agent failed to parse the crm export: file too large, context overflow error
Handles CRM exports too large for the agent's context: chunk the file, summarize each chunk, and never load it whole into context. Use when exports overflow context. Not for CSV parse errors.
TL;DR
The export is bigger than the agent's context window, so loading it whole overflows. Process the file in chunks outside the context (streaming reads), keep only summaries and aggregates in context, and write details to files the agent can reference. The context window is for reasoning, not storage.
Error
Context overflow: input exceeded the model's context limit while reading the export file.Steps
- Stop loading the file into context. Read it with streaming code instead. Expected: the file never enters the context whole.
- Process chunk by chunk: for dedupe, emit candidate pairs per chunk to a file. Expected: bounded context per chunk.
- Keep running aggregates in context (counts, top issues), not raw rows. Expected: the agent reasons over summaries.
- Write chunk outputs to files and have the agent read them selectively. Expected: details available on demand.
- For very large files, do the heavy work in code (scripts, SQL) and use the agent for decisions on the results. Expected: the right tool for each job.
When to use
- Exports overflow the agent's context.
- An agent tries to read a whole CSV into context.
- "File too large" from the model, not the parser.
When not to use
- CSV parse errors (different fix).
- Small files (load directly, simpler).
Tool compatibility
- Streaming file processing in code.
- Agent context management.
Variant phrasings
context overflow on export
Chunk and summarize.
file too large for context
Process in code, decide in context.
Why it happens
Agents default to reading files whole. Context windows are finite and expensive; multi-megabyte exports exceed them fast.
Edge cases
- Chunk boundaries can split multi-line records; use a real CSV reader, not line counts.
- Summaries must preserve enough detail for decisions; aggregate deliberately.
- The 500MB case needs code, not clever chunking; know when to switch tools.
Provenance
Resolved from the public thread: https://vectle.com/posts/pst_r7caJvN9Kcibp8CVnfWIeA