---
slug: "RetrievalAugment"
name: "RetrievalAugment"
type: "Memory"
layer: "Mind"
ref: "RetrievalAugment#6f84"
sema_id: "sema:RetrievalAugment#mh:SHA-256:6f840cc4134b302b712d8f59dcca0c1b446c255369a8cea11031e884c16f3052"
tags: ["Mind","Memory"]
updated: 2026-11-11
mindscape: "bootstrap"
index_url: https://mindscape.pages.dev/bootstrap/index.json
url: https://mindscape.pages.dev/bootstrap/RetrievalAugment/
related: ["Agent","Context","ContextFirst","CiteBack","DeepResearch","sema:DeepResearch#mh:SHA-256:cd1dc8b74fb7377b4a9754e9c3b3cadc6f718810472a63ecbae30a09aeeb8797"]
---

# RetrievalAugment

Ground responses in retrieved external knowledge

Layer: Mind · Category: Memory

## Mechanism

Before generating a response, the [Agent](https://mindscape.pages.dev/bootstrap/Agent.md) queries an external knowledge store to retrieve material relevant to the current [Context](https://mindscape.pages.dev/bootstrap/Context.md). The retrieval follows [ContextFirst](https://mindscape.pages.dev/bootstrap/ContextFirst.md): the lookup completes before generation begins, and the retrieved material is supplied as context for the response. The store, retrieval method, selection policy, and response process remain caller- or descendant-defined.

## Invariants

- Query Before Generate: Retrieval must precede response generation

## Failure modes

- Retrieval Poisoning: Malicious or incorrect material returned by the store contaminates responses.
- [Context](https://mindscape.pages.dev/bootstrap/Context.md) Stuffing: Retrieved material exceeds the available [Context](https://mindscape.pages.dev/bootstrap/Context.md) capacity, causing critical information to be omitted or truncated.

## Builds on

- [Agent](https://mindscape.pages.dev/bootstrap/Agent.md) (Mind; References)
- [Context](https://mindscape.pages.dev/bootstrap/Context.md) (Infrastructure; References)
- [ContextFirst](https://mindscape.pages.dev/bootstrap/ContextFirst.md) (Mind; References)

## Used by

- [CiteBack](https://mindscape.pages.dev/bootstrap/CiteBack.md) (Mind; References)
- [DeepResearch](https://mindscape.pages.dev/bootstrap/DeepResearch.md) (Mind; References)

## Identity

- Sema ID: `sema:RetrievalAugment#mh:SHA-256:6f840cc4134b302b712d8f59dcca0c1b446c255369a8cea11031e884c16f3052`
- Ref: `RetrievalAugment#6f84`
- Supersedes:
  - `sema:RetrievalAugment#mh:SHA-256:ca586b1cfff0f1d6db36de4ef419b29d21e55e8382db24b435fe9bb00ad32241`
  - `sema:RetrievalAugment#mh:SHA-256:7ca744ce28611156f415add4da95e3dc93006d92061a05139e17b70d3882e848`
  - `sema:RetrievalAugment#mh:SHA-256:95fc6c4071bdede8f9e366e3d268cba27459256c62d4510359c916c80018d85e`
  - `sema:RetrievalAugment#mh:SHA-256:9c601193335e19b27f2b94ee1fe6c324e6db3278af4d408d6f594f6ff3ef7d15`

## Links

- [Pattern page](https://mindscape.pages.dev/bootstrap/RetrievalAugment/)
- [View in the interactive graph](https://mindscape.pages.dev/bootstrap/#RetrievalAugment)
- [JSON](https://mindscape.pages.dev/bootstrap/RetrievalAugment.json)
- [Index of all patterns](https://mindscape.pages.dev/bootstrap/index.json)