# Self-Budget

> Prompt-only guidance for agents to reason about a user-requested indicative budget using session usage data. Distinct from the platform-enforced `budgeting` capability.

Source: <https://everruns.com/docs/capabilities/self-budget/>

|                  |                |
| ---------------- | -------------- |
| **ID**           | `self_budget`  |
| **Category**     | System         |
| **Features**     | *(none)*       |
| **Tools**        | *(none)*       |
| **Included in**  | Worker harness |
| **Dependencies** | None           |

Teaches the agent how to self-manage an **indicative** budget that the user mentions in conversation, for example, “you have $7” or “keep this under 20k tokens”. The capability contributes prompt text only; it adds no tools and performs no enforcement.

For platform-enforced budgets (authoritative limits that pause or stop sessions automatically), use the separate [`budgeting`](https://everruns.com/docs/capabilities/budgeting/) capability.

## How It Works

`self_budget` is prompt-only. When the capability is enabled the agent’s system prompt gets a “Self-Managed Budget” section that explains:

* The self-budget is an **agent-managed soft target**, not a hard limit.
* Session usage metadata (exposed via `get_session_info`) is the source of truth for current spend.
* The agent decides when to start tracking, when to re-check, and when to stop.
* As the target tightens, the agent should adapt, shorter outputs, fewer retries, narrower exploration, fewer redundant tool calls.
* The agent avoids claiming exact cost certainty when only token counts or partial pricing are available.
* The agent distinguishes between platform-enforced budgets and user-requested indicative budgets when reporting progress.

There is no `self_budget` tool. Usage data comes from `get_session_info`, which is provided by the [`session`](https://everruns.com/docs/capabilities/session/) capability (bundled by default in the Worker harness).

## Self-Budget vs Budgeting

| Aspect      | `self_budget`                       | `budgeting`                                         |
| ----------- | ----------------------------------- | --------------------------------------------------- |
| What it is  | Agent-managed soft target           | Platform-enforced limit                             |
| Tools       | None                                | `check_budget`                                      |
| Enforcement | None (prompt guidance only)         | Session is paused/stopped automatically             |
| Data source | `get_session_info` cumulative usage | Budgets table / ledger                              |
| Use case    | User says “you have $7” in chat     | Org/session has a configured budget in the platform |

The two capabilities are non-conflicting and can run together. The Worker harness includes both.

## Related

* [Budgeting](https://everruns.com/docs/capabilities/budgeting/), platform-enforced budgets with the `check_budget` tool
* [Session](https://everruns.com/docs/capabilities/session/), provides `get_session_info`, the usage data source
* [Budgets](https://everruns.com/docs/advanced/budgets/), full budgeting system documentation