Long conversations
A long thread does not have to end. When it comes up against the model's context limit, the older turns are compacted into a summary and the conversation carries on instead of failing.
Fold
Older turns
Compacted
Marker
The seam stays visible
Compaction is not silent. It is shown in the thread, so you can see where it happened and which part of the history has been folded up.
Cost
Summarised for everyday use
A model set aside for everyday tasks makes the summary. The latest turns stay in full.
Container
Nothing in your container moves
Compaction touches the conversation and only the conversation. Files are not part of the context in the first place, so everything in the container is left exactly as it was.
Context length
Measured against your selected model
The context limit depends on the model selected for the chat. Check its context length in the picker. A thread that exceeds it may need compaction before you continue.