Context and memory: what continuity really requires

Context is not the same as memory

Context is the information available to the model for a particular response. It has limits. A token is a small unit of text processing; token limits are not the same as a fixed number of pages or chat messages. Images, files, tool results and long instructions may also use capacity in ways that vary by service.

A memory or personalization feature may store selected information across interactions. Project references may provide reusable sources. Neither means the model has a perfect, complete or authoritative record of everything you have ever said. Controls and behavior differ by account and platform.

Recognize missing-context symptoms

An assistant may repeat a resolved question, use an older version, omit an exception or confidently answer without the needed source. Those symptoms are a reason to stop and inspect—not proof that one particular limit was reached.

Ask it to name the source it used and distinguish source facts from assumptions. Reintroduce only the relevant verified material. If it cannot access a reference, do not ask it to reconstruct that reference from memory.

Make a handoff you can check

Before moving to a fresh conversation, save a concise handoff containing the task, verified facts, decisions, open questions, relevant source references and next action. Review the handoff yourself; a summary can omit important detail or repeat an earlier error.

Keep the original conversation and authoritative sources until the new session has been checked. Supply the required sources intentionally. Ask for a readback of the key facts, then compare it to your record. A successful readback of a summary does not prove that every original file is available.

• Current goal and scope.
• Verified facts, with source/version references.
• Approved decisions and who made them.
• Unresolved issues—clearly not decisions.
• Next task and required human review.

Preserve product-specific continuity

For an installed Ginny product, follow its Work Session and recovery instructions rather than using a generic summary as a replacement for workspace state. Do not delete or overwrite installation materials because a chat forgot something.

There is no guaranteed cross-chat recall or automatic synchronization between ChatGPT and Claude. Important operational facts need a verified source and a human-controlled record.