Introduction
One routing approach assigns work across three capability tiers.
Approximately 60 percent of usage goes to low-cost models for simple, repetitive, or high-volume tasks.
Approximately 30 percent goes to mid-tier models for work requiring more reasoning, research, or generation.
Approximately 10 percent goes to the strongest models for routing, difficult decisions, integration, and high-value review.
The percentages are an operating pattern rather than a universal law. The principle is hierarchical allocation.
The top-level router should often be highly capable because a routing error can affect every downstream task. The router can then delegate heavy-volume work to cheaper subagents.
Examples include:
- Simple classification -> low-cost model.
- Large research compilation -> mid-tier model.
- Complex design decision -> high-capability model.
- Repetitive extraction -> low-cost model.
- Final quality review -> high-capability model when the output is valuable.