What is a Context Window?
A context window is how much text the AI can look at and remember at one time. Think of it like the AI’s short-term memory.What are tokens? Tokens are small pieces of text. About 4 letters = 1 token. So “hamburger” is 2 tokens: “ham” and “burger”. When we say “128K tokens,” that means the AI can remember about 96,000 words at once.
Size Guide
Different AI Models
*The AI works best up to this point. After that, it might start forgetting earlier parts of your chat.
What Uses Up the Context Window
- Your messages - Everything you and the AI say in the chat
- Your files - Files the AI reads from your project
- Command results - Output from commands that run
- System instructions - CodinIT’s background instructions (uses very little)
How to Save Context Space
1. Start fresh for new features
- You get the full context window
- No old, irrelevant messages
- AI focuses better
2. Only include files you need
Instead of including everything:@filename.ts- Only mention files when necessary- Use search instead of reading big files
- Reference specific parts, not whole files
3. Turn on auto-compact
CodinIT can automatically shorten long conversations:- Go to Settings → Features → Auto-compact
- Keeps important stuff
- Uses fewer tokens
Warning Signs
How to Tell You’re Running Out of Space
Tips by Project Size
Small projects (less than 50 files)
- Any AI model works fine
- Include files freely
- Don’t worry about optimization
Medium projects (50-500 files)
- Use AI with 128K+ context
- Only include files you’re working on
- Start new chats between features
Large projects (500+ files)
- Use AI with 200K+ context
- Focus on one part at a time
- Search instead of reading many files
- Break work into smaller pieces
Advanced Tips
Use Plan/Act Mode Smartly
Use different AI models for different tasks:- Plan Mode: Use cheaper AI for talking and planning
- Act Mode: Use better AI when writing code
How CodinIT Saves Space
CodinIT can automatically remove less important text:- Remove old messages: Delete old parts of the conversation
- Keep relevant code: Only keep code related to what you’re doing now
- Keep summaries: Keep the main ideas but remove details
Counting Tokens
Quick math
- 1 token ≈ 3/4 of a word (1,000 tokens = about 750 words)
- 1 token ≈ 4 letters
- 100 lines of code ≈ 500-1000 tokens
File sizes
Common Questions
Q: Why does the AI get worse with long conversations?
A: The AI loses focus when there’s too much to remember. It works best with 50-70% of its maximum.Q: Should I always use the biggest context window?
A: No. Bigger contexts cost more and can make the AI worse. Use what you need for your task.Q: How do I know how much context I’m using?
A: CodinIT shows you a meter. Watch it to see when you’re getting close to the limit.Q: What happens if I go over the limit?
A: CodinIT will:- Automatically shorten the conversation (if you turned that on)
- Show an error and tell you to start a new chat
- Remove old messages (with a warning)