What does this workflow do?
Knowledge search retrieves information from a corpus in response to a query. Embedding, keyword retrieval, reranking, and optional answer generation each contribute different costs and failure modes.
o10Reviewed 2026-09-06
Knowledge Search inference
Knowledge search retrieves information from a corpus in response to a query. Embedding, keyword retrieval, reranking, and optional answer generation each contribute different costs and failure modes.
Workload design guide. Any example volumes or cost estimates below are illustrative, not measured customer results.
SummaryKey takeaways
What you need to know
Start with the core questions, then examine the examples and tradeoffs below.
01Deep dive
Design the workflow before choosing a model
Record the retrieval stages separately. Rebuild or version the index when source documents or embedding models change, and enforce access controls before returning results.
Define a representative input and an explicit acceptance criterion. Keep model and prompt versions with the result so quality changes can be investigated.
02Deep dive
Evaluate outcomes and failure modes
Measure recall at the selected result count, ranking quality, access-control correctness, and latency.
Include queries with exact identifiers, domain vocabulary, ambiguous phrasing, and no relevant answer. Evaluate results against the documents the requesting user is permitted to access.
Compare candidate routes on the same held-out examples. Report how many examples were evaluated and inspect failures rather than relying on a single average score.
03Deep dive
Roll out with a measurable cost baseline
Establish a retrieval baseline before adding generation. Compare the incremental benefit of reranking or generated summaries with their additional latency and cost.
Calculate cost per accepted outcome using input and output tokens, retrieval or tool fees, retries, and review effort. A lower token price is useful only if the total workflow still meets its requirements.
o10 can provide model routing for the inference steps. Your application remains responsible for workflow permissions, tool behavior, and deciding whether the final result is acceptable.
SourceMethodology
Measure performance and total cost on representative tasks before rolling out this workflow.
FAQFrequently asked questions
Common questions
What should be measured before changing the route?
Record the current workflow’s outcome quality, latency distribution, failure rate, and fully loaded cost. Compare the candidate on the same tasks and include failed attempts and retries.
Are the savings figures on this site guaranteed?
No. Calculator inputs and workload examples are illustrative. Establish your own baseline and measure the candidate under comparable conditions before projecting savings.
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See what you're overpaying →verified savings methodology · State of Inference Spend 2026