When should I choose vector search over traditional search?

You should choose vector search over traditional search when you need to find results based on semantic similarity rather than exact keyword matches. Vector search works by converting data (like text, images, or audio) into numerical representations called embeddings, which capture the meaning or context of the data. This allows it to identify relationships between items that share similar characteristics, even if they don’t use the same words. Traditional search, like keyword-based systems (e.g., SQL queries or Elasticsearch), relies on exact term matching, predefined rules, or structured metadata, making it less effective for tasks where flexibility in query interpretation is critical.

One common use case for vector search is handling natural language queries where synonyms, paraphrasing, or contextual meaning matter. For example, if a user searches for “how to fix a leaking faucet,” a traditional search might only return results containing “leaking faucet,” missing articles that use terms like “dripping tap.” Vector search, however, can recognize that “faucet” and “tap” are semantically similar and return relevant results even without exact matches. This is especially useful in applications like chatbots, recommendation systems, or document retrieval, where understanding intent or similarity is more valuable than literal keyword overlap. Another example is image or multimedia search: vector embeddings can represent visual features (like colors or shapes) or abstract concepts in an image, allowing you to find similar items without relying on manually tagged labels.

Traditional search remains preferable when working with structured data or requiring precise, rule-based filtering. For instance, if you need to find all products in an e-commerce database priced between $50 and $100, a traditional database query is faster and more efficient. Similarly, exact matches for codes, IDs, or categorical tags (like filtering movies by genre) are better handled with traditional methods. Vector search also requires computational resources to generate and compare embeddings, which might be unnecessary overhead for simple tasks. In summary, use vector search when semantic understanding or flexible similarity matching is essential, and stick to traditional approaches for structured data, exact matches, or performance-critical scenarios with clear filtering rules.