What are input tokens?
Input tokens are everything you send: your message, your files, your rules, and the whole conversation so far.
~/ai-glossary
$ glossary
10 of 14 in #the-basics
They are cheaper than what comes back, and there are far more of them. A long session sends the entire history again on every single turn.
This is why a session that has run all afternoon costs more per question than the same question asked fresh.
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