Quick definition · 2 min AI term
Context window
A context window is how much text an AI can keep in mind at once, its short-term memory, measured in tokens.
Think of it like
Like a desk that only fits so many pages. Add new pages and the oldest ones slide off the edge and are forgotten.
Example
Paste a 500-page book into a small window and the AI only “sees” the most recent pages. The rest falls off the desk.
Why it matters
When an AI seems to “forget” what you said earlier, a full context window is usually why. It sets how much you can work with at once.
Where you’ll see it