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Google Vertex AI Search
What it is
Google Vertex AI Search, now called Agent Search, helps build AI-enabled search and recommendation experiences for public websites and mobile apps. It searches websites, unstructured documents, and structured data, and supports retrieval-augmented generation. Search features include natural-language understanding, semantic search, synonym handling, spell correction, and auto-suggest. It can produce answers grounded in indexed data with citations and accept follow-up questions. Parsers handle formats such as PDF, HTML, and TXT, and a search widget can be embedded in websites. Data sources include websites, BigQuery, Cloud Storage, Google Drive, Gmail, Google Sites, Google Calendar, Google Groups, Cloud SQL, Spanner, Firestore, Bigtable, and AlloyDB for PostgreSQL. The service runs in the cloud and uses a REST query interface, with Android, iOS, web, and API listed as platforms. Search Standard Edition costs $1.50 a month, billed at $1.50 / 1,000 query; Search Enterprise Edition costs $4 a month, billed at $4.00 / 1,000 query. There is no free plan, but a trial offers 10,000 queries per account per month, excluding Advanced Generative Answers.
For and against
For
- Searches websites, documents, and structured data.
- Generates cited answers grounded in indexed data.
- Includes semantic search and spell correction.
- Supports numerous listed Google Cloud and other data sources.
Against
- No free plan is available.
- Advanced Generative Answers are excluded from the free trial.
- Advanced Generative Answers cost +$4.00 / 1,000 user input query.
The verdict
Agent Search combines retrieval, natural-language search features, and cited generative answers across multiple data types. Review the edition and query charges, along with the trial exclusion, before choosing a plan.
Who it suits
This service suits teams building search or recommendation experiences for websites and mobile apps, especially when their information spans structured and unstructured sources. The free trial has a stated query limit and excludes Advanced Generative Answers.
Plans and prices
Search Standard Edition
Semantic retrieval and KPI optimization · 10,000 queries per account per month at no cost during free trial
Read 8 Oct 2026 · cloud.google.com
Advanced Generative Answers (AI Mode)
Can be added to Standard Edition or Enterprise Edition · Excluded from free trial
Read 8 Oct 2026 · cloud.google.com
Search Enterprise Edition
Core Generative Answers included · 10,000 queries per account per month at no cost during free trial
Read 8 Oct 2026 · cloud.google.com
On the record
- Data coverage
- It supports search and retrieval-augmented generation across websites, unstructured documents, and structured data.docs.cloud.google.com · read 8 Oct 2026
- Data sources
- Supported sources include websites, BigQuery, Cloud Storage, Google Drive, Gmail, Google Sites, Google Calendar, Google Groups, Cloud SQL, Spanner, Firestore, Bigtable, and AlloyDB for PostgreSQL.docs.cloud.google.com · read 8 Oct 2026
- Document processing
- Its parsers handle unstructured formats such as PDF, HTML, and TXT, and its search widget can be embedded in websites.docs.cloud.google.com · read 8 Oct 2026
- Free trial limit
- The pricing page offers 10,000 queries per account per month at no cost to explore Agent Search, excluding Advanced Generative Answers.cloud.google.com · read 8 Oct 2026
- Generative answers
- It can generate answers grounded in indexed data with citations and support follow-up questions.docs.cloud.google.com · read 8 Oct 2026
- Industry use cases
- Google describes specialized tuning for commerce catalogs, media libraries, and clinical data repositories.docs.cloud.google.com · read 8 Oct 2026
- Integrations
- The custom search documentation describes ingestion through Cloud Storage and BigQuery or through the REST API.docs.cloud.google.com · read 8 Oct 2026
- Pricing models
- Search applications and associated data stores use either general pay-as-you-go pricing or configurable monthly subscription pricing, and a configurable data store can only be used by an app on configurable pricing.cloud.google.com · read 8 Oct 2026
- Purpose
- Agent Search, formerly Vertex AI Search, builds AI-enabled search and recommendation experiences for public websites and mobile applications.docs.cloud.google.com · read 8 Oct 2026
- Search features
- Out-of-the-box capabilities include natural-language understanding, semantic search, synonym understanding, spell correction, and auto-suggest.docs.cloud.google.com · read 8 Oct 2026
- Security and compliance
- Google Cloud publishes compliance mappings and reports and states that it undergoes independent verification for certifications, attestations, and audit reports.cloud.google.com · read 8 Oct 2026
- Support
- The documentation page links to Google Cloud Support, community forums, release notes, and system status.docs.cloud.google.com · read 8 Oct 2026
