AI token
Also called LLM token, text token.
An AI tokenToken is a word with three common meanings in this glossary: an AI token, a design token, and an access token. is a unit a model uses to process content. For text, a token may be a word, a word fragment, or punctuation.
Example
The sentence “Ship the bot.” might be several tokens, not three, because the model splits text its own way. A usage screen may count those tokens.
Why it matters
Models measure input and output in tokens. A long chat uses more of them. This is not a design tokenA design token is a named design value, such as a color or a spacing size, stored so the same value can be reused. and not an access tokenAn access token is a credential that lets software use protected resources within the permissions it was granted, often for a limited time.. Those words share the English name and mean different things.
Common confusion
An AI tokenToken is a word with three common meanings in this glossary: an AI token, a design token, and an access token. is not a login credential and not a named color in a stylesheet. See Token for the split.
Sources
Updated September 30, 2026.