Search Types: Vector, Keyword, and Hybrid

Compare vector search, keyword search, and hybrid approaches to find the right strategy for your knowledge base.

Compare vector, keyword, and hybrid search with Qdrant. See Reranking to refine the results.

hybrid_search.py
"""
Search Types: Vector, Keyword, and Hybrid
===========================================
Knowledge supports three search types. Each has different strengths:

- Vector: Semantic similarity search. Finds conceptually related content
  even when exact words don't match.
- Keyword: Full-text search. Fast and precise for exact term matching.
- Hybrid: Combines vector + keyword. Best of both worlds. Recommended default.

See also: 03_reranking.py for improving search results with reranking.
"""

import asyncio

from agno.agent import Agent
from agno.knowledge.embedder.openai import OpenAIEmbedder
from agno.knowledge.knowledge import Knowledge
from agno.models.openai import OpenAIResponses
from agno.vectordb.qdrant import Qdrant
from agno.vectordb.search import SearchType

# ---------------------------------------------------------------------------
# Setup
# ---------------------------------------------------------------------------

qdrant_url = "http://localhost:6333"
pdf_url = "https://agno-public.s3.amazonaws.com/recipes/ThaiRecipes.pdf"


def create_knowledge(search_type: SearchType) -> Knowledge:
    return Knowledge(
        vector_db=Qdrant(
            collection="search_types_%s" % search_type.value,
            url=qdrant_url,
            search_type=search_type,
            embedder=OpenAIEmbedder(id="text-embedding-3-small"),
        ),
    )


# ---------------------------------------------------------------------------
# Run Demo
# ---------------------------------------------------------------------------

if __name__ == "__main__":

    async def main():
        search_types = [
            (SearchType.vector, "Vector (semantic similarity)"),
            (SearchType.keyword, "Keyword (full-text search)"),
            (SearchType.hybrid, "Hybrid (vector + keyword)"),
        ]

        for search_type, description in search_types:
            print("\n" + "=" * 60)
            print("SEARCH TYPE: %s" % description)
            print("=" * 60 + "\n")

            knowledge = create_knowledge(search_type)
            # skip_if_exists=True avoids re-processing if run multiple times
            await knowledge.ainsert(url=pdf_url, skip_if_exists=True)

            agent = Agent(
                model=OpenAIResponses(id="gpt-5.2"),
                knowledge=knowledge,
                search_knowledge=True,
                markdown=True,
            )
            agent.print_response(
                "How do I make pad thai?",
                stream=True,
            )

    asyncio.run(main())

Qdrant keyword search uses FastEmbed sparse vectors. Hybrid search combines sparse and dense candidates with reciprocal-rank fusion by default. The sparse model may download on first use. The printed answers demonstrate the modes; they are not a search-quality benchmark.

Run the Example

Set up your virtual environment

uv venv --python 3.12
source .venv/bin/activate

Install dependencies

uv pip install -U agno fastembed openai pypdf qdrant-client

Export your OpenAI API key

export OPENAI_API_KEY="your_openai_api_key_here"

Run Qdrant

docker run -d --name qdrant -p 6333:6333 qdrant/qdrant:latest

Run the example

Save the code above as hybrid_search.py, then run:

python hybrid_search.py

Full source: cookbook/07_knowledge/02_building_blocks/02_hybrid_search.py