for later turns.

Habits that cut Goose token usage for free

Limit which tools an extension loads. Set available_tools on an extension in ~/.config/goose/config.yaml (Goose's config-files guide) so only the tools you need are loaded.
Turn off extensions you do not use. Set enabled: false on the extension, or run goose configure and choose Toggle Extensions.
Start a fresh session per task. Old shell output and MCP results stop riding along.
Keep .goosehints and AGENTS.md short. Goose loads global copies from ~/.config/goose/.

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. It keeps the original lines that answer that question 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 `supercompress setup` adds to Goose

Goose gets the MCP tool and instructions; there are no SuperCompress hooks for Goose. Setup writes the macOS and Linux config path.

What	Where	What it does
MCP server	`~/.config/goose/config.yaml` (`extensions.supercompress`, type `stdio`)	Gives the agent the `compress_context`, `connect_account` and `usage_summary` tools.
Instructions	`~/.config/goose/AGENTS.md`	Tells Goose when to call `compress_context` on bulky dumps, and never to compress the request itself.

Abridged shape of the block setup adds under extensions::

extensions:
  supercompress:
    enabled: true
    type: stdio
    name: supercompress
    cmd: "<path>"
    args:
      - "<path>"
    timeout: 600
    envs:
      SUPERCOMPRESS_CONFIG_DIR: "<path>"

Install

npm install -g supercompress-proxy && supercompress setup

Setup links your SuperCompress account in the browser, detects the coding agents on the machine and wires each one. Restart Goose so it loads the new MCP extension. Then check what is wired up:

supercompress doctor

doctor prints a per-agent health check. supercompress uninstall removes only the entries SuperCompress added. 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 my other Goose extensions?

No. It adds one supercompress entry beside them in ~/.config/goose/config.yaml. supercompress uninstall removes only that entry.

How do I undo the Goose setup?

Run supercompress uninstall. It removes only the supercompress block from Goose config.yaml and the SuperCompress block from ~/.config/goose/AGENTS.md.

Does it work on Windows?

Setup writes the macOS and Linux path (~/.config/goose/config.yaml) today. It does not write Goose's Windows config path.

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