What is the /context Command in Claude Code

The /context slash command is a context inspection tool introduced in Claude Code v1.0.86 that shows an approximation of your context usage across different components. It displays token consumption and remaining context window percentage for strategic context optimization.

How to Use It

Simply type /context in your Claude Code session to get a detailed breakdown of context usage across all system components.

/context

The command displays token usage for:

• System Prompt - Core instructions and behavior definitions
• System tools - Built-in Claude Code functionality
• MCP tools - Model Context Protocol server integrations
• Memory files - CLAUDE.md and project context
• Custom Agents - Specialized sub-agent definitions
• Messages - Current conversation history

Why Use It

The /context command enables data-driven context engineering where you can optimize performance by understanding exactly how your context window is being consumed. This is essential for maintaining peak Claude Code performance throughout long sessions.

Benefits:

• Token Visibility - Clear breakdown of context consumption across all components
• Strategic Optimization - Make informed decisions about MCP tools and Custom Agents
• Performance Engineering - Identify context bloat before it impacts response quality
• Baseline Awareness - Understand fundamental context overhead for better planning
• Interactive Analysis - Ask Claude to review usage and suggest improvements

Context engineers use this tool to tactically enable/disable MCP tool functions and optimize Custom Agent efficiency with full knowledge of token consumption.

Context Engineering Workflow

After running /context, ask Claude: "Where is my context potentially inefficient?" to get optimization suggestions and create a feedback loop for continuous improvement.

Strategic MCP Management

Use /context data to make informed decisions about which MCP tools provide sufficient value for their context overhead, eliminating guesswork from context optimization.

Context Engineering

Master context optimization by combining /context with Plan Mode and ultrathink for comprehensive analysis: "Where is my context potentially inefficient and how can I optimize it?"

See Also: Context Inspection|Context Window Depletion|Custom Agents|Agent Engineering