Retrieve | Zep Documentation

This is the Retrieve stage of Working with Context. Retrieve relevant context after you ingest data and optionally shape the graph.

Use graph.search to retrieve context from a user graph or a Context Graph addressed with graph_id.

For an agent-memory workflow, Zep also produces several context types from a user’s graph. You can use three methods to assemble these types for an agent.

The three methods give conversational grounding in one low-latency, low-token call. For complex questions and tasks, an agent uses Zep through several tools. See Build an Agent with Zep.

Context types

Each method assembles one or more context types into a string. The default Context Block can include all six types when they are available and relevant.

Read the context types overview to compare the types.

Available methods

Method	Query control	Format control	Use case
Zep’s Context Block	Automatic (four most recent messages)	Fixed	Automatic relevance and format
Context templates	Automatic (four most recent messages)	Custom	Consistent formatting across threads
Advanced construction	Full control	Full control	Custom queries and formats

Choosing a method

Use Zep’s Context Block when you want Zep to select and format relevant context.

Use context templates when you need a consistent format and automatic relevance detection.

Use custom construction when you must control the query, selected results, or format.