GLOSSARY
Context window
The context window limits how many text units a language model can consider in one processing operation; inputs and outputs may share this budget.
A long file is not automatically good preparation
A tender can combine specifications, appendices, emails and internal requirements within the context window. Even when the material fits, it remains uncertain whether the model reliably considers a decisive exception. When it does not fit, the application must select or compress information. A rare but economically important condition can disappear in that process. Window size therefore describes technical capacity. For sales users, the relevant question is whether the relationships that affect a decision survive together with their qualifications.
Test processing as well as capacity
Good context engineering organises information by task, version and relevance. Summaries should preserve a route back to the original passage so another person can check a claim. A useful test places the same critical contract condition in different parts of a long file and introduces conflicting versions. Measure whether the correct version is identified and justified. The amount processed also affects the token budget and response time. A suitable system handles the actual case reliably without repeatedly including unnecessary material at every step.