Overview
A context-inspection command can show how tokens are being used inside an agent environment.
In one example, a fresh session has used approximately 9,000 tokens before any meaningful conversation has occurred.
The breakdown includes approximately:
- 4,900 tokens for the system prompt and instruction layer.
- 2,000 tokens for memory files.
- 1,700 tokens for skills.
- A very small number of tokens for the visible conversation.
The exact values are specific to that workspace, but the lesson is general. A system can spend a meaningful portion of its context on invisible infrastructure before the user begins the task.
This is not necessarily waste. The instructions, memory, and skills can make the agent more capable. The problem appears when the stored material is poorly organized or larger than its ongoing value.
A rule file that prevents repeated mistakes may justify its cost. A collection of outdated, conflicting, or rarely relevant rules may not.