Context Window

Learn how chat context works, what fills it, and how to manage it so the model has room for your task.

The context window is the information the model can use for its next response. In Odeus, it includes the current chat, the context you add, and the tools Odeus prepares for the model. Each model has its own context window size, so the room available depends on the model you chose for the conversation.

What fills the context window

Odeus builds the context window from the information the model needs to answer. Depending on the chat, it can include:

• Your messages and the assistant's responses
• Files, images, and other attachments in the chat, including files referenced from the Library and Knowledge Hub
• Relevant Memory
• Active Skills
• System instructions and tool instructions
• Tool calls and tool results from Web Search, file reading, integrations, and other tools
• Summaries of earlier chat history when a long conversation is summarized

This is why a short follow-up can still use a lot of context. The model receives your latest message together with the surrounding chat state it needs to answer.

What counts toward context

The categories below explain the kinds of content that take up space in the context window.

Category	What it means
System tools	Tool definitions Odeus includes so the model knows which tools it can use.
System prompt	Instructions and system context that guide how the model should respond.
Messages	The parts of your conversation history that are still included for the next response.
Skills	Instructions from active Skills that are loaded into the chat.
Relevant Memory	Memory entries Odeus includes for the current chat.
Summarized conversation	A shorter summary of older chat history included after Odeus summarizes a long conversation.
Attachments / images	Images and attachment content included in the current context.
Tool calls and results	Named tool calls and their output, such as Web search, Read file, or an integration action.
Free space	The remaining room in the selected model's context window.

Conversation summarization

Odeus can summarize long chats so you can keep working without starting over.

Your full chat history stays visible, so you can always scroll back and read earlier messages. When a conversation grows long, Odeus summarizes older parts of the conversation for the model so the chat can continue within the context window. If an exact detail still matters, mention it again before you continue.

Summarization is based on context size, not message count. A short chat with large files, tool results, or retrieved knowledge can fill the context window faster than a long plain-text chat.

Managing your context window

Use these habits to keep the model focused and within its context window:

• Start a new chat when you move to a new topic.
• Remove unnecessary files or images before sending the next message.
• Reference specific sections instead of attaching entire documents when possible.
• Use consistent terms so the model can connect related parts of the conversation.
• Refer to important details directly, such as "use the pricing section we discussed earlier".
• Add a short recap before continuing a long chat.
• Choose a model with a larger context window when the task requires long documents or extended analysis.

If a chat starts producing less focused answers, start a new chat with a short summary of the important context. This gives the model more room for the next task.

For how usage is metered and how it relates to your plan, see Usage and Limits.

FAQ

No. Your messages stay visible in the chat. The model may receive a summary of older messages instead of the full earlier conversation.



The chat may have exceeded what fits in the model's context window. Older details can become less reliable after a long conversation is summarized, especially in chats with files, tools, agents, or large amounts of retrieved knowledge.



Context is based on tokens, not message count. A few large prompts, attached files, retrieved knowledge, system instructions, or tool results can fill the context window quickly. Break larger tasks into smaller chats, and bring only the files and instructions needed for the next step.



Use files or the [Knowledge Hub](/en/using-odeus/chat/tools/knowledge-folders) when information needs to stay durable, searchable, or quoted exactly later. Chat history is useful for conversation flow, but it is not a reliable long-term knowledge store after older context is summarized.