# Context

> The background you give an AI, who you are, what you are doing, and what matters, so its answer fits your real situation.

**Category:** Core concept, Prompting

**Context is everything you tell the AI about your situation:** who the answer is for, the goal, the facts, the tone you want. Claude starts each chat knowing nothing about you, so **the context you add is what turns a generic reply into one that fits.**

There is a simple test: *would a smart new colleague need this to do the job well?* If yes, put it in. The more the answer matters, the more context is worth adding.

## At work

Before asking for a reply to an unhappy client, tell Claude who they are, what went wrong, and the outcome you want. The draft comes back usable instead of generic.

## Often confused with

The context window. Context is the background you provide; the [context window](/glossary#context-window) is the limited space that holds it all.

## Related terms

- Prompt
- Context window
- Custom instructions

## See it in a lesson

[Giving Claude context](/en/learn/getting-started-with-claude/giving-claude-context)

## Further reading

- [Prompt engineering overview (Anthropic docs)](https://docs.claude.com/en/docs/build-with-claude/prompt-engineering/overview): Why context is a big lever on answer quality.
- [Understanding Claude's personalization features (Help)](https://support.claude.com/en/articles/10185728-understanding-claude-s-personalization-features): Set standing context once, for every chat.
- [Introduction to Claude (Anthropic docs)](https://docs.claude.com/en/docs/intro): How Claude uses what you give it.

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Last updated: 24/07/2026  
Source: Rollo Academy glossary