Context Budget
A per-phase limit on how many files can be loaded into context simultaneously, preventing token exhaustion in complex workflows.
Context budgets are the resource management layer of PRD design. Each phase specifies a maximum number of files (typically 8-12) that can be in context at once. This forces intentional file selection: you read the README and synthesis doc first, then load only the specific detail files needed for the current action. Without budgets, agents load every potentially-relevant file, hit the context window ceiling, and trigger compaction that loses critical instructions. Context budgets were formalized after a 14-file research phase compacted away the PRD itself, causing the agent to lose track of what it was supposed to do.
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