Toknary
The first twenty minutes with an agent often feel great. Two hours later it repeats itself, forgets decisions and costs more per step. That is not bad luck. It is how context works.
Why does quality drop in a long session?
Every step carries the history. As it grows, old files, dead ends and abandoned plans fill the space. The agent has more to read and more noise to ignore, and each step costs more.
When should I start a new session?
- When the goal changes.
- When the agent starts repeating itself.
- After a big change is committed.
- When you have been correcting the same mistake more than twice.
How do I carry over what matters?
Write a three-line summary: what is done, what is left, and any rule you set. Paste it at the start of the new session. Fresh context plus a short summary beats a long transcript.
Does this save tokens?
Yes. Short sessions send less history. Together with caching, as in why repeated reading should cost less, it is one of the easiest ways to reduce token usage.
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