Configure retrieval
Choose how an agent searches its knowledge, tune confidence guidance, and test the result against real questions.
Open Sources → Retrieval to configure how an agent searches its selected knowledge. Use the Save Retrieval Settings action to save your changes.
The default mode is Standard, with a 30% Confidence Threshold. The default search model is Gemini 3.5 Flash, with a maximum of 10 documents for deep search.
Set the confidence threshold
The threshold ranges from 0% to 100%. It is a guidance threshold, not a refusal switch. When retrieval returns no result, or when the score is below the threshold, AgentStack guides the agent to say that it does not always have enough information, and to offer more help.
The threshold needs a score. A message has no score when the scoring step does not complete, and a message that skips the search has no score either. AgentStack adds no guidance in these two cases, so the threshold changes nothing for those messages.
Raise the threshold only when low-confidence answers are not helpful. After you change the threshold, test it with known questions and edge-case questions.
Choose a mode
Standard mode uses fast embedding-based search. It is available on every plan.
Hybrid mode runs Standard first. It uses a deeper step when confidence is low. Hybrid is available on Standard and higher plans.
Deep Search reads full documents and follows cross-references.
Auto classifies each question. It currently chooses Standard mode or Hybrid mode.
Deep Search and Auto are available on Pro and Enterprise plans.
After a plan downgrade, the agent keeps its stored mode. The mode stays selected and locked, and you can still save the other retrieval settings. A line under the modes names the mode your plan runs and the plan that brings the stored mode back. Below the Standard plan every mode runs as Standard. On the Standard plan, Deep Search runs as Hybrid and Auto runs as Standard. You cannot switch to a different mode that your plan does not include.
Hybrid runs its deeper step only when Standard confidence is 80% or lower. Hybrid also runs the deeper step when Standard records no confidence score. If deep search fails, Hybrid keeps its Standard result. If Deep Search mode fails, it also falls back to Standard. Auto does not choose Deep Search on its own. Treat Auto as a choice between Standard mode and Hybrid mode only.
Skip the search on a message that needs none
Standard mode reads each message before it searches. A message that needs nothing looked up, such as "hi", "thanks" or "ok got it", skips the search. The agent answers from the conversation instead. The skip saves the cost and the delay of a search that returns nothing useful.
The check is cautious on purpose. AgentStack searches when the check is not sure, when the message is long, and when the check does not answer in time. A wrong skip makes the agent answer a real question with no knowledge behind it, so the check must be very sure before it skips a message.
A skipped message stores no confidence score, and it gets no guidance from the confidence threshold. A skip is not a search that found nothing. Hybrid, Deep Search and Auto do not use this check. The Help Center search box always searches.
Deep-search controls
When the plan allows a mode other than Standard, the page shows Search Model and Max Documents. The Max Documents count ranges from 1 to 50.
The Search Model picker lists several provider models. The page does not state a plan or cost for each model. Test a model with a controlled evaluation before you choose it.
Save your changes. Then compare the same prompts in Playground.
Retrieval tuning cannot correct a source that is missing, outdated, or contradictory. Check Sources first.