# Configuration
URL: /concepts/additional-context/configuration

Context helpers are most commonly configured at the app root using `TamboProvider`. You provide a plain object where each key is the context name and each value is a function that returns the context value (or null/undefined to skip).

## Basic Configuration (recommended)

Configure prebuilt context helpers at the root:

```tsx
import { TamboProvider } from "@tambo-ai/react";
import {
  currentTimeContextHelper,
  currentPageContextHelper,
} from "@tambo-ai/react";

function AppRoot({ children }: { children: React.ReactNode }) {
  return (
    <TamboProvider
      apiKey={process.env.NEXT_PUBLIC_TAMBO_API_KEY!}
      contextHelpers={{
        userTime: currentTimeContextHelper,
        userPage: currentPageContextHelper,
      }}
    >
      {children}
    </TamboProvider>
  );
}
```

**Notes:**

* Each helper is a function that returns a value to include, or null/undefined to skip.
* The object key becomes the context name sent to the model.
* Helpers can be synchronous or asynchronous.

## When NOT passing at the root: use the Context Helpers Provider

If you don’t want to pass `contextHelpers` at the root (or you need to scope helpers per page/layout), use `TamboContextHelpersProvider` where needed. This is useful for route-specific helpers or experiments without changing the root.

```tsx
import { TamboContextHelpersProvider } from "@tambo-ai/react";
import { currentPageContextHelper } from "@tambo-ai/react";

function Page() {
  return (
    <TamboContextHelpersProvider
      contextHelpers={{
        userPage: currentPageContextHelper,
      }}
    >
      {/* Components that send messages (e.g., MessageThreadFull, inputs, etc.) */}
    </TamboContextHelpersProvider>
  );
}
```

**Notes:**

* This pattern is intended for cases where you are NOT passing `contextHelpers` at the root, or you want page-specific registration.
* You still need `TamboProvider` somewhere higher in your app to enable message sending (typically in your app root).
* If helpers with the same key are registered at different times, the most recently mounted registration takes effect while it’s mounted.

## Message Context Structure

When helpers resolve, they are merged into the message context keyed by your helper names:

```tsx
<TamboProvider
  contextHelpers={{
    userTime: currentTimeContextHelper,
    session: async () => ({
      sessionId: "abc123",
      userId: "user456",
    }),
  }}
>
```

Example merged context:

```json
{
  "userTime": {
    "timestamp": "2025-01-15T20:30:00.000Z"
  },
  "session": {
    "sessionId": "abc123",
    "userId": "user456"
  }
}
```