Context Window Management
Monitor and manage Claude Code context window usage.
Check Context Usage
Run /context in Claude Code to see current usage.
Context Thresholds
| Level | Usage | Action |
|---|---|---|
| Notice | 70% | Consider handoff at next stopping point |
| Warning | 80% | Create handoff, prepare to compact |
| Critical | 90% | Create handoff NOW, then compact |
Managing Context
Create Handoff Before Compacting
code
/create-handoff
This saves:
- •Current task state
- •Key decisions made
- •Files modified
- •Next steps
Compact Context
code
/compact
Reduces context by summarizing earlier conversation.
Resume After Compact
code
/resume-handoff
Restores context from handoff file.
Tips for Reducing Context
- •Use
context: fork- Skills that fork don't bloat main context - •Delegate exploration - Let agents handle research
- •Clean summaries - Agents return summaries, not raw output
- •Avoid large file reads - Use TLDR for token-efficient analysis
When Context is Full
- •Don't panic - Your work isn't lost
- •Create handoff - Save current state
- •Compact - Let Claude summarize
- •Resume - Pick up where you left off
Automatic Protection
The setup includes:
- •Warning at 70%, 80%, 90% thresholds
- •Auto-handoff before compaction (PreCompact hook)
- •Session start recalls relevant learnings
Output
Report:
- •Current usage: X% of context
- •Recommendation: Action to take
- •Next steps: What to do