Prompt Bloat is what happens when Context Debt goes unaddressed and Context Load grows unchecked. The prompt is full of things the model doesn't need: repeated instructions, copy-pasted documentation, entire files when only a function signature was relevant, or the complete history of a conversation when only the last three turns matter. Every redundant token is a token the model must process, increasing cost and reducing the space available for useful work.
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Context Debt
Accumulated ambiguity, redundancy, and disorder in a conversation or prompt.
Context Load
The total volume and complexity of context a model must process in a single call.
Context Clarity
A state where the prompt contains only what the model needs — no ambiguity, no redundancy, high signal. The opposite of Context Debt.
Signal Density
The ratio of useful information to total tokens in a prompt. High signal density = low reasoning tax.
Prompt Hygiene
The practice of keeping prompts clean, structured, and free of accumulated noise. Preventive maintenance against Context Debt.
Context Freshness
How current and relevant the context is to the task at hand. Stale context — old instructions, outdated facts — increases reasoning cost even when well-structured.
Structured Context
Context organized with clear hierarchy, roles, and boundaries — making it machine-parseable, not just human-readable. The architectural practice behind Context Clarity.