Glossary Systems and architecture
Context window and token
Limits how much content a model can consider in one invocation.
What is Context window and token?
The context window contains the content available to a model invocation, such as instructions, conversation history and retrieved documents. Its size is usually expressed in tokens: processing units that are not equivalent to words.
Long conversations or documents may be shortened or summarised. Check whether important limitations or sources are lost. A large context window guarantees neither complete consideration nor a correct answer.
Sources for context: Context windows · Claude Docs
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“Context window and token”. Versatile AI Risk Assessment, glossary of AI risk analysis, as of September 2026. https://www.versatile-ai-risk-assessment.com/en/wissensbasis/glossary/kontextfenster/