Context Window
The maximum number of tokens a model can read and remember at once, including input and output.
In plain language
The context window determines how much documentation, conversation or code a model can handle at once. Larger windows allow more material but cost more and add latency. Content beyond the window is truncated or must be chunked.
Example
A 200K-token window is roughly 150,000 English words, enough for a full book.
Recommended tools
Related terms
Large Language Model
A model trained on massive text to understand and generate natural language.
Retrieval-Augmented Generation
Retrieve relevant passages from a knowledge base, then have the model answer from them.
Token
The smallest unit of text a model processes, often a word, subword or character group.
Agent Memory
A mechanism for an agent to store and retrieve user preferences, past tasks and key facts across sessions.