Search looks simple from the outside.
A user types something like:
short-range copper module
and expects the system to return the right product, maybe even an exact SKU like:
QDD-2Q200-CU3M
Building Hybrid Search with PostgreSQL, pgvector, and Citus
How I would design a practical hybrid search engine for technical e-commerce catalogs using PostgreSQL, pgvector, HNSW, full-text search, and Citus.
TL;DRAI
Hybrid search combining PostgreSQL full-text search and pgvector vectors outperforms pure keyword search on technical product catalogs. Tech teams achieve exact matching on specs and semantic recall on intent, reducing failed searches and improving buyer experience.
2,148 words~10 min read
