Check context usage in Grok Build

Watch how full the context window is before the session auto-compacts. Official: Modes and Commands, Sessions, Status Line.

Slash commands

1. Run /context for current context usage.
2. Run /session-info for a broader session summary (ids, paths, and related counters).
3. When the window is full, run /compact [context] with optional instructions about what to keep — covered in Compact a long Grok Build session.

Status line percentage

Add a built-in status line in ~/.grok/config.toml so context % stays visible while you work:

[ui.status_line]
type = "builtin"
items = ["cwd", "model", "context"]

Restart Grok after editing. The context item turns amber at the auto-compaction threshold (or at 80% when the agent does not report one). Full field list for custom scripts: Status Line.

Auto-compact threshold

Default auto-compact fires when usage reaches the percent in [session] auto_compact_threshold_percent (settings reference default 85). Lower it if you want compaction earlier:

[session]
auto_compact_threshold_percent = 75

Confirm loaded settings with grok inspect.

Pitfalls

• Reading API “context compaction” docs for the consumer Responses API — that is a different surface from the Build TUI /context and /compact path.
• Expecting the status line on the welcome screen; it appears once a session view is active.