Why one search signal is not enough
A support query might include an exact error code and a description of what the user saw. Keyword search is strong for the code; semantic search is strong for the description. A hybrid system can preserve both signals instead of forcing one method to do everything.
How results are combined
- Run keyword and semantic retrieval over the same source set.
- Normalize or rank the candidate lists.
- Apply permissions, freshness, and type filters.
- Evaluate whether the combined top results contain the supporting answer.
The trade-off
Hybrid search adds tuning and operational work. It is worth it when exact terms and varied language both appear in important queries. For a small, simple dataset, a well-designed full-text search may be enough.