Build a simple token budget that separates always-needed context from optional context.
A context window is not just a max token number; it is the model's active working set for this turn. As the prompt grows, each new block competes for attention with every earlier block. Anthropic's context-window guidance makes the accounting explicit: prior turns, tool results, and the current task all accumulate inside one budget. The practical lesson is that long context creates tradeoffs, not magic. Good context engineering starts with a budget. Split what you send into three buckets: stable context that rarely changes, retrieved evidence tied to the current task, and ephemeral turn-specific asks. That budgeting step forces you…
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