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Text Embeddings

Weaviate's integration with Hugging Face's APIs allows you to access their models' capabilities directly from Weaviate.

Configure a Weaviate vector index to use an Hugging Face Hub embedding model, and Weaviate will generate embeddings for various operations using the specified model and your Hugging Face API key. This feature is called the vectorizer.

At import time, Weaviate generates text object embeddings and saves them into the index. For vector and hybrid search operations, Weaviate converts text queries into embeddings.

Embedding integration illustration

Your Weaviate instance must be configured with the Hugging Face vectorizer integration (text2vec-huggingface) module.

For Weaviate Cloud (WCD) users

This integration is enabled by default on Weaviate Cloud (WCD) instances.

For self-hosted users

You must provide a valid Hugging Face API key to Weaviate for this integration. Go to Hugging Face to sign up and obtain an API key.

Provide the API key to Weaviate using one of the following methods:

  • Set the HUGGINGFACE_APIKEY environment variable that is available to Weaviate.
  • Provide the API key at runtime, as shown in the examples below.
Python
# Recommended: save sensitive data as environment variables
huggingface_key = os.getenv("HUGGINGFACE_API_KEY")
JavaScript/TypeScript
const huggingFaceApiKey = process.env.HUGGINGFACE_API_KEY || '';  // Replace with your inference API key
Go
"X-HuggingFace-Api-Key": os.Getenv("HUGGINGFACE_API_KEY"),

Configure a Weaviate index as follows to use a Hugging Face embedding model:

Python
from weaviate.classes.config import Configureclient.collections.create(    "DemoCollection",    vector_config=[        Configure.Vectors.text2vec_huggingface(            name="title_vector",            source_properties=["title"],            model="sentence-transformers/all-MiniLM-L6-v2",        )    ],    # Additional parameters not shown)
JavaScript/TypeScript
await client.collections.create({  name: 'DemoCollection',  properties: [    {      name: 'title',      dataType: 'text' as const,    },  ],  vectorizers: [    weaviate.configure.vectors.text2VecHuggingFace({      name: 'title_vector',      sourceProperties: ['title'],      model: 'sentence-transformers/all-MiniLM-L6-v2',    }),  ],  // Additional parameters not shown});
Go
// Define the collectionbasicHuggingfaceVectorizerDef := &models.Class{  Class: "DemoCollection",  VectorConfig: map[string]models.VectorConfig{    "title_vector": {      Vectorizer: map[string]interface{}{        "text2vec-huggingface": map[string]interface{}{          "properties": []string{"title"},          "model":      "sentence-transformers/all-MiniLM-L6-v2",        },      },    },  },}// add the collectionerr = client.Schema().ClassCreator().WithClass(basicHuggingfaceVectorizerDef).Do(ctx)if err != nil {  panic(err)}

You can specify one of the available models for the vectorizer to use. If you do not specify a model, Weaviate uses the server default, sentence-transformers/msmarco-bert-base-dot-v5.

Vectorization behavior

Weaviate follows the collection configuration and a set of predetermined rules to vectorize objects.

Unless specified otherwise in the collection definition, the default behavior is to:

  • Only vectorize properties that use the text or text[] data type (unless skipped)
  • Sort properties in alphabetical (a-z) order before concatenating values
  • If vectorizePropertyName is true (false by default) prepend the property name to each property value
  • Join the (prepended) property values with spaces
  • Prepend the class name (unless vectorizeClassName is false)
  • Convert the produced string to lowercase

The following examples show how to configure Hugging Face-specific options.

Python
from weaviate.classes.config import Configureclient.collections.create(    "DemoCollection",    vector_config=[        Configure.Vectors.text2vec_huggingface(            name="title_vector",            source_properties=["title"],            # NOTE: Use only one of (`model`), (`passage_model`), or (`endpoint_url`)            model="sentence-transformers/all-MiniLM-L6-v2",            # passage_model="sentence-transformers/facebook-dpr-ctx_encoder-single-nq-base",            # endpoint_url="<custom_huggingface_url>",            #            # wait_for_model=True,            # use_cache=True,            # use_gpu=True,        )    ],    # Additional parameters not shown)
JavaScript/TypeScript
await client.collections.create({  name: 'DemoCollection',  properties: [    {      name: 'title',      dataType: 'text' as const,    },  ],  vectorizers: [    weaviate.configure.vectors.text2VecHuggingFace({      name: 'title_vector',      sourceProperties: ['title'],      // NOTE: Use only one of `model`, `passageModel`, or `endpointURL`      model: 'sentence-transformers/all-MiniLM-L6-v2',      // endpointURL: <custom_huggingface_url>,      // passageModel: 'sentence-transformers/facebook-dpr-ctx_encoder-single-nq-base',      // waitForModel: true,      // useCache: true,      // useGPU: true,    }),  ],  // Additional parameters not shown});
Go
// Define the collectionfullHuggingfaceVectorizerDef := &models.Class{  Class: "DemoCollection",  VectorConfig: map[string]models.VectorConfig{    "title_vector": {      Vectorizer: map[string]interface{}{        "text2vec-huggingface": map[string]interface{}{          "properties": []string{"title"},          //  Note: Use only one of (`model`), (`passage_model`), or (`endpoint_url`)          "model": "sentence-transformers/all-MiniLM-L6-v2",          // "passage_model":  "sentence-transformers/facebook-dpr-ctx_encoder-single-nq-base",          // "endpoint_url":   "<custom_huggingface_url>",          // // Optional parameters          // "wait_for_model": true,          // "use_cache":      true,          // "use_gpu":        true,        },      },    },  },}// add the collectionerr = client.Schema().ClassCreator().WithClass(fullHuggingfaceVectorizerDef).Do(ctx)if err != nil {  panic(err)}

Only select one of the following parameters to specify the model:

  • model,
  • passageModel, or
  • endpointURL
  • options.waitForModel: If the model is not ready, wait for it rather than returning a 503 error.
  • options.useGPU: Use a GPU for inference if your account plan supports it.
  • options.useCache: Use a cached result if available. (For non-deterministic models to prevent the caching mechanism from being used.)

After configuring the vectorizer, import data into Weaviate. Weaviate generates embeddings for text objects using the specified model.

Python
source_objects = [    {"title": "The Shawshank Redemption", "description": "A wrongfully imprisoned man forms an inspiring friendship while finding hope and redemption in the darkest of places."},    {"title": "The Godfather", "description": "A powerful mafia family struggles to balance loyalty, power, and betrayal in this iconic crime saga."},    {"title": "The Dark Knight", "description": "Batman faces his greatest challenge as he battles the chaos unleashed by the Joker in Gotham City."},    {"title": "Jingle All the Way", "description": "A desperate father goes to hilarious lengths to secure the season's hottest toy for his son on Christmas Eve."},    {"title": "A Christmas Carol", "description": "A miserly old man is transformed after being visited by three ghosts on Christmas Eve in this timeless tale of redemption."}]collection = client.collections.use("DemoCollection")with collection.batch.fixed_size(batch_size=200) as batch:    for src_obj in source_objects:        # The model provider integration will automatically vectorize the object        batch.add_object(            properties={                "title": src_obj["title"],                "description": src_obj["description"],            },            # vector=vector  # Optionally provide a pre-obtained vector        )        if batch.number_errors > 10:            print("Batch import stopped due to excessive errors.")            breakfailed_objects = collection.batch.failed_objectsif failed_objects:    print(f"Number of failed imports: {len(failed_objects)}")    print(f"First failed object: {failed_objects[0]}")
JavaScript/TypeScript
let srcObjects = [
  { title: "The Shawshank Redemption", description: "A wrongfully imprisoned man forms an inspiring friendship while finding hope and redemption in the darkest of places." },
  { title: "The Godfather", description: "A powerful mafia family struggles to balance loyalty, power, and betrayal in this iconic crime saga." },
  { title: "The Dark Knight", description: "Batman faces his greatest challenge as he battles the chaos unleashed by the Joker in Gotham City." },
  { title: "Jingle All the Way", description: "A desperate father goes to hilarious lengths to secure the season's hottest toy for his son on Christmas Eve." },
  { title: "A Christmas Carol", description: "A miserly old man is transformed after being visited by three ghosts on Christmas Eve in this timeless tale of redemption." }
];
Go
var sourceObjects = []map[string]string{  {"title": "The Shawshank Redemption", "description": "A wrongfully imprisoned man forms an inspiring friendship while finding hope and redemption in the darkest of places."},  {"title": "The Godfather", "description": "A powerful mafia family struggles to balance loyalty, power, and betrayal in this iconic crime saga."},  {"title": "The Dark Knight", "description": "Batman faces his greatest challenge as he battles the chaos unleashed by the Joker in Gotham City."},  {"title": "Jingle All the Way", "description": "A desperate father goes to hilarious lengths to secure the season's hottest toy for his son on Christmas Eve."},  {"title": "A Christmas Carol", "description": "A miserly old man is transformed after being visited by three ghosts on Christmas Eve in this timeless tale of redemption."},}// Convert items into a slice of models.Objectobjects := []models.PropertySchema{}for i := range sourceObjects {  objects = append(objects, map[string]interface{}{    // Populate the object with the data    "title":       sourceObjects[i]["title"],    "description": sourceObjects[i]["description"],  })}// Batch write itemsbatcher := client.Batch().ObjectsBatcher()for _, dataObj := range objects {  batcher.WithObjects(&models.Object{    Class:      "DemoCollection",    Properties: dataObj,  })}// FlushbatchRes, err := batcher.Do(ctx)// Error handlingif err != nil {  panic(err)}for _, res := range batchRes {  if res.Result.Errors != nil {    for _, err := range res.Result.Errors.Error {      if err != nil {        fmt.Printf("Error details: %v\n", *err)        panic(err.Message)      }    }  }}

Once the vectorizer is configured, Weaviate will perform vector and hybrid search operations using the specified Hugging Face model.

Embedding integration at search illustration

When you perform a vector search, Weaviate converts the text query into an embedding using the specified model and returns the most similar objects from the database.

The query below returns the n most similar objects from the database, set by limit.

Python
collection = client.collections.use("DemoCollection")response = collection.query.near_text(    query="A holiday film",  # The model provider integration will automatically vectorize the query    limit=2)for obj in response.objects:    print(obj.properties["title"])
JavaScript/TypeScript
const collectionName = 'DemoCollection'
const myCollection = client.collections.use(collectionName)
Go
nearTextResponse, err := client.GraphQL().Get().  WithClassName("DemoCollection").  WithFields(    graphql.Field{Name: "title"},  ).  WithNearText(client.GraphQL().NearTextArgBuilder().    WithConcepts([]string{"A holiday film"})).  WithLimit(2).  Do(ctx)if err != nil {  panic(err)}fmt.Printf("%v", nearTextResponse)

When you perform a hybrid search, Weaviate converts the text query into an embedding using the specified model and returns the best scoring objects from the database.

The query below returns the n best scoring objects from the database, set by limit.

Python
collection = client.collections.use("DemoCollection")response = collection.query.hybrid(    query="A holiday film",  # The model provider integration will automatically vectorize the query    limit=2)for obj in response.objects:    print(obj.properties["title"])
JavaScript/TypeScript
const collectionName = 'DemoCollection'
const myCollection = client.collections.use(collectionName)
Go
hybridResponse, err := client.GraphQL().Get().  WithClassName("DemoCollection").  WithFields(    graphql.Field{Name: "title"},  ).  WithHybrid(client.GraphQL().HybridArgumentBuilder().    WithQuery("A holiday film")).  WithLimit(2).  Do(ctx)if err != nil {  panic(err)}fmt.Printf("%v", hybridResponse)

You can use any Hugging Face embedding model with text2vec-huggingface, including public and private Hugging Face models. Sentence similarity models generally work best.

Once the integrations are configured at the collection, the data management and search operations in Weaviate work identically to any other collection. See the following model-agnostic examples:

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