/context & status line (Claude Code)
Two complementary Claude Code tools to manage the context window. `/context` shows window occupancy as a colored grid, with optimization suggestions (heavy tools, bloated memory) and capacity warnings, so you can decide what to drop. The status line (configure it with `/statusline`) is a persistent bar at the bottom of the screen driven by your own script, which receives session data as JSON (including context usage); the colors and thresholds of any gauge are whatever you code. `/status`, for its part, opens the Status tab of the settings (version, model, account, connectivity) and shows no gauge. Helps you act before the dumb zone described in context-window.
Strengths
- Zero install for /context, native to the Claude Code runtime; the status line is set up with one command (/statusline)
- Customizable status line: context gauge, cost and git branch always visible to see the dumb zone coming
- /context surfaces hidden costs (MCP tools, memory, accumulated Read files) often invisible
Limitations
- No official color thresholds: those of a status line gauge are whatever your script defines
- No automatic alert from /context, you must type the command; only a configured status line stays visible continuously
Best for
- Long Claude Code sessions or sessions with large Read files to avoid drifting into the dumb zone
- Context cost audit: deciding which MCP servers to keep connected locally vs disconnect