Context Items
What are Context Items?
Context Items let you attach external knowledge — websites, PDFs, code files, Google Docs — directly into Claude's context window. Unlike copy-pasting, context items persist across conversations and can be toggled on or off with a single click.
Supported Sources
| Source | How to Add | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Websites | Paste URL into context panel | https://docs.anthropic.com |
| PDF files | Drag and drop or paste URL | Technical specs, research papers |
| Code files | Type @filename or drag from Finder | @src/utils/auth.ts |
| Google Docs | Paste sharing link | Design docs, PRDs |
| Terminal output | Right-click in terminal → "Add to Context" | Build errors, test results |
| Chat messages | Click "Save as Context" on any message | Claude's explanations you want to keep |
How It Works
Add content to the Context Panel
Paste a URL or drag a file into the Context Panel on the right side. Conare's Rust backend fetches and extracts the content automatically.
For websites, we use a tiered extraction strategy: fast HTTP fetch first, then system Chrome for JavaScript-heavy pages that need rendering.
Toggle items per conversation
Each context item has a checkbox. Enable the ones relevant to your current task. Disabled items use zero tokens.
Token tracking
Every item shows its exact token count. The total is displayed at the bottom of the panel so you always know how much context window you're using.
Automatic staleness detection
File-based context items track modification timestamps. When a file changes on disk, an orange refresh button appears — click it to re-extract the latest content.
Local vs Global
Context items live in two buckets:
- Local — Scoped to the current project directory. Great for project docs, API specs, and codebase-specific references.
- Global — Available in every project. Perfect for style guides, company standards, or personal coding preferences.
You can promote any local item to global from the context item modal.
Adding Context
Via URL
Paste any URL into the input field at the top of the Context Panel. Conare extracts the main content and strips navigation, ads, and boilerplate.
https://docs.stripe.com/api/charges
Via File Reference
Type @ in the chat input to trigger fuzzy file search. Select a file and it gets added as a context item automatically.
Via Drag and Drop
Drag files directly from Finder (or your file manager) onto the Context Panel. Images, PDFs, and text files are all supported.
Smart Extraction
Conare's Rust backend handles content extraction with multiple strategies:
- Twitter/X — Uses oEmbed API (no auth needed, ~0.5s)
- PDFs — Native text extraction via
pdf-extract - Markdown files — Preserved with formatting intact
- Regular websites —
dom_smoothie(Mozilla Readability algorithm) strips boilerplate - JavaScript SPAs — Falls back to system Chrome with stealth fingerprinting
Session Usage Tracking
Conare tracks which context items were used in each conversation. Items that have been sent to Claude show an orange indicator — so you always know what Claude has seen.
This tracking persists even when sessions use temporary IDs (before Claude assigns a real UUID). Pending usage is committed atomically once the session is confirmed.