
Hybrid Search
Search approach combining keyword-based (BM25) and semantic (vector) search for best of both worlds. Uses fusion techniques like RRF to merge results.
About this tool
Overview
Hybrid search combines traditional keyword search (BM25) with semantic vector search, leveraging strengths of both approaches.
Components
Keyword Search (BM25)
- Exact term matching
- Fast and efficient
- Handles specific terms well
- No semantic understanding
Vector Search
- Semantic understanding
- Handles paraphrases
- Context-aware
- May miss specific terms
Fusion (RRF)
- Combines result sets
- Balances both approaches
- Improves overall quality
Advantages
- Better Recall: Catches more relevant results
- Improved Precision: Reduces irrelevant matches
- Robust: Works across query types
- Best of Both: Keyword precision + semantic understanding
Implementation
- Run parallel searches (BM25 + vector)
- Get top-k from each
- Apply fusion (RRF recommended)
- Optional: Rerank fused results
- Return final ranking
Supported By
- Weaviate
- Qdrant
- Elasticsearch
- OpenSearch
- Milvus (via plugins)
- Vespa
When to Use
- Production RAG systems
- Enterprise search
- When both precision and recall matter
- Diverse query types
Pricing
Technique, costs from vector DB + compute.
Surveys
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