One oversized tool result — a 40K-token API dump, a whole log file, a giant HTML page — gets re-sent on every subsequent turn of an agent loop. Write it to the filesystem instead and leave only a file path plus a short preview in context; let the agent re-read the full payload only if it actually needs it.
Spill Giant Tool Results to Disk and Keep Only a Pointer in Context
Unlock this tip — and 111 more
This is one of 112 advanced, fact-checked tactics reserved for Pro. Get the full 134-tip library, a searchable archive, and a new tip every morning. Free for 7 days, then $9/mo.
Prefer to browse? The 22 Beginner tips are free forever.
More in Context Management
Drop the Screenshot Once the Model Has Read It
Images, PDFs, and attachments are charged as tokens and re-sent every turn in a multimodal thread. After the model has described or transcribed one, you usually don't need to keep sending the pixels.
Paste the Function, Not the Whole File
Most coding questions need 20-40 lines, not your 800-line file. Send the relevant slice plus a one-line note about the rest, and your input shrinks dramatically without hurting the answer.
Start a New Chat When the Topic Changes
Chat apps re-send your whole conversation with every message. When you switch tasks, the old turns become dead weight you keep paying to re-transmit — even with caching discounts.