C · Chunking · context · contextual retrieval

Contextual retrieval

Adding document context to each chunk before embedding it.

In one sentence

Contextual retrieval is a technique where each document chunk is prefixed with a short summary of the source document before being embedded, so the chunk’s vector position reflects its context, not just its words.

When it matters

When chunks are short and ambiguous on their own (e.g. a single error-code row in a table that references "the unit").

A real-world example

A row "E03 = pressure sensor" embedded in isolation matches many products; prefixed with "Aermec ANL chiller manual: error codes →" it matches only the right query.

Curated by helpcode research team · Last reviewed 2026-05-22