Context Window
How much text a model can read at once.
We are working on a detailed page for Context Window - covering why it matters, how it works, related terms, and the tools that use it.
Related terms
From the glossaryFrequently asked questions
Who chooses what goes into the context window?+
The application developer decides what to include: the system prompt, conversation history, retrieved documents, and the user message. Once the window is full, older content must be removed or summarised.
What happens when the context window is full?+
The model can no longer see earlier parts of the conversation. Applications handle this by summarising old turns, using retrieval to pull in only the most relevant past content, or starting a fresh context.
Does a bigger context window mean better quality?+
Not necessarily. Very long contexts can dilute attention and reduce the model's focus on the most relevant information. Quality also depends on what is placed in the window.