In plain language
It is the model’s working memory for one request; anything beyond it is not seen.
Example
A contract too long for the context window is split into sections and summarized piece by piece.
Related terms
Token (AI) · Large Language Model (LLM) · Retrieval-Augmented Generation (RAG) · Prompt
Common misconception
A bigger context window does not guarantee better answers; models can still miss details buried in long inputs.
Implementation guidance
Send only relevant content, put key instructions clearly, use retrieval for large knowledge bases, and test accuracy with long inputs.