Vector indexes are specialized data structures that enable efficient similarity search across your content embeddings. They are optimized for different modalities and vector types in our model registry.

Understanding Vector Indexes

Key Concepts

  • Vector Space: Multidimensional space where content is represented, with dimensions varying by model (512-1408)
  • Modality Support: Different indexes optimized for specific content types (text, image, video, audio)
  • Vector Types: Support for both dense and sparse embeddings
  • Performance Tradeoffs: Balance between speed and accuracy

Available Index Types

1. HNSW (Hierarchical Navigable Small World)

Best for:

  • Dense vectors from our image (512d), text (1024d), and multimodal (1408d) models
  • Real-time search applications
  • Large-scale datasets

2. SPLADE (Sparse Lexical AnD Expansion)

Best for:

  • Sparse vectors from our keyword model
  • Text-specific search
  • Interpretable results

3. Flat Index

Best for:

  • Small datasets
  • Exact search requirements
  • Development/testing
  • Maximum accuracy needed