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azure-search-documents-py

Azure AI Search SDK for Python. Use for vector search, hybrid search, semantic ranking, indexing, and skillsets. Triggers: "azure-search-documents", "SearchClient", "SearchIndexClient", "vector search", "hybrid search", "semantic search".

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Skill manifest

Azure AI Search SDK for Python

Full-text, vector, and hybrid search with AI enrichment capabilities.

Installation

pip install azure-search-documents

Environment Variables

AZURE_SEARCH_ENDPOINT=https://<service-name>.search.windows.net  # Required for all auth methods
AZURE_SEARCH_INDEX_NAME=<your-index-name>  # Required for all auth methods
AZURE_TOKEN_CREDENTIALS=prod # Required only if DefaultAzureCredential is used in production
AZURE_SEARCH_API_KEY=<your-api-key>  # Only required for the legacy API-key auth path below

Authentication & Lifecycle

🔑 Two rules apply to every code sample below:

  1. Prefer DefaultAzureCredential. It works locally (Azure CLI / VS Code / Developer CLI) and in Azure (managed identity, workload identity) with no code change. Avoid connection strings, account/API keys — they bypass Entra audit and rotation.
    • Local dev: DefaultAzureCredential works as-is.
    • Production: set AZURE_TOKEN_CREDENTIALS=prod (or AZURE_TOKEN_CREDENTIALS=<specific_credential>) to constrain the credential chain to production-safe credentials.
  2. Wrap every client in a context manager so HTTP transports, sockets, and token caches are released deterministically:
    • Sync: with <Client>(...) as client:
    • Async: async with <Client>(...) as client: and async with DefaultAzureCredential() as credential: (from azure.identity.aio)

Snippets may abbreviate this setup, but production code should always follow both rules.

import os
from azure.identity import DefaultAzureCredential, ManagedIdentityCredential
from azure.search.documents import SearchClient

# Local dev: DefaultAzureCredential. Production: set AZURE_TOKEN_CREDENTIALS=prod or AZURE_TOKEN_CREDENTIALS=<specific_credential>
credential = DefaultAzureCredential(require_envvar=True)
# Or use a specific credential directly in production:
# See https://learn.microsoft.com/python/api/overview/azure/identity-readme?view=azure-python#credential-classes
# credential = ManagedIdentityCredential()

with SearchClient(
    endpoint=os.environ["AZURE_SEARCH_ENDPOINT"],
    index_name=os.environ["AZURE_SEARCH_INDEX_NAME"],
    credential=credential,
) as client:
    results = list(client.search(search_text="*", top=5))

Legacy: API Key (existing keyed deployments)

New code should use DefaultAzureCredential above. Use AzureKeyCredential only if you have an existing keyed deployment that hasn't been migrated to Entra ID yet — for example, regulated environments still completing their Entra rollout. The same AzureKeyCredential works with SearchIndexClient and SearchIndexerClient for admin operations.

import os
from azure.core.credentials import AzureKeyCredential
from azure.search.documents import SearchClient

with SearchClient(
    endpoint=os.environ["AZURE_SEARCH_ENDPOINT"],
    index_name=os.environ["AZURE_SEARCH_INDEX_NAME"],
    credential=AzureKeyCredential(os.environ["AZURE_SEARCH_API_KEY"]),
) as client:
    results = list(client.search(search_text="*", top=5))

Client Types

Client Purpose
SearchClient Search and document operations
SearchIndexClient Index management, synonym maps
SearchIndexerClient Indexers, data sources, skillsets

Create Index with Vector Field

from azure.search.documents.indexes import SearchIndexClient
from azure.search.documents.indexes.models import (
    SearchIndex,
    SearchField,
    SearchFieldDataType,
    VectorSearch,
    HnswAlgorithmConfiguration,
    VectorSearchProfile,
    SearchableField,
    SimpleField
)

fields = [
    SimpleField(name="id", type=SearchFieldDataType.String, key=True),
    SearchableField(name="title", type=SearchFieldDataType.String),
    SearchableField(name="content", type=SearchFieldDataType.String),
    SearchField(
        name="content_vector",
        type=SearchFieldDataType.Collection(SearchFieldDataType.Single),
        searchable=True,
        vector_search_dimensions=1536,
        vector_search_profile_name="my-vector-profile"
    )
]

vector_search = VectorSearch(
    algorithms=[
        HnswAlgorithmConfiguration(name="my-hnsw")
    ],
    profiles=[
        VectorSearchProfile(
            name="my-vector-profile",
            algorithm_configuration_name="my-hnsw"
        )
    ]
)

index = SearchIndex(
    name="my-index",
    fields=fields,
    vector_search=vector_search
)

with SearchIndexClient(endpoint, DefaultAzureCredential()) as index_client:
    index_client.create_or_update_index(index)

Upload Documents

from azure.search.documents import SearchClient

documents = [
    {
        "id": "1",
        "title": "Azure AI Search",
        "content": "Full-text and vector search service",
        "content_vector": [0.1, 0.2, ...]  # 1536 dimensions
    }
]

with SearchClient(endpoint, "my-index", DefaultAzureCredential()) as client:
    result = client.upload_documents(documents)
    print(f"Uploaded {len(result)} documents")

Keyword Search

results = client.search(
    search_text="azure search",
    select=["id", "title", "content"],
    top=10
)

for result in results:
    print(f"{result['title']}: {result['@search.score']}")

Vector Search

from azure.search.documents.models import VectorizedQuery

# Your query embedding (1536 dimensions)
query_vector = get_embedding("semantic search capabilities")

vector_query = VectorizedQuery(
    vector=query_vector,
    k_nearest_neighbors=10,
    fields="content_vector"
)

results = client.search(
    vector_queries=[vector_query],
    select=["id", "title", "content"]
)

for result in results:
    print(f"{result['title']}: {result['@search.score']}")

Hybrid Search (Vector + Keyword)

from azure.search.documents.models import VectorizedQuery

vector_query = VectorizedQuery(
    vector=query_vector,
    k_nearest_neighbors=10,
    fields="content_vector"
)

results = client.search(
    search_text="azure search",
    vector_queries=[vector_query],
    select=["id", "title", "content"],
    top=10
)

Semantic Ranking

from azure.search.documents.models import QueryType

results = client.search(
    search_text="what is azure search",
    query_type=QueryType.SEMANTIC,
    semantic_configuration_name="my-semantic-config",
    select=["id", "title", "content"],
    top=10
)

for result in results:
    print(f"{result['title']}")
    if result.get("@search.captions"):
        print(f"  Caption: {result['@search.captions'][0].text}")

Filters

results = client.search(
    search_text="*",
    filter="category eq 'Technology' and rating gt 4",
    order_by=["rating desc"],
    select=["id", "title", "category", "rating"]
)

Facets

results = client.search(
    search_text="*",
    facets=["category,count:10", "rating"],
    top=0  # Only get facets, no documents
)

for facet_name, facet_values in results.get_facets().items():
    print(f"{facet_name}:")
    for facet in facet_values:
        print(f"  {facet['value']}: {facet['count']}")

Autocomplete & Suggest

# Autocomplete
results = client.autocomplete(
    search_text="sea",
    suggester_name="my-suggester",
    mode="twoTerms"
)

# Suggest
results = client.suggest(
    search_text="sea",
    suggester_name="my-suggester",
    select=["title"]
)

Indexer with Skillset

from azure.search.documents.indexes import SearchIndexerClient
from azure.search.documents.indexes.models import (
    SearchIndexer,
    SearchIndexerDataSourceConnection,
    SearchIndexerSkillset,
    EntityRecognitionSkill,
    InputFieldMappingEntry,
    OutputFieldMappingEntry
)

with SearchIndexerClient(endpoint, DefaultAzureCredential()) as indexer_client:
    # Use managed identity (search service must have RBAC role on the storage account). Avoid storage connection strings with embedded keys.
    data_source = SearchIndexerDataSourceConnection(
        name="my-datasource",
        type="azureblob",
        connection_string="ResourceId=/subscriptions/<sub>/resourceGroups/<rg>/providers/Microsoft.Storage/storageAccounts/<acct>",
        container={"name": "documents"}
    )
    indexer_client.create_or_update_data_source_connection(data_source)

    # Create skillset
    skillset = SearchIndexerSkillset(
        name="my-skillset",
        skills=[
            EntityRecognitionSkill(
                inputs=[InputFieldMappingEntry(name="text", source="/document/content")],
                outputs=[OutputFieldMappingEntry(name="organizations", target_name="organizations")]
            )
        ]
    )
    indexer_client.create_or_update_skillset(skillset)

    # Create indexer
    indexer = SearchIndexer(
        name="my-indexer",
        data_source_name="my-datasource",
        target_index_name="my-index",
        skillset_name="my-skillset"
    )
    indexer_client.create_or_update_indexer(indexer)

Best Practices

  1. Pick sync OR async and stay consistent. Do not mix azure.xxx sync clients with azure.xxx.aio async clients in the same call path. Choose one mode per module.
  2. Always use context managers for clients and async credentials. Wrap every client in with Client(...) as client: (sync) or async with Client(...) as client: (async). For async DefaultAzureCredential from azure.identity.aio, also use async with credential: so tokens and transports are cleaned up.
  3. Use hybrid search for best relevance combining vector and keyword
  4. Enable semantic ranking for natural language queries
  5. Index in batches of 100-1000 documents for efficiency
  6. Use filters to narrow results before ranking
  7. Configure vector dimensions to match your embedding model
  8. Use HNSW algorithm for large-scale vector search
  9. Create suggesters at index creation time (cannot add later)

Reference Files

File Contents
references/vector-search.md HNSW configuration, integrated vectorization, multi-vector queries
references/semantic-ranking.md Semantic configuration, captions, answers, hybrid patterns
scripts/setup_vector_index.py CLI script to create vector-enabled search index

Additional Azure AI Search Patterns

Azure AI Search Python SDK

Write clean, idiomatic Python code for Azure AI Search using azure-search-documents.

Installation

pip install azure-search-documents azure-identity

Environment Variables

AZURE_SEARCH_ENDPOINT=https://<search-service>.search.windows.net  # Required for all auth methods
AZURE_SEARCH_INDEX_NAME=<index-name>  # Required for all auth methods
AZURE_TOKEN_CREDENTIALS=prod # Required only if DefaultAzureCredential is used in production

Authentication

import os
from azure.identity import DefaultAzureCredential, ManagedIdentityCredential
from azure.search.documents import SearchClient

# Local dev: DefaultAzureCredential. Production: set AZURE_TOKEN_CREDENTIALS=prod or AZURE_TOKEN_CREDENTIALS=<specific_credential>
credential = DefaultAzureCredential(require_envvar=True)
# Or use a specific credential directly in production:
# See https://learn.microsoft.com/python/api/overview/azure/identity-readme?view=azure-python#credential-classes
# credential = ManagedIdentityCredential()

with SearchClient(
    endpoint=os.environ["AZURE_SEARCH_ENDPOINT"],
    index_name=os.environ["AZURE_SEARCH_INDEX_NAME"],
    credential=credential,
) as client:
    results = list(client.search(search_text="*", top=5))

Client Selection

Client Purpose
SearchClient Query indexes, upload/update/delete documents
SearchIndexClient Create/manage indexes, knowledge sources, knowledge bases
SearchIndexerClient Manage indexers, skillsets, data sources
KnowledgeBaseRetrievalClient Agentic retrieval with LLM-powered Q&A

Index Creation Pattern

from azure.search.documents.indexes import SearchIndexClient
from azure.search.documents.indexes.models import (
    SearchIndex, SearchField, VectorSearch, VectorSearchProfile,
    HnswAlgorithmConfiguration, AzureOpenAIVectorizer,
    AzureOpenAIVectorizerParameters, SemanticSearch,
    SemanticConfiguration, SemanticPrioritizedFields, SemanticField
)

index = SearchIndex(
    name=index_name,
    fields=[
        SearchField(name="id", type="Edm.String", key=True),
        SearchField(name="content", type="Edm.String", searchable=True),
        SearchField(name="embedding", type="Collection(Edm.Single)",
                   vector_search_dimensions=3072,
                   vector_search_profile_name="vector-profile"),
    ],
    vector_search=VectorSearch(
        profiles=[VectorSearchProfile(
            name="vector-profile",
            algorithm_configuration_name="hnsw-algo",
            vectorizer_name="openai-vectorizer"
        )],
        algorithms=[HnswAlgorithmConfiguration(name="hnsw-algo")],
        vectorizers=[AzureOpenAIVectorizer(
            vectorizer_name="openai-vectorizer",
            parameters=AzureOpenAIVectorizerParameters(
                resource_url=aoai_endpoint,
                deployment_name=embedding_deployment,
                model_name=embedding_model
            )
        )]
    ),
    semantic_search=SemanticSearch(
        default_configuration_name="semantic-config",
        configurations=[SemanticConfiguration(
            name="semantic-config",
            prioritized_fields=SemanticPrioritizedFields(
                content_fields=[SemanticField(field_name="content")]
            )
        )]
    )
)

with SearchIndexClient(endpoint, credential) as index_client:
    index_client.create_or_update_index(index)

Document Operations

from azure.search.documents import SearchIndexingBufferedSender

# Batch upload with automatic batching
with SearchIndexingBufferedSender(endpoint, index_name, credential) as sender:
    sender.upload_documents(documents)

# Direct operations via SearchClient
with SearchClient(endpoint, index_name, credential) as search_client:
    search_client.upload_documents(documents)      # Add new
    search_client.merge_documents(documents)       # Update existing
    search_client.merge_or_upload_documents(documents)  # Upsert
    search_client.delete_documents(documents)      # Remove

Search Patterns

# Basic search
results = search_client.search(search_text="query")

# Vector search
from azure.search.documents.models import VectorizedQuery

results = search_client.search(
    search_text=None,
    vector_queries=[VectorizedQuery(
        vector=embedding,
        k_nearest_neighbors=5,
        fields="embedding"
    )]
)

# Hybrid search (vector + keyword)
results = search_client.search(
    search_text="query",
    vector_queries=[VectorizedQuery(vector=embedding, k_nearest_neighbors=5, fields="embedding")],
    query_type="semantic",
    semantic_configuration_name="semantic-config"
)

# With filters
results = search_client.search(
    search_text="query",
    filter="category eq 'technology'",
    select=["id", "title", "content"],
    top=10
)

Agentic Retrieval (Knowledge Bases)

For LLM-powered Q&A with answer synthesis, see references/agentic-retrieval.md.

Key concepts:

  • Knowledge Source: Points to a search index
  • Knowledge Base: Wraps knowledge sources + LLM for query planning and synthesis
  • Output modes: EXTRACTIVE_DATA (raw chunks) or ANSWER_SYNTHESIS (LLM-generated answers)

Async Pattern

from azure.search.documents.aio import SearchClient

async with SearchClient(endpoint, index_name, credential) as client:
    results = await client.search(search_text="query")
    async for result in results:
        print(result["title"])

Best Practices

  1. Use environment variables for endpoints, keys, and deployment names
  2. Use DefaultAzureCredential for code that runs locally (instead of API keys). Use a specific token credential for code that runs in Azure.
  3. Use SearchIndexingBufferedSender for batch uploads (handles batching/retries)
  4. Always define semantic configuration for agentic retrieval indexes
  5. Use create_or_update_index for idempotent index creation
  6. Close clients with context managers or explicit close()

Field Types Reference

EDM Type Python Notes
Edm.String str Searchable text
Edm.Int32 int Integer
Edm.Int64 int Long integer
Edm.Double float Floating point
Edm.Boolean bool True/False
Edm.DateTimeOffset datetime ISO 8601
Collection(Edm.Single) List[float] Vector embeddings
Collection(Edm.String) List[str] String arrays

Error Handling

from azure.core.exceptions import (
    HttpResponseError,
    ResourceNotFoundError,
    ResourceExistsError
)

try:
    result = search_client.get_document(key="123")
except ResourceNotFoundError:
    print("Document not found")
except HttpResponseError as e:
    print(f"Search error: {e.message}")
Files (skills)
  • references
    • agentic-retrieval.md 7.3 KB
      # Agentic Retrieval with Knowledge Bases
      
      Agentic retrieval integrates an LLM to process queries, retrieve content, and generate grounded answers.
      
      ## Architecture
      
      ```
      Knowledge Base (wraps LLM + sources)
          ├── Knowledge Source 1 → Search Index A
          ├── Knowledge Source 2 → Search Index B
          └── Azure OpenAI Model (query planning + answer synthesis)
      ```
      
      ## Setup Workflow
      
      ### 1. Create Index with Semantic Configuration
      
      ```python
      from azure.search.documents.indexes import SearchIndexClient
      from azure.search.documents.indexes.models import (
          SearchIndex, SearchField, VectorSearch, VectorSearchProfile,
          HnswAlgorithmConfiguration, AzureOpenAIVectorizer,
          AzureOpenAIVectorizerParameters, SemanticSearch,
          SemanticConfiguration, SemanticPrioritizedFields, SemanticField
      )
      
      index = SearchIndex(
          name="my-index",
          fields=[
              SearchField(name="id", type="Edm.String", key=True, filterable=True),
              SearchField(name="content", type="Edm.String", filterable=False),
              SearchField(name="embedding", type="Collection(Edm.Single)",
                         stored=False, vector_search_dimensions=3072,
                         vector_search_profile_name="hnsw-profile"),
              SearchField(name="category", type="Edm.String", filterable=True, facetable=True)
          ],
          vector_search=VectorSearch(
              profiles=[VectorSearchProfile(
                  name="hnsw-profile",
                  algorithm_configuration_name="hnsw-algo",
                  vectorizer_name="aoai-vectorizer"
              )],
              algorithms=[HnswAlgorithmConfiguration(name="hnsw-algo")],
              vectorizers=[AzureOpenAIVectorizer(
                  vectorizer_name="aoai-vectorizer",
                  parameters=AzureOpenAIVectorizerParameters(
                      resource_url=aoai_endpoint,
                      deployment_name="text-embedding-3-large",
                      model_name="text-embedding-3-large"
                  )
              )]
          ),
          # REQUIRED for agentic retrieval
          semantic_search=SemanticSearch(
              default_configuration_name="semantic-config",
              configurations=[SemanticConfiguration(
                  name="semantic-config",
                  prioritized_fields=SemanticPrioritizedFields(
                      content_fields=[SemanticField(field_name="content")]
                  )
              )]
          )
      )
      
      index_client = SearchIndexClient(endpoint, credential)
      index_client.create_or_update_index(index)
      ```
      
      ### 2. Create Knowledge Source
      
      ```python
      from azure.search.documents.indexes.models import (
          SearchIndexKnowledgeSource,
          SearchIndexKnowledgeSourceParameters,
          SearchIndexFieldReference
      )
      
      knowledge_source = SearchIndexKnowledgeSource(
          name="my-knowledge-source",
          description="Knowledge source for document retrieval",
          search_index_parameters=SearchIndexKnowledgeSourceParameters(
              search_index_name="my-index",
              source_data_fields=[
                  SearchIndexFieldReference(name="id"),
                  SearchIndexFieldReference(name="category")
              ]
          )
      )
      
      index_client.create_or_update_knowledge_source(knowledge_source)
      ```
      
      ### 3. Create Knowledge Base
      
      ```python
      from azure.search.documents.indexes.models import (
          KnowledgeBase, KnowledgeBaseAzureOpenAIModel,
          KnowledgeSourceReference, AzureOpenAIVectorizerParameters,
          KnowledgeRetrievalOutputMode
      )
      
      knowledge_base = KnowledgeBase(
          name="my-knowledge-base",
          models=[KnowledgeBaseAzureOpenAIModel(
              azure_open_ai_parameters=AzureOpenAIVectorizerParameters(
                  resource_url=aoai_endpoint,
                  deployment_name="gpt-4o-mini",
                  model_name="gpt-4o-mini"
              )
          )],
          knowledge_sources=[KnowledgeSourceReference(name="my-knowledge-source")],
          output_mode=KnowledgeRetrievalOutputMode.ANSWER_SYNTHESIS,
          answer_instructions="Provide concise, well-cited answers based on retrieved documents."
      )
      
      index_client.create_or_update_knowledge_base(knowledge_base)
      ```
      
      ## Querying the Knowledge Base
      
      ```python
      from azure.search.documents.knowledgebases import KnowledgeBaseRetrievalClient
      from azure.search.documents.knowledgebases.models import (
          KnowledgeBaseRetrievalRequest,
          KnowledgeRetrievalSemanticIntent,
          KnowledgeRetrievalMinimalReasoningEffort,
      )
      
      client = KnowledgeBaseRetrievalClient(
          endpoint=endpoint,
          credential=credential,
      )
      
      # Build retrieval request with semantic intents
      request = KnowledgeBaseRetrievalRequest(
          intents=[KnowledgeRetrievalSemanticIntent(search="What is vector search?")]
      )
      
      result = client.retrieve(
          knowledge_base_name="my-knowledge-base",
          retrieval_request=request,
      )
      ```
      
      ## Processing Results
      
      ```python
      import json
      
      # Extract response content
      response_parts = []
      for resp in result.response or []:
          for content in resp.content or []:
              if hasattr(content, "text"):
                  response_parts.append(content.text)
      
      if response_parts:
          response_content = "\n\n".join(response_parts)
          print(response_content)
      
      # Extract references (source documents)
      if result.references:
          for ref in result.references:
              print(f"Reference ID: {ref.id}")
              if hasattr(ref, 'reranker_score'):
                  print(f"  Score: {ref.reranker_score}")
              if ref.source_data:
                  print(f"  Content: {ref.source_data.get('content', '')[:200]}")
      ```
      
      ## Multi-turn Conversations
      
      ```python
      from azure.search.documents.knowledgebases.models import (
          KnowledgeBaseRetrievalRequest,
          KnowledgeRetrievalSemanticIntent,
      )
      
      def ask(question: str) -> str:
          """Ask a question against the knowledge base."""
          request = KnowledgeBaseRetrievalRequest(
              intents=[KnowledgeRetrievalSemanticIntent(search=question)]
          )
          
          result = client.retrieve(
              knowledge_base_name="my-knowledge-base",
              retrieval_request=request,
          )
          
          # Extract response
          response_text = "\n\n".join(
              content.text
              for resp in (result.response or [])
              for content in (resp.content or [])
              if hasattr(content, "text")
          )
          
          return response_text
      ```
      
      ## Output Modes
      
      | Mode | Description |
      |------|-------------|
      | `EXTRACTIVE_DATA` | Return raw chunks from knowledge sources |
      | `ANSWER_SYNTHESIS` | LLM generates answers citing retrieved content |
      
      ## Reasoning Effort Levels
      
      | Level | Class |
      |-------|-------|
      | `KnowledgeRetrievalMinimalReasoningEffort` | No query planning or iterative search |
      | `KnowledgeRetrievalLowReasoningEffort` | Basic query decomposition |
      | `KnowledgeRetrievalMediumReasoningEffort` | More sophisticated reasoning |
      
      **Usage:**
      ```python
      from azure.search.documents.knowledgebases.models import KnowledgeRetrievalMinimalReasoningEffort
      
      knowledge_base = KnowledgeBase(
          name="my-knowledge-base",
          knowledge_sources=[KnowledgeSourceReference(name="my-knowledge-source")],
          retrieval_reasoning_effort=KnowledgeRetrievalMinimalReasoningEffort(),
      )
      ```
      
      ## Async Pattern
      
      ```python
      from azure.search.documents.knowledgebases.aio import KnowledgeBaseRetrievalClient
      
      async with KnowledgeBaseRetrievalClient(endpoint, credential=credential) as client:
          result = await client.retrieve(
              knowledge_base_name="my-knowledge-base",
              retrieval_request=request,
          )
      ```
      
      ## Clean Up
      
      ```python
      # Delete in reverse order of creation
      index_client.delete_knowledge_base("my-knowledge-base")
      index_client.delete_knowledge_source("my-knowledge-source")
      index_client.delete_index("my-index")
      ```
      
    • semantic-ranking.md 7.4 KB
      # Semantic Ranking Patterns
      
      Semantic ranking uses machine learning to re-rank search results for better relevance.
      
      ## Semantic Configuration
      
      ### Basic Semantic Configuration
      
      ```python
      from azure.search.documents.indexes.models import (
          SemanticSearch,
          SemanticConfiguration,
          SemanticPrioritizedFields,
          SemanticField,
      )
      
      semantic_search = SemanticSearch(
          default_configuration_name="my-semantic-config",
          configurations=[
              SemanticConfiguration(
                  name="my-semantic-config",
                  prioritized_fields=SemanticPrioritizedFields(
                      title_field=SemanticField(field_name="title"),
                      content_fields=[
                          SemanticField(field_name="content"),
                          SemanticField(field_name="summary")
                      ],
                      keywords_fields=[
                          SemanticField(field_name="tags")
                      ]
                  )
              )
          ]
      )
      ```
      
      ### Field Priority Rules
      
      | Field Type | Max Fields | Purpose |
      |------------|------------|---------|
      | `title_field` | 1 | Most important for ranking |
      | `content_fields` | 10 | Main content, ordered by priority |
      | `keywords_fields` | 10 | Keywords/tags for matching |
      
      ## Semantic Queries
      
      ### Basic Semantic Query
      
      ```python
      from azure.search.documents.models import QueryType
      
      def semantic_search(client, query: str):
          """Execute a semantic search query."""
          results = client.search(
              search_text=query,
              query_type=QueryType.SEMANTIC,
              semantic_configuration_name="my-semantic-config",
              select=["id", "title", "content"]
          )
          
          return list(results)
      ```
      
      ### Semantic Search with Captions
      
      Captions provide extractive summaries highlighting relevant passages.
      
      ```python
      from azure.search.documents.models import QueryType, QueryCaptionType
      
      def semantic_search_with_captions(client, query: str):
          """Semantic search with extractive captions."""
          results = client.search(
              search_text=query,
              query_type=QueryType.SEMANTIC,
              semantic_configuration_name="my-semantic-config",
              query_caption=QueryCaptionType.EXTRACTIVE,
              select=["id", "title", "content"]
          )
          
          for result in results:
              print(f"Title: {result['title']}")
              print(f"Score: {result['@search.score']}")
              print(f"Reranker Score: {result.get('@search.reranker_score', 'N/A')}")
              
              # Extract captions
              captions = result.get("@search.captions", [])
              for caption in captions:
                  print(f"Caption: {caption.text}")
                  print(f"Highlights: {caption.highlights}")
      ```
      
      ### Semantic Search with Answers
      
      Answers extract specific text that directly answers the query.
      
      ```python
      from azure.search.documents.models import QueryType, QueryCaptionType, QueryAnswerType
      
      def semantic_search_with_answers(client, query: str):
          """Semantic search with extractive answers."""
          results = client.search(
              search_text=query,
              query_type=QueryType.SEMANTIC,
              semantic_configuration_name="my-semantic-config",
              query_caption=QueryCaptionType.EXTRACTIVE,
              query_answer=QueryAnswerType.EXTRACTIVE,
              query_answer_count=3,  # Request up to 3 answers
              select=["id", "title", "content"]
          )
          
          # Get semantic answers (top-level, not per-document)
          answers = results.get_answers()
          if answers:
              for answer in answers:
                  print(f"Answer: {answer.text}")
                  print(f"Highlights: {answer.highlights}")
                  print(f"Score: {answer.score}")
                  print(f"Key: {answer.key}")
          
          # Process documents
          for result in results:
              print(f"Document: {result['title']}")
      ```
      
      ## Hybrid Search with Semantic Ranking
      
      Combine keyword, vector, and semantic ranking for best results.
      
      ```python
      from azure.search.documents.models import (
          VectorizedQuery,
          QueryType,
          QueryCaptionType,
      )
      
      def hybrid_semantic_search(
          client,
          query: str,
          query_vector: list[float],
          top: int = 10
      ):
          """Hybrid search with semantic re-ranking."""
          vector_query = VectorizedQuery(
              vector=query_vector,
              k_nearest_neighbors=50,  # Over-fetch for re-ranking
              fields="content_vector"
          )
          
          results = client.search(
              search_text=query,
              vector_queries=[vector_query],
              query_type=QueryType.SEMANTIC,
              semantic_configuration_name="my-semantic-config",
              query_caption=QueryCaptionType.EXTRACTIVE,
              top=top,
              select=["id", "title", "content"]
          )
          
          return list(results)
      ```
      
      ## Semantic Configuration for Different Content Types
      
      ### Document Search
      
      ```python
      doc_semantic_config = SemanticConfiguration(
          name="document-semantic-config",
          prioritized_fields=SemanticPrioritizedFields(
              title_field=SemanticField(field_name="document_title"),
              content_fields=[
                  SemanticField(field_name="body_text"),
                  SemanticField(field_name="abstract")
              ],
              keywords_fields=[
                  SemanticField(field_name="categories"),
                  SemanticField(field_name="authors")
              ]
          )
      )
      ```
      
      ### Product Search
      
      ```python
      product_semantic_config = SemanticConfiguration(
          name="product-semantic-config",
          prioritized_fields=SemanticPrioritizedFields(
              title_field=SemanticField(field_name="product_name"),
              content_fields=[
                  SemanticField(field_name="description"),
                  SemanticField(field_name="features")
              ],
              keywords_fields=[
                  SemanticField(field_name="brand"),
                  SemanticField(field_name="category")
              ]
          )
      )
      ```
      
      ### FAQ Search
      
      ```python
      faq_semantic_config = SemanticConfiguration(
          name="faq-semantic-config",
          prioritized_fields=SemanticPrioritizedFields(
              title_field=SemanticField(field_name="question"),
              content_fields=[
                  SemanticField(field_name="answer")
              ],
              keywords_fields=[
                  SemanticField(field_name="topic")
              ]
          )
      )
      ```
      
      ## Multiple Semantic Configurations
      
      Define different configurations for different query patterns.
      
      ```python
      semantic_search = SemanticSearch(
          default_configuration_name="general-config",
          configurations=[
              SemanticConfiguration(
                  name="general-config",
                  prioritized_fields=SemanticPrioritizedFields(
                      title_field=SemanticField(field_name="title"),
                      content_fields=[SemanticField(field_name="content")]
                  )
              ),
              SemanticConfiguration(
                  name="qa-config",
                  prioritized_fields=SemanticPrioritizedFields(
                      title_field=SemanticField(field_name="question"),
                      content_fields=[SemanticField(field_name="answer")]
                  )
              )
          ]
      )
      
      # Use specific config at query time
      results = client.search(
          search_text=query,
          query_type=QueryType.SEMANTIC,
          semantic_configuration_name="qa-config"  # Override default
      )
      ```
      
      ## Best Practices
      
      1. **Title field**: Always specify a title field for best ranking
      2. **Content field order**: List most important content fields first
      3. **Over-fetch**: Request more results than needed, let semantic re-ranking select the best
      4. **Captions for UI**: Use captions to show relevant snippets in search results
      5. **Answers for Q&A**: Use answers for question-answering scenarios
      6. **Combine with hybrid**: Semantic ranking works best with hybrid (keyword + vector) search
      
    • vector-search.md 6.8 KB
      # Vector Search Patterns
      
      Detailed patterns for vector search with Azure AI Search.
      
      ## Vector Search Configuration
      
      ### HNSW Algorithm Configuration
      
      HNSW (Hierarchical Navigable Small World) is the recommended algorithm for large-scale vector search.
      
      ```python
      from azure.search.documents.indexes.models import (
          VectorSearch,
          HnswAlgorithmConfiguration,
          VectorSearchProfile,
          HnswParameters,
      )
      
      vector_search = VectorSearch(
          algorithms=[
              HnswAlgorithmConfiguration(
                  name="hnsw-config",
                  parameters=HnswParameters(
                      m=4,              # Bi-directional links per node (default: 4)
                      ef_construction=400,  # Size of dynamic candidate list during indexing
                      ef_search=500,    # Size of dynamic candidate list during search
                      metric="cosine"   # Distance metric: cosine, euclidean, dotProduct
                  )
              )
          ],
          profiles=[
              VectorSearchProfile(
                  name="vector-profile",
                  algorithm_configuration_name="hnsw-config"
              )
          ]
      )
      ```
      
      ### Parameter Tuning Guide
      
      | Parameter | Range | Trade-off |
      |-----------|-------|-----------|
      | `m` | 4-16 | Higher = better recall, more memory |
      | `ef_construction` | 100-1000 | Higher = better index quality, slower indexing |
      | `ef_search` | 100-1000 | Higher = better recall, slower queries |
      
      ## Integrated Vectorization
      
      Let Azure AI Search generate embeddings automatically using Azure OpenAI.
      
      ### Vectorizer Configuration
      
      ```python
      from azure.search.documents.indexes.models import (
          AzureOpenAIVectorizer,
          AzureOpenAIVectorizerParameters,
      )
      
      vectorizer = AzureOpenAIVectorizer(
          vectorizer_name="openai-vectorizer",
          parameters=AzureOpenAIVectorizerParameters(
              resource_url="https://<resource>.openai.azure.com",
              deployment_name="text-embedding-3-large",
              model_name="text-embedding-3-large"
          )
      )
      ```
      
      ### Vector Field with Integrated Vectorization
      
      ```python
      from azure.search.documents.indexes.models import (
          SearchField,
          SearchFieldDataType,
      )
      
      vector_field = SearchField(
          name="content_vector",
          type=SearchFieldDataType.Collection(SearchFieldDataType.Single),
          searchable=True,
          stored=False,  # Don't store vectors to save space
          vector_search_dimensions=3072,  # text-embedding-3-large
          vector_search_profile_name="vector-profile"
      )
      ```
      
      ## Vector Query Patterns
      
      ### Basic Vector Query
      
      ```python
      from azure.search.documents.models import VectorizedQuery
      
      def vector_search(client, query_vector: list[float], k: int = 10):
          """Execute a pure vector search."""
          vector_query = VectorizedQuery(
              vector=query_vector,
              k_nearest_neighbors=k,
              fields="content_vector"
          )
          
          results = client.search(
              search_text=None,
              vector_queries=[vector_query],
              select=["id", "title", "content"]
          )
          
          return list(results)
      ```
      
      ### Multi-Vector Query
      
      Search across multiple vector fields simultaneously.
      
      ```python
      from azure.search.documents.models import VectorizedQuery
      
      def multi_vector_search(client, title_vector: list[float], content_vector: list[float]):
          """Search across title and content vectors."""
          results = client.search(
              search_text=None,
              vector_queries=[
                  VectorizedQuery(
                      vector=title_vector,
                      k_nearest_neighbors=10,
                      fields="title_vector"
                  ),
                  VectorizedQuery(
                      vector=content_vector,
                      k_nearest_neighbors=10,
                      fields="content_vector"
                  )
              ],
              select=["id", "title", "content"]
          )
          
          return list(results)
      ```
      
      ### Vector Search with Filters
      
      Pre-filter documents before vector search for better performance.
      
      ```python
      def filtered_vector_search(
          client,
          query_vector: list[float],
          category: str,
          min_rating: float = 4.0
      ):
          """Vector search with pre-filtering."""
          vector_query = VectorizedQuery(
              vector=query_vector,
              k_nearest_neighbors=10,
              fields="content_vector"
          )
          
          results = client.search(
              search_text=None,
              vector_queries=[vector_query],
              filter=f"category eq '{category}' and rating ge {min_rating}",
              select=["id", "title", "content", "category", "rating"]
          )
          
          return list(results)
      ```
      
      ## Exhaustive KNN Search
      
      For exact nearest neighbor search (smaller indexes or when precision is critical).
      
      ```python
      from azure.search.documents.indexes.models import (
          VectorSearch,
          ExhaustiveKnnAlgorithmConfiguration,
          ExhaustiveKnnParameters,
          VectorSearchProfile,
      )
      
      vector_search = VectorSearch(
          algorithms=[
              ExhaustiveKnnAlgorithmConfiguration(
                  name="exhaustive-knn",
                  parameters=ExhaustiveKnnParameters(
                      metric="cosine"
                  )
              )
          ],
          profiles=[
              VectorSearchProfile(
                  name="exhaustive-profile",
                  algorithm_configuration_name="exhaustive-knn"
              )
          ]
      )
      ```
      
      ## Scalar Quantization (Preview)
      
      Reduce vector storage size with minimal quality loss.
      
      ```python
      from azure.search.documents.indexes.models import (
          VectorSearch,
          VectorSearchProfile,
          ScalarQuantizationCompression,
          ScalarQuantizationParameters,
      )
      
      vector_search = VectorSearch(
          profiles=[
              VectorSearchProfile(
                  name="quantized-profile",
                  algorithm_configuration_name="hnsw-config",
                  compression_name="scalar-quantization"
              )
          ],
          compressions=[
              ScalarQuantizationCompression(
                  compression_name="scalar-quantization",
                  parameters=ScalarQuantizationParameters(
                      quantized_data_type="int8"
                  )
              )
          ]
      )
      ```
      
      ## Async Vector Search
      
      ```python
      from azure.search.documents.aio import SearchClient
      from azure.search.documents.models import VectorizedQuery
      
      async def async_vector_search(client: SearchClient, query_vector: list[float]):
          """Async vector search."""
          vector_query = VectorizedQuery(
              vector=query_vector,
              k_nearest_neighbors=10,
              fields="content_vector"
          )
          
          results = client.search(
              search_text=None,
              vector_queries=[vector_query],
              select=["id", "title", "content"]
          )
          
          docs = []
          async for result in results:
              docs.append(result)
          
          return docs
      ```
      
      ## Best Practices
      
      1. **Dimensions**: Match your embedding model (text-embedding-3-large = 3072, ada-002 = 1536)
      2. **Stored vectors**: Set `stored=False` to save storage if you don't need to retrieve vectors
      3. **Pre-filtering**: Use filters to narrow search space before vector comparison
      4. **Hybrid search**: Combine with keyword search for best relevance (see hybrid-search.md)
      5. **Compression**: Use scalar quantization for large indexes to reduce costs
      
  • scripts
    • setup_agentic_retrieval.py 6.8 KB
      #!/usr/bin/env python3
      """
      Create Azure AI Search agentic retrieval infrastructure.
      
      Usage:
          python setup_agentic_retrieval.py --index-name <name> --kb-name <name> [options]
      
      Environment variables required:
          SEARCH_ENDPOINT: Azure AI Search endpoint
          AOAI_ENDPOINT: Azure OpenAI endpoint
          AOAI_EMBEDDING_MODEL: Embedding model name (default: text-embedding-3-large)
          AOAI_EMBEDDING_DEPLOYMENT: Embedding deployment name
          AOAI_GPT_MODEL: GPT model name (default: gpt-4o-mini)
          AOAI_GPT_DEPLOYMENT: GPT deployment name
      """
      
      import argparse
      import os
      from azure.identity import DefaultAzureCredential
      from azure.search.documents.indexes import SearchIndexClient
      from azure.search.documents.indexes.models import (
          SearchIndex, SearchField, VectorSearch, VectorSearchProfile,
          HnswAlgorithmConfiguration, AzureOpenAIVectorizer,
          AzureOpenAIVectorizerParameters, SemanticSearch,
          SemanticConfiguration, SemanticPrioritizedFields, SemanticField,
          SearchIndexKnowledgeSource, SearchIndexKnowledgeSourceParameters,
          SearchIndexFieldReference, KnowledgeBase, KnowledgeBaseAzureOpenAIModel,
          KnowledgeSourceReference, KnowledgeRetrievalOutputMode
      )
      
      
      def create_index(client: SearchIndexClient, name: str, aoai_endpoint: str,
                       embedding_deployment: str, embedding_model: str,
                       dimensions: int = 3072) -> SearchIndex:
          """Create a search index with vector and semantic search."""
          index = SearchIndex(
              name=name,
              fields=[
                  SearchField(name="id", type="Edm.String", key=True,
                             filterable=True, sortable=True),
                  SearchField(name="content", type="Edm.String",
                             filterable=False, sortable=False),
                  SearchField(name="embedding", type="Collection(Edm.Single)",
                             stored=False, vector_search_dimensions=dimensions,
                             vector_search_profile_name="hnsw-profile"),
                  SearchField(name="metadata", type="Edm.String",
                             filterable=True, sortable=False)
              ],
              vector_search=VectorSearch(
                  profiles=[VectorSearchProfile(
                      name="hnsw-profile",
                      algorithm_configuration_name="hnsw-algo",
                      vectorizer_name="aoai-vectorizer"
                  )],
                  algorithms=[HnswAlgorithmConfiguration(name="hnsw-algo")],
                  vectorizers=[AzureOpenAIVectorizer(
                      vectorizer_name="aoai-vectorizer",
                      parameters=AzureOpenAIVectorizerParameters(
                          resource_url=aoai_endpoint,
                          deployment_name=embedding_deployment,
                          model_name=embedding_model
                      )
                  )]
              ),
              semantic_search=SemanticSearch(
                  default_configuration_name="semantic-config",
                  configurations=[SemanticConfiguration(
                      name="semantic-config",
                      prioritized_fields=SemanticPrioritizedFields(
                          content_fields=[SemanticField(field_name="content")]
                      )
                  )]
              )
          )
          return client.create_or_update_index(index)
      
      
      def create_knowledge_source(client: SearchIndexClient, name: str,
                                 index_name: str, description: str = "") -> None:
          """Create a knowledge source pointing to an index."""
          ks = SearchIndexKnowledgeSource(
              name=name,
              description=description or f"Knowledge source for {index_name}",
              search_index_parameters=SearchIndexKnowledgeSourceParameters(
                  search_index_name=index_name,
                  source_data_fields=[
                      SearchIndexFieldReference(name="id"),
                      SearchIndexFieldReference(name="metadata")
                  ]
              )
          )
          client.create_or_update_knowledge_source(ks)
      
      
      def create_knowledge_base(client: SearchIndexClient, name: str,
                               knowledge_source_name: str, aoai_endpoint: str,
                               gpt_deployment: str, gpt_model: str,
                               answer_instructions: str = "") -> None:
          """Create a knowledge base with LLM integration."""
          kb = KnowledgeBase(
              name=name,
              models=[KnowledgeBaseAzureOpenAIModel(
                  azure_open_ai_parameters=AzureOpenAIVectorizerParameters(
                      resource_url=aoai_endpoint,
                      deployment_name=gpt_deployment,
                      model_name=gpt_model
                  )
              )],
              knowledge_sources=[KnowledgeSourceReference(name=knowledge_source_name)],
              output_mode=KnowledgeRetrievalOutputMode.ANSWER_SYNTHESIS,
              answer_instructions=answer_instructions or
                  "Provide concise, accurate answers citing the retrieved documents."
          )
          client.create_or_update_knowledge_base(kb)
      
      
      def main():
          parser = argparse.ArgumentParser(
              description="Set up Azure AI Search agentic retrieval infrastructure"
          )
          parser.add_argument("--index-name", required=True, help="Search index name")
          parser.add_argument("--kb-name", required=True, help="Knowledge base name")
          parser.add_argument("--ks-name", help="Knowledge source name (default: <index>-source)")
          parser.add_argument("--dimensions", type=int, default=3072,
                             help="Vector dimensions (default: 3072)")
          parser.add_argument("--answer-instructions", default="",
                             help="Custom answer synthesis instructions")
          args = parser.parse_args()
      
          # Load environment
          search_endpoint = os.environ["SEARCH_ENDPOINT"]
          aoai_endpoint = os.environ["AOAI_ENDPOINT"]
          embedding_model = os.environ.get("AOAI_EMBEDDING_MODEL", "text-embedding-3-large")
          embedding_deployment = os.environ.get("AOAI_EMBEDDING_DEPLOYMENT", embedding_model)
          gpt_model = os.environ.get("AOAI_GPT_MODEL", "gpt-4o-mini")
          gpt_deployment = os.environ.get("AOAI_GPT_DEPLOYMENT", gpt_model)
      
          ks_name = args.ks_name or f"{args.index_name}-source"
      
          credential = DefaultAzureCredential()
          client = SearchIndexClient(endpoint=search_endpoint, credential=credential)
      
          print(f"Creating index '{args.index_name}'...")
          create_index(client, args.index_name, aoai_endpoint,
                      embedding_deployment, embedding_model, args.dimensions)
          print(f"  ✓ Index created")
      
          print(f"Creating knowledge source '{ks_name}'...")
          create_knowledge_source(client, ks_name, args.index_name)
          print(f"  ✓ Knowledge source created")
      
          print(f"Creating knowledge base '{args.kb_name}'...")
          create_knowledge_base(client, args.kb_name, ks_name, aoai_endpoint,
                               gpt_deployment, gpt_model, args.answer_instructions)
          print(f"  ✓ Knowledge base created")
      
          print(f"\nAgentic retrieval setup complete!")
          print(f"  Index: {args.index_name}")
          print(f"  Knowledge Source: {ks_name}")
          print(f"  Knowledge Base: {args.kb_name}")
      
      
      if __name__ == "__main__":
          main()
      
    • setup_vector_index.py 6 KB
      #!/usr/bin/env python3
      """
      Create an Azure AI Search index with vector search capabilities.
      
      Usage:
          python setup_vector_index.py --index-name <name> [options]
      
      Environment variables required:
          AZURE_SEARCH_ENDPOINT: Azure AI Search endpoint
          AZURE_OPENAI_ENDPOINT: Azure OpenAI endpoint (for integrated vectorization)
          AZURE_OPENAI_EMBEDDING_DEPLOYMENT: Embedding model deployment name
      """
      
      import argparse
      import os
      from azure.identity import DefaultAzureCredential
      from azure.search.documents.indexes import SearchIndexClient
      from azure.search.documents.indexes.models import (
          SearchIndex,
          SearchField,
          SearchFieldDataType,
          VectorSearch,
          VectorSearchProfile,
          HnswAlgorithmConfiguration,
          HnswParameters,
          AzureOpenAIVectorizer,
          AzureOpenAIVectorizerParameters,
          SemanticSearch,
          SemanticConfiguration,
          SemanticPrioritizedFields,
          SemanticField,
          SearchableField,
          SimpleField,
      )
      
      
      def create_vector_index(
          client: SearchIndexClient,
          index_name: str,
          aoai_endpoint: str | None = None,
          embedding_deployment: str | None = None,
          dimensions: int = 1536,
          enable_semantic: bool = True,
      ) -> SearchIndex:
          """Create a search index with vector and optional semantic search."""
      
          # Define fields
          fields = [
              SimpleField(
                  name="id",
                  type=SearchFieldDataType.String,
                  key=True,
                  filterable=True,
                  sortable=True,
              ),
              SearchableField(
                  name="title",
                  type=SearchFieldDataType.String,
                  filterable=True,
                  sortable=True,
              ),
              SearchableField(
                  name="content",
                  type=SearchFieldDataType.String,
              ),
              SimpleField(
                  name="category",
                  type=SearchFieldDataType.String,
                  filterable=True,
                  facetable=True,
              ),
              SearchField(
                  name="content_vector",
                  type=SearchFieldDataType.Collection(SearchFieldDataType.Single),
                  searchable=True,
                  stored=False,
                  vector_search_dimensions=dimensions,
                  vector_search_profile_name="vector-profile",
              ),
          ]
      
          # Configure vector search
          vectorizers = []
          if aoai_endpoint and embedding_deployment:
              vectorizers.append(
                  AzureOpenAIVectorizer(
                      vectorizer_name="openai-vectorizer",
                      parameters=AzureOpenAIVectorizerParameters(
                          resource_url=aoai_endpoint,
                          deployment_name=embedding_deployment,
                          model_name=embedding_deployment,
                      ),
                  )
              )
      
          vector_search = VectorSearch(
              algorithms=[
                  HnswAlgorithmConfiguration(
                      name="hnsw-algo",
                      parameters=HnswParameters(
                          m=4,
                          ef_construction=400,
                          ef_search=500,
                          metric="cosine",
                      ),
                  )
              ],
              profiles=[
                  VectorSearchProfile(
                      name="vector-profile",
                      algorithm_configuration_name="hnsw-algo",
                      vectorizer_name="openai-vectorizer" if vectorizers else None,
                  )
              ],
              vectorizers=vectorizers if vectorizers else None,
          )
      
          # Configure semantic search
          semantic_search = None
          if enable_semantic:
              semantic_search = SemanticSearch(
                  default_configuration_name="semantic-config",
                  configurations=[
                      SemanticConfiguration(
                          name="semantic-config",
                          prioritized_fields=SemanticPrioritizedFields(
                              title_field=SemanticField(field_name="title"),
                              content_fields=[SemanticField(field_name="content")],
                              keywords_fields=[SemanticField(field_name="category")],
                          ),
                      )
                  ],
              )
      
          # Create index
          index = SearchIndex(
              name=index_name,
              fields=fields,
              vector_search=vector_search,
              semantic_search=semantic_search,
          )
      
          return client.create_or_update_index(index)
      
      
      def main():
          parser = argparse.ArgumentParser(
              description="Create an Azure AI Search index with vector search"
          )
          parser.add_argument("--index-name", required=True, help="Search index name")
          parser.add_argument(
              "--dimensions",
              type=int,
              default=1536,
              help="Vector dimensions (default: 1536 for ada-002, use 3072 for text-embedding-3-large)",
          )
          parser.add_argument(
              "--no-semantic",
              action="store_true",
              help="Disable semantic search configuration",
          )
          parser.add_argument(
              "--no-vectorizer",
              action="store_true",
              help="Skip integrated vectorization (provide vectors manually)",
          )
          args = parser.parse_args()
      
          # Load environment
          search_endpoint = os.environ["AZURE_SEARCH_ENDPOINT"]
          aoai_endpoint = (
              os.environ.get("AZURE_OPENAI_ENDPOINT") if not args.no_vectorizer else None
          )
          embedding_deployment = (
              os.environ.get("AZURE_OPENAI_EMBEDDING_DEPLOYMENT")
              if not args.no_vectorizer
              else None
          )
      
          credential = DefaultAzureCredential()
          client = SearchIndexClient(endpoint=search_endpoint, credential=credential)
      
          print(f"Creating index '{args.index_name}'...")
          index = create_vector_index(
              client=client,
              index_name=args.index_name,
              aoai_endpoint=aoai_endpoint,
              embedding_deployment=embedding_deployment,
              dimensions=args.dimensions,
              enable_semantic=not args.no_semantic,
          )
      
          print(f"  Index created: {index.name}")
          print(f"  Fields: {[f.name for f in index.fields]}")
          print(f"  Vector dimensions: {args.dimensions}")
          print(f"  Semantic search: {'enabled' if not args.no_semantic else 'disabled'}")
          print(f"  Integrated vectorization: {'enabled' if aoai_endpoint else 'disabled'}")
      
      
      if __name__ == "__main__":
          main()
      
  • SKILL.md 17.3 KB
    ---
    name: azure-search-documents-py
    description: |
      Azure AI Search SDK for Python. Use for vector search, hybrid search, semantic ranking, indexing, and skillsets.
      Triggers: "azure-search-documents", "SearchClient", "SearchIndexClient", "vector search", "hybrid search", "semantic search".
    license: MIT
    metadata:
      author: Microsoft
      version: "1.0.0"
      package: azure-search-documents
    ---
    
    # Azure AI Search SDK for Python
    
    Full-text, vector, and hybrid search with AI enrichment capabilities.
    
    ## Installation
    
    ```bash
    pip install azure-search-documents
    ```
    
    ## Environment Variables
    
    ```bash
    AZURE_SEARCH_ENDPOINT=https://<service-name>.search.windows.net  # Required for all auth methods
    AZURE_SEARCH_INDEX_NAME=<your-index-name>  # Required for all auth methods
    AZURE_TOKEN_CREDENTIALS=prod # Required only if DefaultAzureCredential is used in production
    AZURE_SEARCH_API_KEY=<your-api-key>  # Only required for the legacy API-key auth path below
    ```
    
    ## Authentication & Lifecycle
    
    > **🔑 Two rules apply to every code sample below:**
    >
    > 1. **Prefer `DefaultAzureCredential`.** It works locally (Azure CLI / VS Code / Developer CLI) and in Azure (managed identity, workload identity) with no code change. Avoid connection strings, account/API keys — they bypass Entra audit and rotation.
    >    - Local dev: `DefaultAzureCredential` works as-is.
    >    - Production: set `AZURE_TOKEN_CREDENTIALS=prod` (or `AZURE_TOKEN_CREDENTIALS=<specific_credential>`) to constrain the credential chain to production-safe credentials.
    > 2. **Wrap every client in a context manager** so HTTP transports, sockets, and token caches are released deterministically:
    >    - Sync: `with <Client>(...) as client:`
    >    - Async: `async with <Client>(...) as client:` **and** `async with DefaultAzureCredential() as credential:` (from `azure.identity.aio`)
    >
    > Snippets may abbreviate this setup, but production code should always follow both rules.
    
    ```python
    import os
    from azure.identity import DefaultAzureCredential, ManagedIdentityCredential
    from azure.search.documents import SearchClient
    
    # Local dev: DefaultAzureCredential. Production: set AZURE_TOKEN_CREDENTIALS=prod or AZURE_TOKEN_CREDENTIALS=<specific_credential>
    credential = DefaultAzureCredential(require_envvar=True)
    # Or use a specific credential directly in production:
    # See https://learn.microsoft.com/python/api/overview/azure/identity-readme?view=azure-python#credential-classes
    # credential = ManagedIdentityCredential()
    
    with SearchClient(
        endpoint=os.environ["AZURE_SEARCH_ENDPOINT"],
        index_name=os.environ["AZURE_SEARCH_INDEX_NAME"],
        credential=credential,
    ) as client:
        results = list(client.search(search_text="*", top=5))
    ```
    
    ### Legacy: API Key (existing keyed deployments)
    
    New code should use `DefaultAzureCredential` above. Use `AzureKeyCredential` only if you have an existing keyed deployment that hasn't been migrated to Entra ID yet — for example, regulated environments still completing their Entra rollout. The same `AzureKeyCredential` works with `SearchIndexClient` and `SearchIndexerClient` for admin operations.
    
    ```python
    import os
    from azure.core.credentials import AzureKeyCredential
    from azure.search.documents import SearchClient
    
    with SearchClient(
        endpoint=os.environ["AZURE_SEARCH_ENDPOINT"],
        index_name=os.environ["AZURE_SEARCH_INDEX_NAME"],
        credential=AzureKeyCredential(os.environ["AZURE_SEARCH_API_KEY"]),
    ) as client:
        results = list(client.search(search_text="*", top=5))
    ```
    
    ## Client Types
    
    | Client | Purpose |
    |--------|---------|
    | `SearchClient` | Search and document operations |
    | `SearchIndexClient` | Index management, synonym maps |
    | `SearchIndexerClient` | Indexers, data sources, skillsets |
    
    ## Create Index with Vector Field
    
    ```python
    from azure.search.documents.indexes import SearchIndexClient
    from azure.search.documents.indexes.models import (
        SearchIndex,
        SearchField,
        SearchFieldDataType,
        VectorSearch,
        HnswAlgorithmConfiguration,
        VectorSearchProfile,
        SearchableField,
        SimpleField
    )
    
    fields = [
        SimpleField(name="id", type=SearchFieldDataType.String, key=True),
        SearchableField(name="title", type=SearchFieldDataType.String),
        SearchableField(name="content", type=SearchFieldDataType.String),
        SearchField(
            name="content_vector",
            type=SearchFieldDataType.Collection(SearchFieldDataType.Single),
            searchable=True,
            vector_search_dimensions=1536,
            vector_search_profile_name="my-vector-profile"
        )
    ]
    
    vector_search = VectorSearch(
        algorithms=[
            HnswAlgorithmConfiguration(name="my-hnsw")
        ],
        profiles=[
            VectorSearchProfile(
                name="my-vector-profile",
                algorithm_configuration_name="my-hnsw"
            )
        ]
    )
    
    index = SearchIndex(
        name="my-index",
        fields=fields,
        vector_search=vector_search
    )
    
    with SearchIndexClient(endpoint, DefaultAzureCredential()) as index_client:
        index_client.create_or_update_index(index)
    ```
    
    ## Upload Documents
    
    ```python
    from azure.search.documents import SearchClient
    
    documents = [
        {
            "id": "1",
            "title": "Azure AI Search",
            "content": "Full-text and vector search service",
            "content_vector": [0.1, 0.2, ...]  # 1536 dimensions
        }
    ]
    
    with SearchClient(endpoint, "my-index", DefaultAzureCredential()) as client:
        result = client.upload_documents(documents)
        print(f"Uploaded {len(result)} documents")
    ```
    
    ## Keyword Search
    
    ```python
    results = client.search(
        search_text="azure search",
        select=["id", "title", "content"],
        top=10
    )
    
    for result in results:
        print(f"{result['title']}: {result['@search.score']}")
    ```
    
    ## Vector Search
    
    ```python
    from azure.search.documents.models import VectorizedQuery
    
    # Your query embedding (1536 dimensions)
    query_vector = get_embedding("semantic search capabilities")
    
    vector_query = VectorizedQuery(
        vector=query_vector,
        k_nearest_neighbors=10,
        fields="content_vector"
    )
    
    results = client.search(
        vector_queries=[vector_query],
        select=["id", "title", "content"]
    )
    
    for result in results:
        print(f"{result['title']}: {result['@search.score']}")
    ```
    
    ## Hybrid Search (Vector + Keyword)
    
    ```python
    from azure.search.documents.models import VectorizedQuery
    
    vector_query = VectorizedQuery(
        vector=query_vector,
        k_nearest_neighbors=10,
        fields="content_vector"
    )
    
    results = client.search(
        search_text="azure search",
        vector_queries=[vector_query],
        select=["id", "title", "content"],
        top=10
    )
    ```
    
    ## Semantic Ranking
    
    ```python
    from azure.search.documents.models import QueryType
    
    results = client.search(
        search_text="what is azure search",
        query_type=QueryType.SEMANTIC,
        semantic_configuration_name="my-semantic-config",
        select=["id", "title", "content"],
        top=10
    )
    
    for result in results:
        print(f"{result['title']}")
        if result.get("@search.captions"):
            print(f"  Caption: {result['@search.captions'][0].text}")
    ```
    
    ## Filters
    
    ```python
    results = client.search(
        search_text="*",
        filter="category eq 'Technology' and rating gt 4",
        order_by=["rating desc"],
        select=["id", "title", "category", "rating"]
    )
    ```
    
    ## Facets
    
    ```python
    results = client.search(
        search_text="*",
        facets=["category,count:10", "rating"],
        top=0  # Only get facets, no documents
    )
    
    for facet_name, facet_values in results.get_facets().items():
        print(f"{facet_name}:")
        for facet in facet_values:
            print(f"  {facet['value']}: {facet['count']}")
    ```
    
    ## Autocomplete & Suggest
    
    ```python
    # Autocomplete
    results = client.autocomplete(
        search_text="sea",
        suggester_name="my-suggester",
        mode="twoTerms"
    )
    
    # Suggest
    results = client.suggest(
        search_text="sea",
        suggester_name="my-suggester",
        select=["title"]
    )
    ```
    
    ## Indexer with Skillset
    
    ```python
    from azure.search.documents.indexes import SearchIndexerClient
    from azure.search.documents.indexes.models import (
        SearchIndexer,
        SearchIndexerDataSourceConnection,
        SearchIndexerSkillset,
        EntityRecognitionSkill,
        InputFieldMappingEntry,
        OutputFieldMappingEntry
    )
    
    with SearchIndexerClient(endpoint, DefaultAzureCredential()) as indexer_client:
        # Use managed identity (search service must have RBAC role on the storage account). Avoid storage connection strings with embedded keys.
        data_source = SearchIndexerDataSourceConnection(
            name="my-datasource",
            type="azureblob",
            connection_string="ResourceId=/subscriptions/<sub>/resourceGroups/<rg>/providers/Microsoft.Storage/storageAccounts/<acct>",
            container={"name": "documents"}
        )
        indexer_client.create_or_update_data_source_connection(data_source)
    
        # Create skillset
        skillset = SearchIndexerSkillset(
            name="my-skillset",
            skills=[
                EntityRecognitionSkill(
                    inputs=[InputFieldMappingEntry(name="text", source="/document/content")],
                    outputs=[OutputFieldMappingEntry(name="organizations", target_name="organizations")]
                )
            ]
        )
        indexer_client.create_or_update_skillset(skillset)
    
        # Create indexer
        indexer = SearchIndexer(
            name="my-indexer",
            data_source_name="my-datasource",
            target_index_name="my-index",
            skillset_name="my-skillset"
        )
        indexer_client.create_or_update_indexer(indexer)
    ```
    
    ## Best Practices
    
    1. **Pick sync OR async and stay consistent.** Do not mix `azure.xxx` sync clients with `azure.xxx.aio` async clients in the same call path. Choose one mode per module.
    2. **Always use context managers for clients and async credentials.** Wrap every client in `with Client(...) as client:` (sync) or `async with Client(...) as client:` (async). For async `DefaultAzureCredential` from `azure.identity.aio`, also use `async with credential:` so tokens and transports are cleaned up.
    3. **Use hybrid search** for best relevance combining vector and keyword
    4. **Enable semantic ranking** for natural language queries
    5. **Index in batches** of 100-1000 documents for efficiency
    6. **Use filters** to narrow results before ranking
    7. **Configure vector dimensions** to match your embedding model
    8. **Use HNSW algorithm** for large-scale vector search
    9. **Create suggesters** at index creation time (cannot add later)
    
    ## Reference Files
    
    | File | Contents |
    |------|----------|
    | [references/vector-search.md](references/vector-search.md) | HNSW configuration, integrated vectorization, multi-vector queries |
    | [references/semantic-ranking.md](references/semantic-ranking.md) | Semantic configuration, captions, answers, hybrid patterns |
    | [scripts/setup_vector_index.py](scripts/setup_vector_index.py) | CLI script to create vector-enabled search index |
    
    
    ---
    
    ## Additional Azure AI Search Patterns
    
    # Azure AI Search Python SDK
    
    Write clean, idiomatic Python code for Azure AI Search using `azure-search-documents`.
    
    ## Installation
    
    ```bash
    pip install azure-search-documents azure-identity
    ```
    
    ## Environment Variables
    
    ```bash
    AZURE_SEARCH_ENDPOINT=https://<search-service>.search.windows.net  # Required for all auth methods
    AZURE_SEARCH_INDEX_NAME=<index-name>  # Required for all auth methods
    AZURE_TOKEN_CREDENTIALS=prod # Required only if DefaultAzureCredential is used in production
    ```
    
    ## Authentication
    
    ```python
    import os
    from azure.identity import DefaultAzureCredential, ManagedIdentityCredential
    from azure.search.documents import SearchClient
    
    # Local dev: DefaultAzureCredential. Production: set AZURE_TOKEN_CREDENTIALS=prod or AZURE_TOKEN_CREDENTIALS=<specific_credential>
    credential = DefaultAzureCredential(require_envvar=True)
    # Or use a specific credential directly in production:
    # See https://learn.microsoft.com/python/api/overview/azure/identity-readme?view=azure-python#credential-classes
    # credential = ManagedIdentityCredential()
    
    with SearchClient(
        endpoint=os.environ["AZURE_SEARCH_ENDPOINT"],
        index_name=os.environ["AZURE_SEARCH_INDEX_NAME"],
        credential=credential,
    ) as client:
        results = list(client.search(search_text="*", top=5))
    ```
    
    ## Client Selection
    
    | Client | Purpose |
    |--------|---------|
    | `SearchClient` | Query indexes, upload/update/delete documents |
    | `SearchIndexClient` | Create/manage indexes, knowledge sources, knowledge bases |
    | `SearchIndexerClient` | Manage indexers, skillsets, data sources |
    | `KnowledgeBaseRetrievalClient` | Agentic retrieval with LLM-powered Q&A |
    
    ## Index Creation Pattern
    
    ```python
    from azure.search.documents.indexes import SearchIndexClient
    from azure.search.documents.indexes.models import (
        SearchIndex, SearchField, VectorSearch, VectorSearchProfile,
        HnswAlgorithmConfiguration, AzureOpenAIVectorizer,
        AzureOpenAIVectorizerParameters, SemanticSearch,
        SemanticConfiguration, SemanticPrioritizedFields, SemanticField
    )
    
    index = SearchIndex(
        name=index_name,
        fields=[
            SearchField(name="id", type="Edm.String", key=True),
            SearchField(name="content", type="Edm.String", searchable=True),
            SearchField(name="embedding", type="Collection(Edm.Single)",
                       vector_search_dimensions=3072,
                       vector_search_profile_name="vector-profile"),
        ],
        vector_search=VectorSearch(
            profiles=[VectorSearchProfile(
                name="vector-profile",
                algorithm_configuration_name="hnsw-algo",
                vectorizer_name="openai-vectorizer"
            )],
            algorithms=[HnswAlgorithmConfiguration(name="hnsw-algo")],
            vectorizers=[AzureOpenAIVectorizer(
                vectorizer_name="openai-vectorizer",
                parameters=AzureOpenAIVectorizerParameters(
                    resource_url=aoai_endpoint,
                    deployment_name=embedding_deployment,
                    model_name=embedding_model
                )
            )]
        ),
        semantic_search=SemanticSearch(
            default_configuration_name="semantic-config",
            configurations=[SemanticConfiguration(
                name="semantic-config",
                prioritized_fields=SemanticPrioritizedFields(
                    content_fields=[SemanticField(field_name="content")]
                )
            )]
        )
    )
    
    with SearchIndexClient(endpoint, credential) as index_client:
        index_client.create_or_update_index(index)
    ```
    
    ## Document Operations
    
    ```python
    from azure.search.documents import SearchIndexingBufferedSender
    
    # Batch upload with automatic batching
    with SearchIndexingBufferedSender(endpoint, index_name, credential) as sender:
        sender.upload_documents(documents)
    
    # Direct operations via SearchClient
    with SearchClient(endpoint, index_name, credential) as search_client:
        search_client.upload_documents(documents)      # Add new
        search_client.merge_documents(documents)       # Update existing
        search_client.merge_or_upload_documents(documents)  # Upsert
        search_client.delete_documents(documents)      # Remove
    ```
    
    ## Search Patterns
    
    ```python
    # Basic search
    results = search_client.search(search_text="query")
    
    # Vector search
    from azure.search.documents.models import VectorizedQuery
    
    results = search_client.search(
        search_text=None,
        vector_queries=[VectorizedQuery(
            vector=embedding,
            k_nearest_neighbors=5,
            fields="embedding"
        )]
    )
    
    # Hybrid search (vector + keyword)
    results = search_client.search(
        search_text="query",
        vector_queries=[VectorizedQuery(vector=embedding, k_nearest_neighbors=5, fields="embedding")],
        query_type="semantic",
        semantic_configuration_name="semantic-config"
    )
    
    # With filters
    results = search_client.search(
        search_text="query",
        filter="category eq 'technology'",
        select=["id", "title", "content"],
        top=10
    )
    ```
    
    ## Agentic Retrieval (Knowledge Bases)
    
    For LLM-powered Q&A with answer synthesis, see [references/agentic-retrieval.md](references/agentic-retrieval.md).
    
    Key concepts:
    - **Knowledge Source**: Points to a search index
    - **Knowledge Base**: Wraps knowledge sources + LLM for query planning and synthesis
    - **Output modes**: `EXTRACTIVE_DATA` (raw chunks) or `ANSWER_SYNTHESIS` (LLM-generated answers)
    
    ## Async Pattern
    
    ```python
    from azure.search.documents.aio import SearchClient
    
    async with SearchClient(endpoint, index_name, credential) as client:
        results = await client.search(search_text="query")
        async for result in results:
            print(result["title"])
    ```
    
    ## Best Practices
    
    1. **Use environment variables** for endpoints, keys, and deployment names
    2. **Use `DefaultAzureCredential`** for code that runs locally (instead of API keys). Use a specific token credential for code that runs in Azure.
    3. **Use `SearchIndexingBufferedSender`** for batch uploads (handles batching/retries)
    4. **Always define semantic configuration** for agentic retrieval indexes
    5. **Use `create_or_update_index`** for idempotent index creation
    6. **Close clients** with context managers or explicit `close()`
    
    ## Field Types Reference
    
    | EDM Type | Python | Notes |
    |----------|--------|-------|
    | `Edm.String` | str | Searchable text |
    | `Edm.Int32` | int | Integer |
    | `Edm.Int64` | int | Long integer |
    | `Edm.Double` | float | Floating point |
    | `Edm.Boolean` | bool | True/False |
    | `Edm.DateTimeOffset` | datetime | ISO 8601 |
    | `Collection(Edm.Single)` | List[float] | Vector embeddings |
    | `Collection(Edm.String)` | List[str] | String arrays |
    
    ## Error Handling
    
    ```python
    from azure.core.exceptions import (
        HttpResponseError,
        ResourceNotFoundError,
        ResourceExistsError
    )
    
    try:
        result = search_client.get_document(key="123")
    except ResourceNotFoundError:
        print("Document not found")
    except HttpResponseError as e:
        print(f"Search error: {e.message}")
    ```
    

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