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Core concept · AI Search Infrastructure

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Definition

A multi-hop query requires retrieving information from multiple distinct sources and synthesizing across them to produce an answer. Each hop retrieves a piece of the answer; the final response assembles them. Multi-hop queries are the hardest retrieval scenario because errors compound across hops. If the first retrieval step produces an inaccurate result, the subsequent steps build on a flawed foundation. For brands, appearing in the first hop of a multi-hop query is particularly high-value — the brand that anchors the first retrieved piece shapes the entire synthesized answer.

Query decomposition

Query fan-out

Sub-query

RAG

Retrieval pipeline

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