Last updated: 2026-05-11
Retrieval Grounding Loop
A bounded loop where the agent retrieves evidence, checks sufficiency, and retrieves again only when needed.
When to use it
- First-pass retrieval often misses a key document.
- The task requires citations or source-aware answers.
- Latency budget allows one extra retrieval step.
Avoid when
- The corpus is small enough for simple search.
- Extra retrieval would exceed the user-facing latency budget.
Implementation notes
- Cap the number of retrieval attempts.
- Log the agent's reason for another retrieval.
- Evaluate retrieved evidence separately from final answer quality.