> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://docs.trysixth.com/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# Context Management

> Context is key to getting the most out of Sixth

> 💡 **Quick Reference**
>
> * Context = The information Sixth knows about your project
> * Context Window = How much information Sixth can hold at once
> * Use context files to maintain project knowledge
> * Reset when the context window gets full

## Understanding Context & Context Windows

<Frame caption="In a world of infinite context, the context window is what Sixth currently has available">
  <img src="https://storage.googleapis.com/sixth_public_images/docs/assets/image%20(2).png" alt="In a world of infinite context, the context window is what Sixth currently has available" />
</Frame>

Think of working with Sixth like collaborating with a thorough, proactive teammate:

### How Context is Built

Sixth actively builds context in two ways:

1. **Automatic Context Gathering (i.e. Sixth-driven)**
   * Proactively reads related files
   * Explores project structure
   * Analyzes patterns and relationships
   * Maps dependencies and imports
   * Asks clarifying questions
2. **User-Guided Context**
   * Share specific files
   * Provide documentation
   * Answer Sixth's questions
   * Guide focus areas
   * Share design thoughts and requirements

💡 **Key Point**: Sixth isn't passive - it actively seeks to understand your project. You can either let it explore or guide its focus, especially in [Plan](https://docs.sixth.bot/features/plan-and-act) mode.

### Context & Context Windows

Think of context like a whiteboard you and Sixth share:

* **Context** is all the information available:
  * What Sixth has discovered
  * What you've shared
  * Your conversation history
  * Project requirements
  * Previous decisions
* **Context Window** is the size of the whiteboard itself:
  * Measured in tokens (1 token ≈ 3/4 of an English word)
  * Each model has a fixed size:
    * Claude 3.5 Sonnet: 200,000 tokens
    * DeepSeek: 64,000 tokens
  * When the whiteboard is full, you need to erase (clear context) to write more
    * [How Sixth manages context under the hood](https://sixth.bot/blog/understanding-the-new-context-window-progress-bar-in-sixth)

⚠️ **Important**: Having a large context window (like Claude's 200k tokens) doesn't mean you should fill it completely. Just like a cluttered whiteboard, too much information can make it harder to focus on what's important.

## Understanding the Context Window Progress Bar

Sixth provides a visual way to monitor your context window usage through a progress bar:

<Frame caption="Visual representation of the context window usage">
  <img src="https://storage.googleapis.com/sixth_public_images/docs/assets/image%20(1)%20(1).png" alt="Context window progress bar" />
</Frame>

### Reading the Bar

* ↑ shows input tokens (what you've sent to the LLM)
* ↓ shows output tokens (what the LLM has generated)
* The progress bar visualizes how much of your context window you've used
* The total shows your model's maximum capacity (e.g., 200k for Claude 3.5-Sonnet)

### When to Watch the Bar

* During long coding sessions
* When working with multiple files
* Before starting complex tasks
* When Sixth seems to lose context

💡 **Tip**: Consider starting a fresh session when usage reaches 70-80% to maintain optimal performance.

## Working with Context Files

Context files help maintain understanding across sessions. They serve as documentation specifically designed to help AI assistants understand your project.

#### Approaches to Context Files

1. **Evergreen Project Context (i.e.** [**Memory Bank**](https://docs.sixth.bot/prompting/sixth-memory-bank)**)**
   * Living documentation that evolves with your project
   * Updated as architecture and patterns emerge
   * Example: The Memory Bank pattern maintains files like `techContext.md` and `systemPatterns.md`
   * Useful for long-running projects and teams

2. **Task-Specific Context (i.e.** [**Structured Approach**](https://sixth.bot/blog/building-advanced-software-with-sixth-a-structured-approach)**)**

   * Created for specific implementation tasks
   * Document requirements, constraints, and decisions
   * Example:

     ```markdown theme={null}
     # auth-system-implementation.md

     ## Requirements

     -   OAuth2 implementation
     -   Support for Google and GitHub
     -   Rate limiting on auth endpoints

     ## Technical Decisions

     -   Using Passport.js for provider integration
     -   JWT for session management
     -   Redis for rate limiting
     ```

3. **Knowledge Transfer Docs**
   * Switch to plan mode and ask Sixth to document everything you've accomplished so far, along with the remaining steps, in a markdown file.
   * Copy the contents of the markdown file.
   * Start a new task using that content as context.

#### Using Context Files Effectively

1. **Structure and Format**
   * Use clear, consistent organization
   * Include relevant examples
   * Link related concepts
   * Keep information focused
2. **Maintenance**
   * Update after significant changes
   * Version control your context files
   * Remove outdated information
   * Document key decisions

## Practical Tips

1. **Starting New Projects**
   * Let Sixth explore the codebase
   * Answer its questions about structure and patterns
   * Consider setting up basic context files
   * Document key design decisions
2. **Ongoing Development**
   * Update context files with significant changes
   * Share relevant documentation
   * Use Plan mode for complex discussions
   * Start fresh sessions when needed
3. **Team Projects**
   * Share common context files (consider using [.sixthrules](https://docs.sixth.bot/features/sixth-rules) files in project roots)
   * Document architectural decisions
   * Maintain consistent patterns
   * Keep documentation current

Remember: The goal is to help Sixth maintain consistent understanding of your project across sessions.