# What is Retrieval-Augmented Generation (RAG)? | Yungle glossary

> RAG is the technique AI systems use to pull in outside sources before generating an answer.

Source: https://yungle.ai/glossary/retrieval-augmented-generation-rag/

1.  [Resources](https://yungle.ai/resources)
2.  Glossary

Glossary · R

# Retrieval-Augmented Generation

In plain words

Retrieval-augmented generation (RAG) is a technique where an AI system retrieves relevant external documents or web pages before generating a response, rather than relying only on its trained knowledge. Many AI search tools use RAG, which means a well-structured, clearly-answered page has a real chance of being retrieved and cited, even for very recent topics.

Example

A support chatbot looks up the company's own help articles first, then answers using only what it found, instead of guessing.

Related resources

-   FAQ

    ## What Is RAG (Retrieval-Augmented Generation) and Why Does It Matter?

    RAG (retrieval-augmented generation) lets an AI system pull real, current information from your own documents, database, or knowledge base before generating an answer, instead of relying only on what it was originally trained on. This matters because it dramatically reduces hallucinated or outdated answers — the AI is grounded in your actual product details, pricing, and policies. Any AI feature meant to answer customer or internal questions accurately needs some form of RAG behind it.

    [See answer](https://yungle.ai/resources?type=faq#what-is-rag-retrieval-augmented-generation-and-why-does-it-matter)
-   Glossary

    ## Knowledge Graph

    A knowledge graph is a search engine's structured database of entities and how they relate to each other.

    [See term](https://yungle.ai/glossary/knowledge-graph)
-   Glossary

    ## Indexing

    Indexing is the process by which a search engine stores and organizes a crawled page for retrieval.

    [See term](https://yungle.ai/glossary/indexing)
-   FAQ

    ## How Do I Optimize My Website for Search Engines?

    Start with clean technical SEO — fast load times, proper heading structure, mobile responsiveness — then build content around what your actual customers are searching for. Most sites over-invest in keywords and under-invest in structure. Google needs to crawl and understand your site before content quality even matters. Fix the technical foundation first, then focus content on answering real customer questions clearly.

    [See answer](https://yungle.ai/resources?type=faq#how-do-i-optimize-my-website-for-search-engines)

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