
Rag Agent Builder
- 226 installs
- 38 repo stars
- Updated January 5, 2026
- qodex-ai/ai-agent-skills
Scaffold retrieval-augmented agents with ingestion, chunking, embeddings, vector stores, and grounded query interfaces for knowledge products.
About
End-to-end patterns for RAG agents: corpus ingestion, chunking strategies, embedding generation, vector database configuration, retrieval tuning, and LLM grounding for production knowledge assistants.
- document ingestion pipelines
- chunking and embedding setup
- vector store wiring
- grounded Q&A orchestration
Rag Agent Builder by the numbers
- 226 all-time installs (skills.sh)
- +4 installs in the week ending Aug 4, 2026 (Skillselion tracking)
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- Data as of Aug 4, 2026 (Skillselion catalog sync)
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| Installs | 226 |
|---|---|
| repo stars | ★ 38 |
| Last updated | January 5, 2026 |
| Repository | qodex-ai/ai-agent-skills ↗ |
What it does
Scaffold retrieval-augmented agents with ingestion, chunking, embeddings, vector stores, and grounded query interfaces for knowledge products.
Files
RAG Agent Builder
Build powerful Retrieval-Augmented Generation (RAG) applications that enhance LLM capabilities with external knowledge sources, enabling accurate, contextualized AI responses.
Quick Start
Get started with RAG implementations in the examples and utilities:
- Examples: See `examples/` directory for complete implementations:
- `basic_rag.py` - Simple chunk-embed-retrieve-generate pipeline
- `retrieval_strategies.py` - Hybrid search, reranking, and filtering
- `agentic_rag.py` - Agent-controlled retrieval with iterative refinement
- Utilities: See `scripts/` directory for helper modules:
- `embedding_management.py` - Embedding generation, normalization, and caching
- `vector_db_manager.py` - Vector database abstraction and factory
- `rag_evaluation.py` - Retrieval and answer quality metrics
Overview
RAG systems combine three key components: 1. Document Retrieval - Find relevant information from knowledge bases 2. Context Integration - Pass retrieved context to the LLM 3. Response Generation - Generate answers grounded in the retrieved information
This skill covers building production-ready RAG applications with various frameworks and approaches.
Core Concepts
What is RAG?
RAG augments LLM knowledge with external data:
- Without RAG: LLM relies on training data (may be outdated or limited)
- With RAG: LLM uses real-time, custom knowledge + training knowledge
When to Use RAG
- Document Q&A: Answer questions about PDFs, books, reports
- Knowledge Base Search: Query internal documentation, wikis
- Enterprise Search: Search proprietary company data
- Context-Specific Assistants: Customer support, HR assistants
- Fact-Heavy Applications: Legal docs, medical records, financial data
When RAG Might Not Be Needed
- General knowledge questions (ChatGPT-like)
- Real-time data that changes constantly (use tools instead)
- Very simple lookup tasks (use database queries)
Architecture Patterns
Basic RAG Pipeline
Documents → Chunks → Embeddings → Vector DB
↓
User Question → Embedding → Retrieval → LLM → Answer
↑ ↓
Vector DB ContextAdvanced RAG Patterns
1. Agentic RAG
- Agent decides what to retrieve and when
- Can refine queries iteratively
- Better for complex reasoning
2. Hierarchical RAG
- Multi-level document structure
- Search at different levels of detail
- More flexible organization
3. Hybrid Search RAG
- Combines keyword search (BM25) + semantic search (embeddings)
- Captures both exact matches and meaning
- Better for mixed query types
4. Corrective RAG (CRAG)
- Evaluates retrieved documents for relevance
- Retrieves additional sources if needed
- Ensures high-quality context
Implementation Components
1. Document Processing
Chunking Strategies:
# Simple fixed-size chunks
chunks = split_text(doc, chunk_size=1000, overlap=100)
# Semantic chunks (group by meaning)
chunks = semantic_chunking(doc, max_tokens=512)
# Hierarchical chunks (different levels)
chapters = split_by_heading(doc)
chunks = split_each_chapter(chapters, size=1000)Key Considerations:
- Chunk size affects retrieval quality and cost
- Overlap helps maintain context between chunks
- Semantic chunking preserves meaning better
2. Embedding Generation
Popular Embedding Models:
- OpenAI:
text-embedding-3-small,text-embedding-3-large - Open Source:
all-MiniLM-L6-v2,all-mpnet-base-v2 - Domain-Specific: Domain-trained embeddings for specialized knowledge
Best Practices:
- Use consistent embedding model for retrieval and queries
- Store embeddings with normalized vectors
- Update embeddings when documents change
3. Vector Databases
Popular Options:
- Pinecone: Managed, serverless, easy to scale
- Weaviate: Open-source, self-hosted, flexible
- Milvus: Open-source, high performance
- Chroma: Lightweight, good for prototypes
- Qdrant: Production-grade, high-performance
Selection Criteria:
- Scale requirements (data volume, queries per second)
- Latency needs (real-time vs batch)
- Cost considerations
- Deployment preferences (managed vs self-hosted)
4. Retrieval Strategies
Retrieval Methods:
# Similarity search (most common)
results = vector_db.query(question_embedding, k=5)
# Hybrid search (keyword + semantic)
keyword_results = bm25.search(question, k=3)
semantic_results = vector_db.query(embedding, k=3)
results = combine_and_rank(keyword_results, semantic_results)
# Reranking (improve relevance)
retrieved = initial_retrieval(query)
reranked = rerank_by_relevance(retrieved, query)Retrieval Parameters:
- k (number of results): Balance between context and relevance
- Similarity threshold: Filter out low-relevance results
- Diversity: Return varied results vs best matches
5. Context Integration
Context Window Management:
# Fit retrieved documents into context window
def prepare_context(retrieved_docs, max_tokens=3000):
context = ""
for doc in retrieved_docs:
if len(tokenize(context + doc)) <= max_tokens:
context += doc
else:
break
return contextPrompt Design:
You are a helpful assistant. Answer the question based on the provided context.
Context:
{retrieved_documents}
Question: {user_question}
Answer:6. Response Generation
Generation Strategies:
- Direct Generation: LLM answers from context
- Summarization: Summarize multiple retrieved docs first
- Fact-Grounding: Ensure answer cites sources
- Iterative Refinement: Refine based on user feedback
Implementation Patterns
Pattern 1: Basic RAG
Simplest RAG implementation: 1. Split documents into chunks 2. Generate embeddings for each chunk 3. Store in vector database 4. Retrieve top-k similar chunks for query 5. Pass to LLM with context
Pros: Simple, fast, works well for straightforward QA Cons: May miss relevant context, no refinement
Pattern 2: Agentic RAG
Agent controls retrieval: 1. Agent receives user question 2. Decides whether to retrieve documents 3. Formulates retrieval query (may differ from original) 4. Retrieves relevant documents 5. Can iterate or use tools 6. Generates final answer
Pros: Better for complex questions, iterative improvement Cons: More complex, higher costs
Pattern 3: Corrective RAG (CRAG)
Validates retrieved documents: 1. Retrieve documents for question 2. Grade each document for relevance 3. If poor relevance:
- Try different retrieval strategy
- Expand search scope
- Retrieve from different sources
4. Generate answer from validated context
Pros: Higher quality answers, adapts to failures Cons: More API calls, slower
Popular Frameworks
LangChain
from langchain.document_loaders import PDFLoader
from langchain.embeddings import OpenAIEmbeddings
from langchain.vectorstores import Pinecone
from langchain.chains import RetrievalQA
# Load documents
loader = PDFLoader("document.pdf")
docs = loader.load()
# Create RAG chain
embeddings = OpenAIEmbeddings()
vectorstore = Pinecone.from_documents(docs, embeddings)
qa = RetrievalQA.from_chain_type(
llm=ChatOpenAI(),
chain_type="stuff",
retriever=vectorstore.as_retriever()
)
answer = qa.run("What is the document about?")LlamaIndex
from llama_index import GPTVectorStoreIndex, SimpleDirectoryReader
# Load documents
documents = SimpleDirectoryReader("./data").load_data()
# Create index
index = GPTVectorStoreIndex.from_documents(documents)
# Query
response = index.as_query_engine().query("What is the main topic?")CrewAI with RAG
from crewai import Agent, Task, Crew
from tools import retrieval_tool
researcher = Agent(
role="Research Assistant",
goal="Research topics using knowledge base",
tools=[retrieval_tool]
)
research_task = Task(
description="Research the topic: {topic}",
agent=researcher
)Best Practices
Document Preparation
- ✓ Clean and normalize text (remove headers, footers)
- ✓ Preserve document structure when possible
- ✓ Add metadata (source, date, category)
- ✓ Handle PDFs with OCR if scanned
- ✓ Test chunk sizes for your domain
Embedding Strategy
- ✓ Use same embedding model for indexing and queries
- ✓ Fine-tune embeddings for domain-specific needs
- ✓ Normalize embeddings for consistency
- ✓ Monitor embedding quality metrics
Retrieval Optimization
- ✓ Tune k (number of results) for your use case
- ✓ Use reranking for quality improvement
- ✓ Implement relevance filtering
- ✓ Monitor retrieval precision and recall
- ✓ Cache frequently retrieved documents
Generation Quality
- ✓ Include source citations in answers
- ✓ Prompt LLM to indicate confidence
- ✓ Ask to cite specific documents
- ✓ Generate summaries for long contexts
- ✓ Validate answers against context
Monitoring & Evaluation
- ✓ Track retrieval metrics (precision, recall, MRR)
- ✓ Monitor answer quality and relevance
- ✓ Log failed retrievals for improvement
- ✓ Collect user feedback
- ✓ Iterate based on failures
Common Challenges & Solutions
Challenge: Irrelevant Retrieval
Solutions:
- Improve chunking strategy
- Better embedding model
- Add document metadata to queries
- Implement reranking
- Use hybrid search
Challenge: Context Too Large
Solutions:
- Reduce chunk size
- Retrieve fewer results (smaller k)
- Summarize retrieved context
- Use hierarchical retrieval
- Filter by relevance score
Challenge: Missing Information
Solutions:
- Increase k (retrieve more)
- Improve embedding model
- Better preprocessing
- Use multiple search strategies
- Add document hierarchy
Challenge: Slow Performance
Solutions:
- Use managed vector database
- Cache embeddings
- Batch process documents
- Optimize chunk size
- Use smaller embedding model for speed
Evaluation Metrics
Retrieval Metrics:
- Precision: % of retrieved docs that are relevant
- Recall: % of relevant docs that are retrieved
- MRR (Mean Reciprocal Rank): Rank of first relevant result
- NDCG (Normalized DCG): Quality of ranking
Answer Quality Metrics:
- Relevance: Does answer address the question?
- Correctness: Is the answer factually accurate?
- Grounding: Is answer supported by context?
- User Satisfaction: Would user find answer helpful?
Advanced Techniques
1. Query Expansion
# Expand query with related terms
expanded_query = query + " " + synonym_expansion(query)
results = retrieve(expanded_query)2. Document Compression
# Compress retrieved docs before passing to LLM
compressed = compress_documents(retrieved_docs, query)
context = format_context(compressed)3. Active Retrieval
# Iteratively refine retrieval based on LLM output
query = user_question
while iterations < max:
results = retrieve(query)
answer = generate_with_context(results)
if answer_complete(answer):
break
query = refine_query(answer)4. Multi-Modal RAG
# Retrieve both text and images
text_results = text_retriever.query(question)
image_results = image_retriever.query(question)
context = combine_multimodal(text_results, image_results)Resources & References
Key Papers
- "Retrieval-Augmented Generation for Knowledge-Intensive NLP Tasks" (Lewis et al.)
- "REALM: Retrieval-Augmented Language Model Pre-Training" (Guu et al.)
Frameworks
- LangChain: https://python.langchain.com/
- LlamaIndex: https://www.llamaindex.ai/
- HayStack: https://haystack.deepset.ai/
Vector Databases
- Pinecone: https://www.pinecone.io/
- Weaviate: https://weaviate.io/
- Qdrant: https://qdrant.tech/
Embedding Models
- OpenAI: https://platform.openai.com/docs/guides/embeddings
- Hugging Face: https://huggingface.co/models?pipeline_tag=sentence-similarity
Next Steps
1. Choose your stack: Decide on framework (LangChain, LlamaIndex, etc.) 2. Prepare documents: Process and chunk your knowledge base 3. Select embeddings: Choose embedding model for your domain 4. Pick vector DB: Select storage solution for scale 5. Build pipeline: Implement retrieval and generation 6. Evaluate: Test on sample questions and iterate 7. Monitor: Track quality metrics in production
"""
Agentic RAG Implementation
Agent that makes intelligent decisions about what to retrieve and when.
Supports iterative refinement for complex questions.
"""
from typing import List, Tuple, Optional, Dict
from enum import Enum
class RetrievalDecision(Enum):
"""Decisions the agent can make about retrieval."""
RETRIEVE = "retrieve"
REFINE_QUERY = "refine_query"
GENERATE = "generate"
SEARCH_EXPANSION = "search_expansion"
class AgenticRAG:
"""RAG system where agent controls retrieval strategy."""
def __init__(self, llm_client, vector_db, max_iterations: int = 3):
"""
Initialize agentic RAG.
Args:
llm_client: LLM client for reasoning
vector_db: Vector database for retrieval
max_iterations: Maximum refinement iterations
"""
self.llm = llm_client
self.vector_db = vector_db
self.max_iterations = max_iterations
self.conversation_history = []
def decide_retrieval(self, query: str, context: Optional[str] = None) -> Dict:
"""
Use LLM to decide on retrieval strategy.
Args:
query: User query
context: Previous context if iterating
Returns:
Decision dict with action and parameters
"""
decision_prompt = f"""Based on this query, decide what retrieval strategy to use:
Query: {query}
{"Previous context: " + context if context else ""}
Decide one of:
1. RETRIEVE - directly retrieve documents
2. REFINE_QUERY - reformulate query first
3. SEARCH_EXPANSION - expand query with related terms
4. GENERATE - answer without retrieval (general knowledge)
Respond with decision and reasoning."""
response = self.llm.generate(decision_prompt)
return self._parse_decision(response, query)
def _parse_decision(self, response: str, original_query: str) -> Dict:
"""Parse LLM decision response."""
# Placeholder logic
if "refine" in response.lower():
return {"action": RetrievalDecision.REFINE_QUERY, "query": original_query}
elif "expand" in response.lower():
return {
"action": RetrievalDecision.SEARCH_EXPANSION,
"query": original_query,
}
elif "generate" in response.lower():
return {"action": RetrievalDecision.GENERATE, "query": original_query}
else:
return {"action": RetrievalDecision.RETRIEVE, "query": original_query}
def refine_query(self, original_query: str) -> str:
"""
Refine query for better retrieval.
Args:
original_query: Original user query
Returns:
Refined query
"""
refine_prompt = f"""Reformulate this query to be more specific and retrieval-friendly:
Original: {original_query}
Refined query:"""
refined = self.llm.generate(refine_prompt)
return refined.strip()
def expand_query(self, query: str, num_expansions: int = 2) -> List[str]:
"""
Generate related search queries.
Args:
query: Original query
num_expansions: Number of related queries
Returns:
List of expanded queries
"""
expand_prompt = f"""Generate {num_expansions} related search queries for:
Query: {query}
Related queries (one per line):"""
response = self.llm.generate(expand_prompt)
queries = response.strip().split("\n")
return [q.strip() for q in queries if q.strip()]
def retrieve_documents(self, query: str, k: int = 5) -> List[Tuple[str, float]]:
"""
Retrieve documents for query.
Args:
query: Query string
k: Number of results
Returns:
List of (document, score) tuples
"""
# Convert query to embedding and retrieve
results = self.vector_db.query(query, k=k)
return results
def evaluate_retrieved_docs(
self, documents: List[str], query: str
) -> Tuple[bool, float]:
"""
Evaluate if retrieved documents are sufficient.
Args:
documents: Retrieved documents
query: Original query
Returns:
Tuple of (sufficient, confidence_score)
"""
eval_prompt = f"""Are these documents sufficient to answer the query?
Query: {query}
Documents:
{"".join(f"{i+1}. {doc[:200]}..." for i, doc in enumerate(documents))}
Respond with: YES or NO, and confidence (0-1)"""
response = self.llm.generate(eval_prompt)
# Parse response
sufficient = "yes" in response.lower()
confidence = 0.8 if sufficient else 0.4 # Placeholder
return sufficient, confidence
def execute(self, query: str) -> Dict:
"""
Execute agentic RAG pipeline.
Args:
query: User query
Returns:
Dict with answer and metadata
"""
current_query = query
iteration = 0
all_retrieved_docs = []
while iteration < self.max_iterations:
# Decide retrieval strategy
decision = self.decide_retrieval(current_query)
if decision["action"] == RetrievalDecision.REFINE_QUERY:
current_query = self.refine_query(current_query)
iteration += 1
continue
elif decision["action"] == RetrievalDecision.SEARCH_EXPANSION:
expanded_queries = self.expand_query(current_query)
# Retrieve for all queries
for expanded_q in expanded_queries:
docs = self.retrieve_documents(expanded_q, k=3)
all_retrieved_docs.extend(docs)
iteration += 1
continue
elif decision["action"] == RetrievalDecision.RETRIEVE:
docs = self.retrieve_documents(current_query, k=5)
all_retrieved_docs.extend(docs)
# Evaluate retrieved documents
doc_texts = [doc[0] for doc in docs]
sufficient, confidence = self.evaluate_retrieved_docs(
doc_texts, query
)
if sufficient or iteration >= self.max_iterations - 1:
break
# Refine for next iteration
current_query = self.refine_query(query)
iteration += 1
continue
else: # GENERATE
break
# Generate answer from all retrieved documents
context = "\n\n".join([doc[0] for doc in all_retrieved_docs])
answer = self.generate_answer(query, context)
return {
"answer": answer,
"query": query,
"refined_query": current_query,
"iterations": iteration,
"retrieved_docs_count": len(all_retrieved_docs),
"documents": [doc[0] for doc in all_retrieved_docs],
}
def generate_answer(self, query: str, context: str) -> str:
"""
Generate final answer with context.
Args:
query: Original query
context: Retrieved context
Returns:
Generated answer
"""
answer_prompt = f"""Based on the provided context, answer this question:
Context:
{context}
Question: {query}
Answer:"""
return self.llm.generate(answer_prompt)
"""
Basic RAG Implementation
Simplest RAG implementation demonstrating document chunking,
embedding generation, vector storage, and retrieval.
"""
from typing import List, Tuple
class BasicRAG:
"""Basic RAG pipeline for document Q&A."""
def __init__(self, embedding_model="all-MiniLM-L6-v2", vector_db=None):
"""
Initialize basic RAG system.
Args:
embedding_model: Name of embedding model to use
vector_db: Vector database instance (Chroma, Pinecone, etc.)
"""
self.embedding_model = embedding_model
self.vector_db = vector_db
self.chunks = []
def chunk_documents(
self, documents: List[str], chunk_size: int = 1000, overlap: int = 100
) -> List[str]:
"""
Split documents into overlapping chunks.
Args:
documents: List of document texts
chunk_size: Size of each chunk in characters
overlap: Overlap between consecutive chunks
Returns:
List of text chunks
"""
chunks = []
for doc in documents:
# Split each document into chunks
for i in range(0, len(doc), chunk_size - overlap):
chunk = doc[i : i + chunk_size]
if chunk.strip():
chunks.append(chunk)
self.chunks = chunks
return chunks
def generate_embeddings(self, texts: List[str]) -> List[List[float]]:
"""
Generate embeddings for texts.
Args:
texts: List of text segments
Returns:
List of embedding vectors
"""
# Placeholder - implement with actual embedding model
# In practice, use: from sentence_transformers import SentenceTransformer
# model = SentenceTransformer(self.embedding_model)
# embeddings = model.encode(texts)
return [[0.1] * 384 for _ in texts] # Dummy embeddings
def index_documents(self, documents: List[str]) -> None:
"""
Index documents into vector database.
Args:
documents: List of document texts
"""
chunks = self.chunk_documents(documents)
embeddings = self.generate_embeddings(chunks)
# Store in vector database
for chunk, embedding in zip(chunks, embeddings):
self.vector_db.add_text(chunk, embedding=embedding)
def retrieve(self, query: str, k: int = 5) -> List[Tuple[str, float]]:
"""
Retrieve top-k relevant chunks for query.
Args:
query: User query
k: Number of results to retrieve
Returns:
List of (chunk, similarity_score) tuples
"""
query_embedding = self.generate_embeddings([query])[0]
results = self.vector_db.query(query_embedding, k=k)
return results
def generate_answer(self, query: str, context: str, llm_client) -> str:
"""
Generate answer using retrieved context.
Args:
query: User query
context: Retrieved context
llm_client: LLM client instance
Returns:
Generated answer
"""
prompt = f"""You are a helpful assistant. Answer the question based on the provided context.
Context:
{context}
Question: {query}
Answer:"""
response = llm_client.generate(prompt)
return response
def query(self, query: str, llm_client, k: int = 5) -> Tuple[str, List[str]]:
"""
Complete RAG pipeline: retrieve and generate.
Args:
query: User query
llm_client: LLM client instance
k: Number of chunks to retrieve
Returns:
Tuple of (answer, retrieved_chunks)
"""
# Retrieve relevant chunks
retrieved = self.retrieve(query, k=k)
chunks = [item[0] for item in retrieved]
context = "\n\n".join(chunks)
# Generate answer
answer = self.generate_answer(query, context, llm_client)
return answer, chunks
"""
Advanced Retrieval Strategies for RAG
Implements hybrid search, reranking, and filtering techniques.
"""
from typing import List, Tuple, Optional
import math
class HybridRetriever:
"""Combines keyword (BM25) and semantic (embedding) search."""
def __init__(self, bm25_retriever, vector_db, alpha: float = 0.5):
"""
Initialize hybrid retriever.
Args:
bm25_retriever: BM25 keyword search instance
vector_db: Vector database for semantic search
alpha: Weight for combining results (0-1)
0 = pure keyword, 1 = pure semantic
"""
self.bm25 = bm25_retriever
self.vector_db = vector_db
self.alpha = alpha
def retrieve(self, query: str, k: int = 5) -> List[Tuple[str, float]]:
"""
Retrieve using both keyword and semantic search.
Args:
query: User query
k: Number of results
Returns:
Ranked list of (document, score) tuples
"""
# Keyword search results
keyword_results = self.bm25.search(query, k=k)
keyword_scores = {doc: score for doc, score in keyword_results}
# Semantic search results
semantic_results = self.vector_db.query(query, k=k)
semantic_scores = {doc: score for doc, score in semantic_results}
# Combine scores
combined_scores = {}
all_docs = set(keyword_scores.keys()) | set(semantic_scores.keys())
for doc in all_docs:
keyword_score = keyword_scores.get(doc, 0.0)
semantic_score = semantic_scores.get(doc, 0.0)
combined = self.alpha * semantic_score + (1 - self.alpha) * keyword_score
combined_scores[doc] = combined
# Sort and return top-k
sorted_results = sorted(combined_scores.items(), key=lambda x: x[1], reverse=True)
return sorted_results[:k]
class DocumentReranker:
"""Rerank retrieved documents by relevance."""
def __init__(self, reranker_model="cross-encoder/ms-marco-MiniLM-L-12-v2"):
"""
Initialize reranker.
Args:
reranker_model: Cross-encoder model name
"""
self.model = reranker_model
def rerank(
self, query: str, documents: List[str], top_k: int = 5
) -> List[Tuple[str, float]]:
"""
Rerank documents by relevance to query.
Args:
query: User query
documents: List of candidate documents
top_k: Number of results to return
Returns:
Reranked list of (document, score) tuples
"""
# Placeholder - use sentence_transformers.CrossEncoder in production
# from sentence_transformers import CrossEncoder
# model = CrossEncoder(self.model)
# scores = model.predict([(query, doc) for doc in documents])
# Simple placeholder: rank by query-document overlap
scores = []
query_words = set(query.lower().split())
for doc in documents:
doc_words = set(doc.lower().split())
overlap = len(query_words & doc_words) / len(query_words)
scores.append(overlap)
ranked = sorted(zip(documents, scores), key=lambda x: x[1], reverse=True)
return ranked[:top_k]
class RelevanceFilter:
"""Filter retrieved documents by relevance threshold."""
def __init__(self, threshold: float = 0.7):
"""
Initialize filter.
Args:
threshold: Minimum relevance score (0-1)
"""
self.threshold = threshold
def filter_results(
self, results: List[Tuple[str, float]]
) -> List[Tuple[str, float]]:
"""
Filter results by relevance threshold.
Args:
results: List of (document, score) tuples
Returns:
Filtered results above threshold
"""
return [
(doc, score) for doc, score in results if score >= self.threshold
]
def filter_and_log(
self, results: List[Tuple[str, float]], query: str = ""
) -> Tuple[List[Tuple[str, float]], dict]:
"""
Filter and return statistics.
Args:
results: List of (document, score) tuples
query: Original query (for logging)
Returns:
Tuple of (filtered_results, statistics)
"""
original_count = len(results)
filtered = self.filter_results(results)
filtered_count = len(filtered)
stats = {
"original_count": original_count,
"filtered_count": filtered_count,
"filtered_out": original_count - filtered_count,
"threshold": self.threshold,
}
return filtered, stats
class ContextWindowManager:
"""Manage retrieved documents to fit within LLM context window."""
def __init__(self, max_tokens: int = 3000, tokens_per_char: float = 0.25):
"""
Initialize context manager.
Args:
max_tokens: Maximum tokens for context
tokens_per_char: Approximate tokens per character
"""
self.max_tokens = max_tokens
self.tokens_per_char = tokens_per_char
def estimate_tokens(self, text: str) -> int:
"""Estimate token count for text."""
return int(len(text) * self.tokens_per_char)
def fit_documents(self, documents: List[str]) -> Tuple[List[str], dict]:
"""
Fit retrieved documents into context window.
Args:
documents: List of document chunks
Returns:
Tuple of (selected_documents, statistics)
"""
selected = []
total_tokens = 0
for doc in documents:
doc_tokens = self.estimate_tokens(doc)
if total_tokens + doc_tokens <= self.max_tokens:
selected.append(doc)
total_tokens += doc_tokens
else:
break
stats = {
"total_tokens_available": self.max_tokens,
"total_tokens_used": total_tokens,
"documents_selected": len(selected),
"documents_truncated": len(documents) - len(selected),
}
return selected, stats
def prepare_context(self, documents: List[str]) -> str:
"""
Prepare context string from documents.
Args:
documents: List of document chunks
Returns:
Formatted context string
"""
selected, stats = self.fit_documents(documents)
context = "\n\n".join(selected)
return context
RAG Agent Builder - Code Structure
This skill uses supporting Python files to keep documentation lean and maintainable.
Directory Structure
rag-agent-builder/
├── SKILL.md # Main documentation (concepts, patterns)
├── README.md # This file
├── examples/ # Implementation examples
│ ├── basic_rag.py # Simple RAG pipeline
│ ├── retrieval_strategies.py # Hybrid search, reranking, filtering
│ └── agentic_rag.py # Agent-controlled retrieval
└── scripts/ # Utility modules
├── embedding_management.py # Embedding generation and caching
├── vector_db_manager.py # Vector database abstraction
└── rag_evaluation.py # Retrieval and answer quality metricsRunning Examples
1. Basic RAG
python examples/basic_rag.pySimplest RAG implementation - chunk documents, embed, retrieve, generate.
2. Advanced Retrieval Strategies
python examples/retrieval_strategies.pyHybrid search combining keyword and semantic search with reranking.
3. Agentic RAG
python examples/agentic_rag.pyAgent-controlled retrieval with iterative refinement for complex questions.
Using the Utilities
Embedding Management
from scripts.embedding_management import EmbeddingManager, EmbeddingQualityAssessment
manager = EmbeddingManager(model_name="all-MiniLM-L6-v2")
embeddings = manager.generate_embeddings(texts)
normalized = manager.normalize_embeddings(embeddings)
quality = EmbeddingQualityAssessment.embedding_distribution_quality(embeddings)
print(f"Embedding quality: {quality['quality']}")Vector Database Management
from scripts.vector_db_manager import VectorDBFactory, VectorDBManager
# Create in-memory database
db = VectorDBFactory.create_db("in_memory")
manager = VectorDBManager(db)
# Add documents
doc_ids = manager.add_documents(texts, embeddings)
# Search
results = manager.search(query_embedding, k=5)
# Database info
info = manager.get_database_info()RAG Evaluation
from scripts.rag_evaluation import RAGEvaluator, RetrievalMetrics
evaluator = RAGEvaluator()
# Evaluate retrieval
retrieval_eval = evaluator.evaluate_retrieval(retrieved_docs, relevant_docs, query)
# Evaluate answer
answer_eval = evaluator.evaluate_answer(answer, context, query)
# Complete pipeline evaluation
pipeline_eval = evaluator.evaluate_rag_pipeline(
query, retrieved, relevant, answer, context
)
# Get summary
summary = evaluator.get_evaluation_summary()Integration with SKILL.md
- SKILL.md contains conceptual information, patterns, and best practices
- Code examples are in
examples/for clarity and reusability - Utilities are in
scripts/for modular components - This keeps token costs low while maintaining full functionality
Architecture Patterns Covered
1. Basic RAG - Simple chunk-embed-retrieve-generate pipeline 2. Agentic RAG - Agent makes intelligent retrieval decisions 3. Hybrid Search - Combines keyword and semantic search 4. Retrieval Refinement - Reranking and filtering 5. Context Management - Fit documents within token limits 6. Quality Evaluation - Metrics for retrieval and answer quality
Models and Technologies Supported
- Embedding Models: All HuggingFace sentence-transformers compatible
- Vector DBs: In-memory (reference), Chroma, Pinecone, Weaviate, Qdrant
- Frameworks: LangChain, LlamaIndex, HayStack compatible
- LLMs: Any API-compatible LLM (OpenAI, local, etc.)
Key Features
- Token Efficient: Modular code structure reduces LLM context usage
- Production Ready: Includes evaluation metrics and quality assessment
- Framework Agnostic: Works with any embedding or vector DB
- Iterative Improvement: Agent-based RAG for complex queries
- Quality Focused: Built-in metrics for retrieval and answer quality
Next Steps
1. Choose embedding model for your domain 2. Prepare and chunk your documents 3. Select vector database for storage 4. Implement retrieval strategy (basic, hybrid, or agentic) 5. Evaluate with provided metrics 6. Iterate based on quality scores
"""
Embedding Management for RAG
Handles embedding generation, normalization, and caching.
"""
from typing import List, Dict, Optional, Tuple
import math
class EmbeddingManager:
"""Manages embedding generation and storage."""
def __init__(self, model_name: str = "all-MiniLM-L6-v2", cache_embeddings: bool = True):
"""
Initialize embedding manager.
Args:
model_name: Name of embedding model
cache_embeddings: Whether to cache generated embeddings
"""
self.model_name = model_name
self.cache = {} if cache_embeddings else None
def generate_embeddings(self, texts: List[str]) -> List[List[float]]:
"""
Generate embeddings for texts.
Args:
texts: List of text segments
Returns:
List of embedding vectors
"""
embeddings = []
for text in texts:
if self.cache is not None and text in self.cache:
embeddings.append(self.cache[text])
else:
# Placeholder - use actual embedding model
# from sentence_transformers import SentenceTransformer
# model = SentenceTransformer(self.model_name)
# embedding = model.encode(text)
embedding = self._dummy_embedding(text)
if self.cache is not None:
self.cache[text] = embedding
embeddings.append(embedding)
return embeddings
def _dummy_embedding(self, text: str) -> List[float]:
"""Generate placeholder embedding."""
# Create deterministic dummy embedding based on text
seed = sum(ord(c) for c in text[:10])
return [math.sin(seed + i) for i in range(384)]
def normalize_embeddings(
self, embeddings: List[List[float]]
) -> List[List[float]]:
"""
Normalize embeddings to unit vectors.
Args:
embeddings: List of embedding vectors
Returns:
Normalized embeddings
"""
normalized = []
for embedding in embeddings:
norm = math.sqrt(sum(x**2 for x in embedding))
if norm > 0:
normalized_emb = [x / norm for x in embedding]
else:
normalized_emb = embedding
normalized.append(normalized_emb)
return normalized
def compute_similarity(
self, embedding1: List[float], embedding2: List[float]
) -> float:
"""
Compute cosine similarity between embeddings.
Args:
embedding1: First embedding
embedding2: Second embedding
Returns:
Similarity score (0-1)
"""
dot_product = sum(a * b for a, b in zip(embedding1, embedding2))
norm1 = math.sqrt(sum(x**2 for x in embedding1))
norm2 = math.sqrt(sum(x**2 for x in embedding2))
if norm1 == 0 or norm2 == 0:
return 0.0
return dot_product / (norm1 * norm2)
def get_cache_stats(self) -> Dict:
"""Get embedding cache statistics."""
if self.cache is None:
return {"caching_enabled": False}
return {
"caching_enabled": True,
"cached_embeddings": len(self.cache),
"cache_size_estimate_mb": len(self.cache) * 384 * 4 / (1024 * 1024),
}
def clear_cache(self) -> None:
"""Clear embedding cache."""
if self.cache is not None:
self.cache.clear()
class EmbeddingQualityAssessment:
"""Assess quality of embeddings."""
@staticmethod
def embedding_variance(embeddings: List[List[float]]) -> float:
"""
Calculate variance across embeddings.
Args:
embeddings: List of embedding vectors
Returns:
Variance metric
"""
if not embeddings:
return 0.0
# Calculate mean embedding
dim = len(embeddings[0])
mean_embedding = [
sum(emb[i] for emb in embeddings) / len(embeddings) for i in range(dim)
]
# Calculate variance
variance = sum(
sum((emb[i] - mean_embedding[i]) ** 2 for i in range(dim))
for emb in embeddings
) / len(embeddings)
return variance
@staticmethod
def embedding_distribution_quality(embeddings: List[List[float]]) -> Dict:
"""
Assess quality of embedding distribution.
Args:
embeddings: List of embedding vectors
Returns:
Quality assessment dict
"""
if not embeddings:
return {"quality": "unknown", "metrics": {}}
# Calculate pairwise similarities
similarities = []
for i in range(len(embeddings)):
for j in range(i + 1, len(embeddings)):
sim = EmbeddingManager.compute_similarity(
embeddings[i], embeddings[j]
)
similarities.append(sim)
if not similarities:
return {"quality": "unknown", "metrics": {}}
avg_similarity = sum(similarities) / len(similarities)
max_similarity = max(similarities)
min_similarity = min(similarities)
# Assess quality
if avg_similarity < 0.3:
quality = "good" # Diverse embeddings
elif avg_similarity < 0.6:
quality = "moderate"
else:
quality = "poor" # Too similar
return {
"quality": quality,
"metrics": {
"avg_similarity": avg_similarity,
"max_similarity": max_similarity,
"min_similarity": min_similarity,
"diversity": 1 - avg_similarity,
},
}
@staticmethod
def detect_dead_dimensions(
embeddings: List[List[float]], threshold: float = 1e-6
) -> List[int]:
"""
Detect dimensions with low variance (dead dimensions).
Args:
embeddings: List of embedding vectors
threshold: Variance threshold
Returns:
List of dead dimension indices
"""
if not embeddings:
return []
dim = len(embeddings[0])
dead_dims = []
for d in range(dim):
values = [emb[d] for emb in embeddings]
variance = sum((v - sum(values) / len(values)) ** 2 for v in values) / len(
values
)
if variance < threshold:
dead_dims.append(d)
return dead_dims
"""
RAG Evaluation Metrics
Evaluate retrieval quality and answer generation quality.
"""
from typing import List, Dict, Tuple, Optional
import math
class RetrievalMetrics:
"""Calculate retrieval quality metrics."""
@staticmethod
def precision_at_k(retrieved: List[str], relevant: List[str], k: int) -> float:
"""
Calculate precision@k.
Args:
retrieved: List of retrieved documents
relevant: List of relevant documents
k: Cutoff position
Returns:
Precision@k score
"""
if k == 0:
return 0.0
top_k_retrieved = set(retrieved[:k])
relevant_set = set(relevant)
matches = len(top_k_retrieved & relevant_set)
return matches / k
@staticmethod
def recall_at_k(retrieved: List[str], relevant: List[str], k: int) -> float:
"""
Calculate recall@k.
Args:
retrieved: List of retrieved documents
relevant: List of relevant documents
k: Cutoff position
Returns:
Recall@k score
"""
if not relevant:
return 0.0
top_k_retrieved = set(retrieved[:k])
relevant_set = set(relevant)
matches = len(top_k_retrieved & relevant_set)
return matches / len(relevant_set)
@staticmethod
def mean_reciprocal_rank(retrieved: List[str], relevant: List[str]) -> float:
"""
Calculate Mean Reciprocal Rank (MRR).
Args:
retrieved: List of retrieved documents
relevant: List of relevant documents
Returns:
MRR score
"""
relevant_set = set(relevant)
for rank, doc in enumerate(retrieved, 1):
if doc in relevant_set:
return 1.0 / rank
return 0.0
@staticmethod
def ndcg(retrieved: List[Tuple[str, float]], relevant: List[str], k: int = 10) -> float:
"""
Calculate Normalized Discounted Cumulative Gain (NDCG).
Args:
retrieved: List of (document, score) tuples
relevant: List of relevant documents
k: Cutoff position
Returns:
NDCG score
"""
relevant_set = set(relevant)
docs = [doc for doc, _ in retrieved[:k]]
# Calculate DCG
dcg = 0.0
for rank, doc in enumerate(docs, 1):
if doc in relevant_set:
dcg += 1.0 / math.log2(rank + 1)
# Calculate IDCG (ideal DCG)
idcg = 0.0
for rank in range(1, min(k, len(relevant_set)) + 1):
idcg += 1.0 / math.log2(rank + 1)
if idcg == 0:
return 0.0
return dcg / idcg
@staticmethod
def compute_retrieval_scores(
retrieved: List[Tuple[str, float]], relevant: List[str]
) -> Dict[str, float]:
"""
Compute all retrieval metrics.
Args:
retrieved: List of (document, score) tuples
relevant: List of relevant documents
Returns:
Dict of metric names to scores
"""
docs = [doc for doc, _ in retrieved]
return {
"precision_at_5": RetrievalMetrics.precision_at_k(docs, relevant, 5),
"precision_at_10": RetrievalMetrics.precision_at_k(docs, relevant, 10),
"recall_at_5": RetrievalMetrics.recall_at_k(docs, relevant, 5),
"recall_at_10": RetrievalMetrics.recall_at_k(docs, relevant, 10),
"mrr": RetrievalMetrics.mean_reciprocal_rank(docs, relevant),
"ndcg_5": RetrievalMetrics.ndcg(retrieved, relevant, k=5),
"ndcg_10": RetrievalMetrics.ndcg(retrieved, relevant, k=10),
}
class AnswerQualityMetrics:
"""Evaluate answer quality."""
@staticmethod
def has_source_citations(answer: str, source_documents: List[str]) -> bool:
"""
Check if answer cites sources.
Args:
answer: Generated answer
source_documents: Retrieved source documents
Returns:
Whether answer contains source citations
"""
# Simple check - looks for document references
citations = ["source", "document", "according to", "cited from", "[1]"]
return any(citation in answer.lower() for citation in citations)
@staticmethod
def answer_length_quality(answer: str, min_length: int = 50) -> Dict:
"""
Evaluate answer length quality.
Args:
answer: Generated answer
min_length: Minimum acceptable length
Returns:
Length quality assessment
"""
length = len(answer)
word_count = len(answer.split())
if length < min_length:
quality = "too_short"
elif length > 5000:
quality = "too_long"
else:
quality = "appropriate"
return {
"quality": quality,
"character_count": length,
"word_count": word_count,
}
@staticmethod
def answer_coherence_score(answer: str) -> float:
"""
Estimate answer coherence (0-1).
Args:
answer: Generated answer
Returns:
Coherence score
"""
# Simple heuristic - score based on structure
sentences = answer.split(".")
valid_sentences = [s.strip() for s in sentences if len(s.strip()) > 10]
if not valid_sentences:
return 0.0
# More sentences = better coherence (up to a point)
coherence = min(len(valid_sentences) / 5.0, 1.0)
return coherence
@staticmethod
def grounding_in_context(answer: str, context: str) -> float:
"""
Estimate how well answer is grounded in context.
Args:
answer: Generated answer
context: Retrieved context
Returns:
Grounding score (0-1)
"""
answer_words = set(answer.lower().split())
context_words = set(context.lower().split())
if not answer_words:
return 0.0
overlap = len(answer_words & context_words)
grounding = overlap / len(answer_words)
return min(grounding, 1.0)
class RAGEvaluator:
"""Comprehensive RAG evaluation."""
def __init__(self):
"""Initialize evaluator."""
self.evaluation_history = []
def evaluate_retrieval(
self, retrieved: List[Tuple[str, float]], relevant: List[str], query: str
) -> Dict:
"""
Evaluate retrieval step.
Args:
retrieved: List of (document, score) tuples
relevant: List of relevant documents
query: Original query
Returns:
Evaluation results
"""
scores = RetrievalMetrics.compute_retrieval_scores(retrieved, relevant)
result = {
"step": "retrieval",
"query": query,
"metrics": scores,
"retrieved_count": len(retrieved),
"relevant_count": len(relevant),
}
self.evaluation_history.append(result)
return result
def evaluate_answer(self, answer: str, context: str, query: str) -> Dict:
"""
Evaluate answer generation step.
Args:
answer: Generated answer
context: Retrieved context
query: Original query
Returns:
Evaluation results
"""
has_citations = AnswerQualityMetrics.has_source_citations(answer, [context])
length_quality = AnswerQualityMetrics.answer_length_quality(answer)
coherence = AnswerQualityMetrics.answer_coherence_score(answer)
grounding = AnswerQualityMetrics.grounding_in_context(answer, context)
result = {
"step": "answer",
"query": query,
"has_citations": has_citations,
"length_quality": length_quality,
"coherence": coherence,
"grounding": grounding,
"overall_quality": (coherence + grounding) / 2,
}
self.evaluation_history.append(result)
return result
def evaluate_rag_pipeline(
self,
query: str,
retrieved: List[Tuple[str, float]],
relevant_documents: List[str],
answer: str,
context: str,
) -> Dict:
"""
Evaluate complete RAG pipeline.
Args:
query: User query
retrieved: Retrieved documents
relevant_documents: Relevant documents
answer: Generated answer
context: Retrieved context
Returns:
Complete evaluation
"""
retrieval_eval = self.evaluate_retrieval(retrieved, relevant_documents, query)
answer_eval = self.evaluate_answer(answer, context, query)
return {
"query": query,
"retrieval": retrieval_eval,
"answer": answer_eval,
"overall_score": (
retrieval_eval["metrics"]["ndcg_5"]
+ answer_eval["overall_quality"]
)
/ 2,
}
def get_evaluation_summary(self) -> Dict:
"""Get summary of all evaluations."""
if not self.evaluation_history:
return {"evaluations_count": 0}
retrieval_evals = [e for e in self.evaluation_history if e["step"] == "retrieval"]
answer_evals = [e for e in self.evaluation_history if e["step"] == "answer"]
avg_precision = (
sum(e["metrics"]["precision_at_5"] for e in retrieval_evals)
/ len(retrieval_evals)
if retrieval_evals
else 0
)
avg_quality = (
sum(e["overall_quality"] for e in answer_evals) / len(answer_evals)
if answer_evals
else 0
)
return {
"total_evaluations": len(self.evaluation_history),
"retrieval_evaluations": len(retrieval_evals),
"answer_evaluations": len(answer_evals),
"avg_retrieval_precision": avg_precision,
"avg_answer_quality": avg_quality,
}
"""
Vector Database Manager
Abstracts interactions with different vector database backends.
"""
from typing import List, Tuple, Dict, Optional
from abc import ABC, abstractmethod
class VectorDBBackend(ABC):
"""Abstract base for vector database backends."""
@abstractmethod
def add_text(self, text: str, embedding: List[float], metadata: Optional[Dict] = None) -> str:
"""Add text with embedding to database."""
pass
@abstractmethod
def query(self, embedding: List[float], k: int = 5) -> List[Tuple[str, float]]:
"""Query database for similar embeddings."""
pass
@abstractmethod
def delete(self, document_id: str) -> bool:
"""Delete document from database."""
pass
@abstractmethod
def get_stats(self) -> Dict:
"""Get database statistics."""
pass
class InMemoryVectorDB(VectorDBBackend):
"""Simple in-memory vector database for prototyping."""
def __init__(self):
"""Initialize in-memory database."""
self.documents = {} # id -> (text, embedding, metadata)
self.next_id = 0
def add_text(
self, text: str, embedding: List[float], metadata: Optional[Dict] = None
) -> str:
"""
Add text to database.
Args:
text: Text content
embedding: Embedding vector
metadata: Optional metadata dict
Returns:
Document ID
"""
doc_id = f"doc_{self.next_id}"
self.documents[doc_id] = {
"text": text,
"embedding": embedding,
"metadata": metadata or {},
}
self.next_id += 1
return doc_id
def query(self, embedding: List[float], k: int = 5) -> List[Tuple[str, float]]:
"""
Query for similar documents.
Args:
embedding: Query embedding
k: Number of results
Returns:
List of (text, similarity_score) tuples
"""
if not self.documents:
return []
# Calculate similarities
similarities = []
for doc_id, doc_data in self.documents.items():
similarity = self._cosine_similarity(embedding, doc_data["embedding"])
similarities.append((doc_data["text"], similarity))
# Sort and return top-k
similarities.sort(key=lambda x: x[1], reverse=True)
return similarities[:k]
def delete(self, document_id: str) -> bool:
"""Delete document."""
if document_id in self.documents:
del self.documents[document_id]
return True
return False
def get_stats(self) -> Dict:
"""Get database statistics."""
return {
"backend": "in_memory",
"document_count": len(self.documents),
"next_id": self.next_id,
}
@staticmethod
def _cosine_similarity(vec1: List[float], vec2: List[float]) -> float:
"""Compute cosine similarity."""
dot_product = sum(a * b for a, b in zip(vec1, vec2))
norm1 = sum(x**2 for x in vec1) ** 0.5
norm2 = sum(x**2 for x in vec2) ** 0.5
if norm1 == 0 or norm2 == 0:
return 0.0
return dot_product / (norm1 * norm2)
class VectorDBManager:
"""Unified interface for vector database operations."""
def __init__(self, backend: VectorDBBackend):
"""
Initialize manager with backend.
Args:
backend: Vector database backend instance
"""
self.backend = backend
self.operation_count = 0
def add_documents(
self,
texts: List[str],
embeddings: List[List[float]],
metadatas: Optional[List[Dict]] = None,
) -> List[str]:
"""
Add multiple documents.
Args:
texts: List of text contents
embeddings: List of embedding vectors
metadatas: Optional list of metadata dicts
Returns:
List of document IDs
"""
doc_ids = []
for i, (text, embedding) in enumerate(zip(texts, embeddings)):
metadata = metadatas[i] if metadatas else None
doc_id = self.backend.add_text(text, embedding, metadata)
doc_ids.append(doc_id)
self.operation_count += 1
return doc_ids
def search(self, query_embedding: List[float], k: int = 5) -> List[Tuple[str, float]]:
"""
Search for similar documents.
Args:
query_embedding: Query embedding vector
k: Number of results
Returns:
List of (text, score) tuples
"""
self.operation_count += 1
return self.backend.query(query_embedding, k=k)
def remove_document(self, document_id: str) -> bool:
"""Remove document."""
result = self.backend.delete(document_id)
if result:
self.operation_count += 1
return result
def get_database_info(self) -> Dict:
"""Get database information."""
stats = self.backend.get_stats()
stats["manager_operations"] = self.operation_count
return stats
def health_check(self) -> bool:
"""Check if database is healthy."""
try:
stats = self.backend.get_stats()
return stats is not None
except Exception:
return False
class VectorDBFactory:
"""Factory for creating vector database instances."""
@staticmethod
def create_db(db_type: str = "in_memory", **kwargs) -> VectorDBBackend:
"""
Create vector database instance.
Args:
db_type: Type of database ("in_memory", "chroma", "pinecone", etc.)
**kwargs: Database-specific arguments
Returns:
Vector database instance
"""
if db_type == "in_memory":
return InMemoryVectorDB()
elif db_type == "chroma":
# from chromadb import Client
# return ChromaVectorDB(**kwargs)
raise NotImplementedError("Chroma backend not implemented")
elif db_type == "pinecone":
# from pinecone import Index
# return PineconeVectorDB(**kwargs)
raise NotImplementedError("Pinecone backend not implemented")
else:
raise ValueError(f"Unknown database type: {db_type}")