# Long Chats and Automatic Compaction

A model can only keep a limited amount of conversation in mind. So that a chat can go on as long as you need, Cowork **compacts** it automatically: when the chat gets close to the model's limit, the older part is replaced by a summary, and the latest part is kept in full.

## When to use it

When a chat has become very long and you want to keep going in it.

## How to use it

### What you see

- The status line shows **Compacting conversation…** while it runs, then **Compacted conversation automatically.**
- Messages you send meanwhile wait and go out in order when it finishes (**New messages wait until compaction finishes.**).
- All messages stay visible in the chat. Only what the model reads is shortened.

### Compact by hand

Type `/compact` to compact now, for example before starting a new part of a long task.

If there is too little old history, Cowork says there is nothing to compact yet.

## Good to know

- After compaction the AI keeps the summary and recent work, but may lose small details from long ago. If a detail matters, repeat it, or start a new chat for a new topic.
- Clicking **Stop** during compaction cancels it; nothing is changed.