RAG guide

Hybrid retrieval with compression

Hybrid retrieval combines the semantic matching of dense embeddings with the keyword precision of sparse retrieval. SuperCompress then selects the most relevant content from both streams.

By Arjun Shah - Creator of SuperCompress - Updated 2026-07-03

Why hybrid + compression works

Dense retrieval finds conceptually similar content; sparse retrieval finds exact keyword matches. Together, they return more relevant candidates. The downside: more candidates means more tokens. SuperCompress compresses the combined results against the query, keeping only what matters for the answer.

Frequently asked questions

Does compression negate hybrid retrieval's benefit?

No. Compression selects the best content from both retrieval methods.

What's the optimal K for hybrid retrieval with compression?

Retrieve 15-20 candidates per method (30-40 total), then compress to the best 5-8 chunks.

Try it yourself

Paste your long prompt into the playground, ask a question, and see what SuperCompress keeps and removes. Free, no signup needed.

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