Context architecture is the discipline of deciding what information a model receives, in what order, with what authority—and what must never be included.
Layers to design
- Task context: goal, constraints, and output contract.
- Operational context: CRM fields, tickets, or docs the workflow may pull.
- Policy context: red lines, jurisdictions, and retention rules.
- Memory strategy: what persists across sessions vs what must be forgotten.
Context spec (template)
| Field | Example |
|---|---|
| Workflow ID | support-reply-v3 |
| Allowed sources | KB articles tagged customer-safe, last 5 ticket messages |
| Denied sources | HR records, unreleased roadmap |
| Max tokens per source | 2k per article, 1k ticket window |
| Refresh trigger | On ticket status change |
| Retention | Discard session memory after case closed |
Data classification
| Class | In model context? | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Public | Yes | Marketing FAQ |
| Internal | Yes with role check | Playbooks |
| Confidential | Redacted or human-only | Pricing bands |
| Regulated | Policy-controlled retrieval | Health or payment data |
Failure modes
Kitchen-sink retrieval, stale policy packs, and cross-tenant data bleed cause more harm than a smaller, governed context.
Read Memory Types for AI Systems and Context Window Myths.