AI Glossary

Context window

The amount of input and output a model can consider at one time, counted in tokens: the conversation so far, any documents, images or other inputs, and the reply it is writing. Anything outside the window is not available to the model unless it is brought back in.

See also

  • Token

    The small unit of text a language model reads and writes, often a whole word or a piece of one.

  • Context engineering

    Deciding what goes into a model's context window at each step (instructions, files, tool results, memory) so an agent has what it needs and nothing that distracts it.

  • Prompt

    The input given to an AI model, usually written instructions or a question, together with any text, files or images attached to it.

  • System prompt

    Instructions given to a model ahead of a conversation, usually by the maker of the app, that set its role, rules and tone.

Source: Claude Platform documentation, Context windows (opens in a new tab)

Cite this term.

CC BY 4.0, attribution required.

This term

Orbyt Labs, Context window (AI Glossary), Oct 18, 2026. https://www.orbytlabs.ai/orbyt-collective/glossary/context-window

The dataset (JSON)

Orbyt Labs Glossaries (Oct 19, 2026), https://www.orbytlabs.ai/glossary#dataset

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