Skip to content
Module
Module 4 of 6Lesson 1 of 2~22 min

Improve retrieval with hybrid search, reranking and context

When the assistant fails to find the right passage, several techniques can help, but each one adds latency and cost. You learn what hybrid search, reranking, contextual retrieval and query rewriting each fix, in what order to test them, and how to judge their real effect on your product.

Take this lesson: your first course is freeSee the full syllabus

Lesson objective

By the end of this lesson, you will be able to choose which retrieval improvements to test (hybrid search, reranking, contextual retrieval, query rewriting), in what order, and to judge their effect on quality, latency and cost.

Questions this lesson answers

  • What is hybrid search in a RAG system?
  • In what order should you test reranking and contextual retrieval?
  • Does reranking actually improve RAG answer quality?

Topics covered

  • hybrid search
  • reranking
  • contextual retrieval
  • BM25
  • query rewriting

In the glossary

Full glossary

Where it fits

Retrieve and answer

How do you find the right passages, and how should the assistant answer from them?

Lessons in this module

  1. Improve retrieval with hybrid search, reranking and context (this lesson)
  2. Specify the cited answer and "not found"

What you will learn in this module

This lesson is part of the course Design a RAG architecture that fits your product

  • Design retrieval: semantic, keyword or hybrid search, reranking, contextual retrieval, number of passages and relevance threshold.
  • Specify the answer grounded in sources, how citations are displayed, how conflicting sources are handled and what happens when nothing is found.

Related courses