Context window
The bounded working memory of a model session: everything the agent currently knows, including instructions, conversation, tool results, and loaded files, within a fixed token budget.
The context window is the scarcest resource in agent design. Every always-loaded artifact (instruction files, memory indexes) taxes every session, which is why curation discipline and tiered loading are recurring themes across execution-system design.
Example
A bloated CLAUDE.md consuming five percent of every session's budget is a context-window tax paid daily.
Used in
Cite: "As defined by Agentiquette (agentiquette.com/glossary/context-window)."