Council LogoCouncil
AI Glossary

What is Context Window?

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

By Council Research TeamUpdated: Jan 27, 2026

Definition

A context window (or context length) is the maximum number of tokens an AI model can consider at once, including both your input and its output. Larger context windows allow for longer conversations and processing bigger documents. Claude offers 200K tokens, while GPT-4 offers 128K.

Examples

1Claude: 200K tokens (~150K words)
2GPT-4: 128K tokens (~96K words)
3Gemini: Up to 2M tokens

Why It Matters

Context window size determines how much information AI can work with. Crucial for analyzing long documents or maintaining conversation history.

Related Terms

Token (AI)

A chunk of text (roughly 4 characters or 3/4 of a word) that AI models process.

Large Language Model (LLM)

An AI system trained on vast text data to understand and generate human-like text.

Common Questions

What does Context Window mean in simple terms?

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

Why is Context Window important for AI users?

Context window size determines how much information AI can work with. Crucial for analyzing long documents or maintaining conversation history.

How does Context Window relate to AI chatbots like ChatGPT?

Context Window is a fundamental concept in how AI assistants like ChatGPT, Claude, and Gemini work. For example: Claude: 200K tokens (~150K words) Understanding this helps you use AI tools more effectively.

Related Use Cases

Best AI for Coding

Best AI for Research

Best AI for Summarization

AI Models Using This Concept

ClaudeClaudeGeminiGemini

See Context Window in Action

Council lets you compare responses from multiple AI models side-by-side. Experience different approaches to the same prompt instantly.

Browse AI Glossary

Large Language Model (LLM)Prompt EngineeringAI HallucinationToken (AI)RAG (Retrieval-Augmented Generation)Fine-TuningTemperature (AI)Multimodal AIAI AgentChain of Thought (CoT)