Prompting & Interaction

Context Window

The maximum amount of text an AI can process in a single interaction.

Definition

The context window is the total amount of text a model can 'see' at one time — including the system prompt, the conversation history, any attached documents, and the response being generated. Early models had context windows of a few thousand tokens (a few pages of text). Modern models can handle hundreds of thousands of tokens, making it possible to process entire documents, lengthy conversation histories, or large codebases in a single session.

Why this matters for your business

Context window size determines whether an AI can review an entire contract, financial report, or email thread in one go. For document-heavy workflows, choosing a model with a large context window reduces complexity and cost.

Related Terms

Token

The basic unit an LLM reads and writes — roughly equivalent to a word or part of a word.

Context

The information an AI can 'see' at one time — its working memory for a task.

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Disclaimer

This definition is provided for educational and informational purposes only. It represents a general explanation of a technical concept and does not constitute professional, technical, or investment advice. Artificial intelligence is a rapidly evolving field; terminology, techniques, and capabilities change frequently. Coaley Peak Ltd makes no warranty as to the accuracy, completeness, or currency of the information provided. Nothing on this page should be relied upon as the sole basis for commercial, technical, legal, or investment decisions without independent professional advice.

Document reference: ISO_webpage_knowledge-base_glossary_v1

Last modified: 29 March 2026

Knowledge Base·Prompting & Interaction·Context Window