msty-docs/content/1.features/knowledge-stack/2.embeddings.md

title, description, navTruncate

title	description	navTruncate
Understanding Embeddings	Learn how Msty makes your documents searchable	false

Embeddings are what make Knowledge Stacks "smarter" than a regular search. They help Msty understand the meaning behind your words, not just match exact phrases.

What Makes it Special?

Think about how you'd search for a recipe:

• Regular search looks for exact words like "chocolate cake"
• Msty understands that "dessert with cocoa" means the same thing
• It can even find recipes that never use the exact words you typed

::image-plain{src="/how-to/create-knowledge-stack/search-settings-interface.webp" alt="Search settings showing similarity controls"} ::

How Embeddings Work

Imagine translating colors into numbers:

• Red = [255, 0, 0]
• Blue = [0, 0, 255]
• Purple = [128, 0, 128]

Embeddings do the same thing with words and ideas:

• "happy" and "joyful" get similar numbers
• "bank" (money) and "bank" (river) get different numbers
• "I'm freezing" and "it's cold" get similar numbers

Embedding Models

::image-plain{src="/how-to/create-knowledge-stack/chunk-settings-interface.webp" alt="Embedding model selection"} ::

1. Local Embeddings

• ✅ Completely private - nothing leaves your computer
• ✅ Free to use forever
• ✅ Works offline
• ⚠️ Slightly less accurate
• ⚠️ Uses more CPU power

2. Remote Embeddings (via OpenAI)

• ✅ More accurate understanding
• ✅ Less CPU usage
• ⚠️ Requires API key
• ⚠️ Small cost per use
• ⚠️ Sends text to external service

::alert{type="tip" icon="tabler:bulb"} Start with local embeddings - they work great for most uses! Switch to remote only if you need extra accuracy. ::

Similarity Settings

Control how strictly Msty matches content:

1. Similarity Threshold

   • Low: Broader matches, more results
   • Medium: Balanced relevance
   • High: Stricter matching
   • Highest: Only very close matches

2. Number of Chunks

   • Default: 15 chunks
   • Adjust based on needs:
     • More chunks → broader context
     • Fewer chunks → focused answers

::alert{type="info" icon="tabler:info-circle"} These settings can be adjusted per chat session in the Knowledge Stack selector! ::

Getting Started

1. Create a new Knowledge Stack
2. Click the gear icon
3. Choose your embedding model
4. Adjust similarity settings as needed

::alert{type="tip" icon="tabler:bulb"} Want to fine-tune your results? Check out our guide on Advanced Knowledge Stack Settings. ::