Context & Chat History
Understanding how context works helps you have more effective conversations with AI and optimize usage costs.
What is the Context Window
The Context Window is the range of conversation content that an AI model can "remember". Think of it as AI's "short-term memory".
Context Window Limits
Each model has a context window size limit, but exact numbers vary by model version and provider updates.
General rule of thumb:
| Model Type | Typical Context Range |
|---|---|
| Flagship cloud models | Large to very large |
| Fast/cost-efficient cloud models | Medium to large |
| Local open-source models | Small to medium |
For exact limits, check the model card on your provider's official docs or pricing page.
What Context Contains
Context includes:
- System Prompt
- Chat history (your questions + AI's answers)
- Current question
How Context Affects Token Consumption
This is an important concept many users overlook: Every time you send a message, the entire context is resent to AI.
Cumulative Effect Example
Assuming each conversation round averages 500 Tokens:
| Round | Round Content | Tokens Actually Sent | Cumulative Consumption |
|---|---|---|---|
| Round 1 | 500 | 500 | 500 |
| Round 2 | 500 | 1,000 | 1,500 |
| Round 3 | 500 | 1,500 | 3,000 |
| Round 4 | 500 | 2,000 | 5,000 |
| Round 5 | 500 | 2,500 | 7,500 |
Notice: 5 rounds of conversation actually consumed 7,500 Tokens, not 2,500 Tokens!
This is why long conversations quickly consume your Token quota.
Maximum Context Messages Setting
Chatbox allows you to set a limit on the number of history messages sent to AI.
Recommended Settings
| Use Case | Suggested Setting | Explanation |
|---|---|---|
| Daily chat | 10-20 messages | Balance coherence and cost |
| Code development | 20-30 messages | Need more context |
| Single Q&A | 5-10 messages | Save Tokens |
| Deep discussion | 30-50 messages | Need complete memory |
How to Set
- Open Chatbox settings
- Find "Conversation Settings" or "Context Settings"
- Adjust "Maximum Context Messages"
Best Practices for Long Conversations
1. Start New Conversations Regularly
Consider starting a new conversation when:
- Topic changes significantly
- Conversation exceeds 20-30 rounds
- AI responses start becoming strange or repetitive
2. Use the "Fork" Feature
Chatbox provides conversation forking, allowing you to:
- Create a new branch from any message
- Explore new directions while preserving the original conversation
- Avoid polluting the main conversation thread
Use cases:
- Trying different ways to ask questions
- Getting multiple versions of answers from AI
- Exploring different directions during discussion
3. Use System Prompts Wisely
Put important background information in the system prompt instead of repeating it in every conversation:
❌ Every time: "Remember, I'm a Python developer, please answer in Python..."
✅ In system prompt: "You are a Python programming assistant.
All code examples should use Python."
4. Summarize Long Conversations
If a conversation is long but you want to continue, ask AI to summarize the previous content:
"Please summarize the key points we've discussed so far, then let's continue..."
Then start a new conversation with the summary as the opening.
Common Questions
Why did AI forget what it said earlier?
Possible reasons:
- Conversation exceeded the context window limit
- "Maximum Context Messages" setting is too small
- Started a new conversation
Why did Token consumption suddenly increase?
Possible reasons:
- More conversation rounds, context accumulated
- Uploaded images (images consume more Tokens)
- AI replied with very long content
How to make AI remember more content?
- Increase "Maximum Context Messages" setting
- Use models with larger context windows
- Put important information in the system prompt