When creating a custom retriever in Einstein Studio, which step is considered essential?

In Salesforce’s Einstein Studio (part of the Agentforce ecosystem), creating a custom retriever involves setting up a mechanism to fetch data for AI prompts or responses. The essential step is defining the foundation of the retriever: selecting the search index, specifying the data model object (DMO), and identifying the data space (Option A). These elements establish where and what the retriever searches:

Search Index: Determines the indexed dataset (e.g., a vector database in Data Cloud) the retriever queries.

Data Model Object (DMO): Specifies the object (e.g., Knowledge Articles, Custom Objects) containing the data to retrieve.

Data Space: Defines the scope or environment (e.g., a specific Data Cloud instance) for the data.

Filters are noted as optional in Option A, which is accurate—they enhance precision but aren’t mandatory for the retriever to function. This step is foundational because without it, the retriever lacks a target dataset, rendering it unusable.

Option B: Defining output configuration (e.g., max results, field mapping) is important for shaping the retriever’s output, but it’s a secondary step. The retriever must first know where to search (A) before output can be configured.

Option C: This option includes advanced configurations (vector/hybrid search, filtering fields, ranking method), which are valuable but not essential. A basic retriever can operate without specifying search type or ranking, as defaults apply, but it cannot function without a search index, DMO, and data space.

Option A: This is the minimum required step to create a functional retriever, making it essential.

Option A is the correct answer as it captures the core, mandatory components of retriever setup in Einstein Studio.