Definition

Retrieval

The step where an AI system fetches relevant sources for a query.

What it means

Retrieval is the process by which an AI system fetches the most relevant documents or passages for a given query, typically before generating an answer. It is the "R" in RAG and the gatekeeper of AI visibility: content that is not retrieved can never be cited. Effective retrieval depends on crawlable, well-structured, semantically clear content that matches the intent behind user prompts.

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