A 5-column CSV that stops your AI agents from silently burning money

A developer published a five-column CSV schema for tracking autonomous agent runs, logging run_id, agent_role, tokens_in/tokens_out, cost_usd and outcome to attribute spend per run and per task. The writeup argues that untracked runs, not model pricing, drive agent cost problems, and that runs ending in no_action often account for 20-40% of spend in loops that re-read state without acting. The schema is packaged as a Notion database template and CSV starter sold on Gumroad for a minimum of $1.

Most agent cost problems are not model-pricing problems. They are untracked-run problems: nobody can say which run spent what, for which task, and whether the output was used. Here is the minimal tracking schema I use for every autonomous agent run. You can start with just a CSV. | column | why it matters | |---|---| | run id | lets you join logs, costs and outcomes | | agent role | which agent spent the money | | tokens in / tokens out | the raw driver of cost | | cost usd | computed at write time, not at month end | | outcome | shipped , no action , failed , retried | cost usd divided by the count of outcome = shipped . If it is rising, your agents are getting less efficient. outcome = no action . This is pure waste, and it is often 20-40% of spend in loops that re-read state without acting. python import csv, time, pathlib PATH = pathlib.Path 'agent runs.csv' def log run run id, role, tin, tout, cost, outcome : new = not PATH.exists with PATH.open 'a', newline='' as f: w = csv.writer f if new: w.writerow 'ts','run id','role','tokens in','tokens out','cost usd','outcome' w.writerow time.strftime '%Y-%m-%dT%H:%M:%S' , run id, role, tin, tout, round cost, 4 , outcome Call it in a finally block so failed runs are recorded too. Failed runs are where the money hides. I packaged this schema as a Notion database template plus a CSV starter and the three views above, so you do not have to wire it up yourself: Agent Ops Tracker Notion + CSV - https://renevibe76.gumroad.com/l/ptfvli https://renevibe76.gumroad.com/l/ptfvli pay what you want, minimum $1 . The CSV approach above is fully enough to get started, though. The habit matters more than the tool. What do you track per agent run? I am curious whether anyone measures cost per useful outcome rather than cost per call.