# Build a Search Engine, Not a Vector DB - Elicit Blog Synced: [[2023_12_21]] 11:28 PM Last Highlighted: [[2023_12_21]] Tags: [[ai]] [[software]]  ## Highlights [[2023_12_21]] [View Highlight](https://read.readwise.io/read/01hj5t7py1ws9ep2a6cbjr4knh) > However, vector search is ultimately just a particular kind of search*.* Giving your LLM access to a database it can write to and search across is very useful, but it’s ultimately best conceptualized as giving an agent access to a search engine, versus actually “having more memory”. [[2023_12_21]] [View Highlight](https://read.readwise.io/read/01hj5ta5jj98a1pk7gykygg0rz) > If you want to make a good RAG tool that uses your documentation, you should start by making a search engine over those documents that would be good enough for a human to use themselves. This is likely something your organization has considered before, and if it doesn’t exist it’s because building a good search engine has traditionally been a significant undertaking.