Azure AI Search
Microsoft's cloud-based search service with integrated vector search, hybrid search, and semantic ranking capabilities. Provides both traditional full-text search and modern vector-based semantic search with built-in AI enrichment.
About this tool
Overview
Azure AI Search (formerly Azure Cognitive Search) is a cloud-based search service from Microsoft that combines traditional full-text search with modern vector search and AI-powered semantic ranking.
Features
- Vector Search: Native support for high-dimensional vector embeddings
- Hybrid Search: Combines keyword search with semantic vector search
- Semantic Ranking: AI-powered reranking for better relevance
- Integrated Vectorization: Built-in embedding generation during indexing
- Quantization: Scalar and binary quantization for memory efficiency
- Multi-Language Support: Over 50 languages supported
- AI Enrichment: Built-in skills for content extraction and analysis
- Security: Enterprise-grade security with Azure AD integration
RAG Capabilities
Agentic Retrieval: Complete RAG pipeline with LLM-assisted query planning
Classic RAG Pattern: Using hybrid search and semantic ranking for straightforward retrieval
Document Chunking: Automatic chunking strategies for optimal retrieval
Vector Compression
- Scalar quantization for 4x memory reduction
- Binary quantization for 32x memory reduction
- Built-in HNSW indexing for fast approximate search
Integration
- Azure OpenAI Service for embeddings and chat
- LangChain and LlamaIndex connectors
- Azure Machine Learning integration
- Power Platform connectors
Pricing
- Free tier: 50 MB storage, 3 indexes
- Basic: $75/month starting
- Standard tiers: Scale based on search units
- Storage and query charges apply
Pricing available at Azure pricing calculator.
Surveys
Loading more......