How context depth works
This guide explains what context depth controls, how the context and history windows work, and how your plan determines the default setting.
Context depth controls how much information your agent reads and remembers when answering a question. It sets two windows - one for how much of your knowledge base the agent draws from, and one for how much conversation history it keeps in view.
The two windows
Context depth sets two things simultaneously:
Context window - how much of your knowledge base the agent draws from per question. A wider window means the agent can pull from more sources at once when assembling an answer.
History window - how much of the current conversation the agent keeps in view. A larger history lets the agent refer back to earlier messages when answering follow-up questions.
Each context depth option sets both windows together. You cannot set them independently unless you are on an Enterprise account with a Custom configuration.
Note: Context depth is available on all agents, including those with Plan & Act mode enabled. The conversation history benefit of higher context depth applies to standard agents only - Plan & Act agents handle conversation memory differently.
Available options
| Option | Context window (tokens) | History window (tokens) |
|---|---|---|
| Compact | 2,000 | 1,000 |
| Balanced | 3,000 | 1,000 |
| Extended | 6,000 | 2,000 |
| Rich | 12,000 | 4,000 |
| Max | 24,000 | 8,000 |
| Custom | Set by your account team | Set by your account team |
Default by plan
Context depth is set automatically when the agent is created:
- Standard plan agents default to Compact and are limited to Compact only.
- Premium plan agents default to Balanced and can select up to Rich.
- Enterprise customers can access all options including Max and Custom.
Query credit cost
Higher context depth uses more query credits per question. Extended, Rich, and Max each cost progressively more. See How context depth affects query cost for the full breakdown.
When context depth makes a difference
A wider context window helps when a question requires pulling from multiple parts of your knowledge base. A larger history window helps when a conversation builds on earlier turns.
For most agents, Balanced covers everyday needs. See Choose the right context depth for your use case for guidance on when to move to a higher setting.